Paul the convert

25^th’ January: Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul.

 (DB Novena 4^th Day – Love & Punishment)

Introduction

Today’s Liturgy draws our attention to a unique conversion of a sinner Saul to a Saint Paul. On this final day of the Christian Unity Week, we pray for the conversion of hearts and reconciliation   among all Christian churches, to form one flock under one Shepherd, Jesus Christ. On this fourth day of the Novena we pray through the intercession of Don Bosco, for the conversion of our families from brokenness and sinfulness to wholeness and holiness.                                                      And now, because we believe that God is our compassionate and merciful Father, who is eagerly, waiting to pardon us not punish us, let us humbly confess our sins and pray in this Eucharist for our own conversion to communion with Jesus.  

Homily

Today’s Liturgy draws our attention to a two thousand year old conversion story of a sinner Saul to a Saint Paul.  But why celebrate a conversion? For waging a cruel persecution against the Disciples of Christ, Saul should have been punished. Instead, Jesus intercepts this persecutor on his way to Damascus, transforms him with his forgiving love and enrols him among his Apostles.  No punishment but pardon. That’s the story of God’s mercy that converts every sinner and celebrates a saint. Jesus celebrated conversions through forgiveness not punishments. The parables like the prodigal son, the conversion stories of Peter who denied the Master, of Thomas who doubted Christ’s resurrection, of a sinner woman, Magdalene, of the tax collector, Zaccheus, and several others recorded in Sacred Scripture, result in a joyous celebration of Conversions through God’s merciful pardon, not harsh punishment.

With reason, therefore, the Church commemorates this spectacular conversion of Saul from a fanatical persecutor to a faithful proclaimer, chiefly to focus our attention on the forgiving pedagogy of God’s incarnate love, Jesus Christ. Won over, more by the love of the compassionate Jesus, Saul became Paul, a committed missionary with deep convictions:   I live not I, Christ lives in me; for me to live is Christ; Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel of Love not punishments.

Let us reflect on another 200 years old conversion story of a fatherless, young Johnny who becomes Fr. John Bosco. He is acclaimed today as the Father of poor and needy youth across the world. Don Bosco claimed that he received in a dream or spiritual experience  at the age of nine, not only his mission to be an educator, but was also given a sure Guide, the Mother of mercy and  a distinct educative method: Not with blows. No punishments but pardon.  To be faithful to this sacred calling, Don Bosco also claimed that he did not take a single step without the guidance of Mother Mary, and that he won the hearts of the young, not by instilling in them an unholy fear of a punishing God, but by inculcating a spirituality of the heart, based on God’s overwhelming love   as described by St. Francis de Sales, the patron Don Bosco chose for his religious congregation.  

“Spare the rod and spoil the child”, has been an oft repeated principle since the time of the Public  schools and boardings as depicted in movies like Oliver Twist and Annie. Corporal punishments were endorsed as a salutary method of education.  It was in fact prevalent in the 19^th century. The pious Mummy of Johnny did not exclude punishments in raising her children. DB recalls how he expected to be punished by his mother when he had accidentally broken an oil jar. He got ready a cane to receive a well deserved punishment. Instead, his wise Mama Margaret, rewarded his honesty and condoned his petty crime, thus teaching the future educator that pardon does more good than punishment for children. This conviction was planted in his mind even in that dream or vision at the age of nine, when he was commissioned to transform naughty children from fighting wolves into gentle sheep, with a clear mandate: Not with blows or punishments!

Years later, reflecting on his flourishing youth apostolate, and the growing team of Salesians, initially in Italy, then in Europe and across the continent, Don Bosco attributed the successs of his youth ministry to the  divinely inspired method of educating the young: Not with blows. He named it the Preventive System of education as opposed to the Repressive system, which was much in vogue at that time and consisted in making the rules known and then punishing the offenders.

Based on the three pillars of Religion, Reason and Loving Kindness, the Preventive system of Don Bosco instead, requires the Parent or educator to be present as a father or mother, a teacher and a friend. As a father or mother, the educator inculcates an experience of a loving God, as a provider and caretaker, especially in the early stages of the child’s life;  then as the children grow through the phases of restless adolescence and intellectual curiosity,   the educator accompanies  them by his presence as a knowledgeable and competent Teacher, in a dialogue of reason and patience ; and all through this growing process , the parent or educator   remains present as a true Friend of the youth, always supportive especially as they mature through the spiritual, intellectual, moral and social challenges of adolescence, to grow into  good children of God  and honest citizens of the world.

Did Don Bosco talk of punishments? Yes, he did. His writings on punishments are interesting and valuable. “Wherever possible, never make use of punishments” he would say. “The educator ought to love if he wishes to be feared (respected)”, was another of his comments. “Withdrawing kindness is a punishment, but a punishment that excites emulation that encourages one never to repeat mistakes again.”  Youngsters who are mischievous find the strength to apologize, improve their behaviour when they realize that they have brought sadness to those who love them and whose affection they have lost. “With youngsters,” Don Bosco would say, “that which serves as a punishment punishes. It is observed that one look without affection at a certain youngster has greater effect than a slap. Praise when something is done well or pointing out the mistake is already a reward or punishment for the children” said Don Bosco.

It is obvious that to obtain positive results in this preventive system of education, there must already exist a healthy rapport of the parent/educator with the children, as father/mother, teacher and friend. Not only must the educator love the child, but the child must feel being loved, said Don Bosco. “Make yourself loved” Don Bosco repeated often to his Salesians.

When Don Bosco wrote a few pages on his “preventive system”, he must have surely had his mother, Mama Margaret in mind. She was father/mother, teacher and friend to her children and to Don Bosco, in particular, accompanying him all through his youth and later in his priestly youth ministry. In a circular letter to his Salesians on the subject of punishments, Don Bosco passed on her message when he wrote: Never resort to punishments, until you have exhausted all other means. Choose a favourable moment to correct. Remove every hint that would make people deduce that you are acting out of passion; carry out your correction in such a way that there is hope for the one that has made a mistake and possibly, pardon. Strive to make yourself loved, instill a sense of duty and a holy reverence of God and you will see with what admirable ease the doors of children’s   hearts will open.

As you may have already realized, the Preventive System of Don Bosco is in fact, the implementation of the Divine Pedagogy of Love and forgiveness as against Law and punishment,  preached and practised by The Eternal Educator, Jesus Christ. 

Unfortunately, our short tempered society today has strayed away into the shortcuts of violence and vengeance. Tragically, as you know too well, our children are exposed even in Homes and educational institutions to the blows of revenge and rebellion which only breeds terrorism.

However, like Don Bosco who hoped against hope and took up the challenge of replacing the Repressive system, let us confirm our belief in the Preventive System as relevant today and resolve to educate our children, the Jesus Way, not with blows of punishments but blessings of  pardon seventy times seven. As Salesian Family that we are, as educators today, we owe it to our children both at home and in school, to be present among them, as Fathers, Mothers, Teachers and Friends, who know to pardon and not to punish. Not with blows.

Conversion of St. Paul.

Conversion of St. Paul.

Pope Francis has been the talk of the town , rather of the world, ever since he appeared on the Vatican gallery with his first humble utterance “pray for me”. Just a few years in the Chair of St. Peter and our Holy Father has attracted the respect of world leaders  in the corridors of power and the gratitude of poor refugees and immigrants  on the periphery of society.  And yet, when a journalist asked him: “Who is Jorge Mario Bergolio?” “I am a sinner” came the frank and humble public confession from one whom we all address as the Holy Father.

Our self-conceited and self-righteous society of today, trapped by inhuman rivalry and cruel violence, lives in a world of damaging denials. We maliciously hide our sins and stubbornly deny we are sinners. We always accuse the other and never admit our own faults, falsely pretending that we seek peace and justice, and we moan:  “Isn’t it , isn’t it terribly sad, I am so good and the world is so bad”. Notice however, that we Catholics, Like Pope Francis, admit that we are sinners.

At every Holy Mass we begin with the humble acknowledgement of our sins, saying: “Through my fault, through my fault to my most grievous fault” and then we pray: Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy.   In the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we begin by saying:“Bless me father, for I have sinned,”  and then we are absolved with the words: “May Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you, your sins and lead you to eternal Life. Indeed, we confess we are sinners and God declares us sainta!

Today, in the feast of the conversion of St. Paul  , we have an edifying example of the power of God’s mercy transforming a notorious sinner into a notable saint, a Hebrew Saul to a Christian Paul. The story reported by St. Luke  in the Acts of the Apostles in Chptrs: 9, 22 and 26; and in St. Paul’s own letters to the Galatians 1, 13-17; and Phillipians 3,4-7  tells us of a self-righteous and self-conceited Saul, a young  Orthodox educated Jew and a Roman  citizen. Saul is all set on a vicious mission to imprison  the disciples of Jesus Christ and wipe out their Resurrection claims. But suddenly, Saul’s  journey  to Damascus is intercepted by a bright light; he falls blindly to the ground, and a voice calls him by name, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?; a dialogue ensues; Who are you, Lord” ? Asks the blind Saul,  “I am  Jesus the Nazarene whom you are persecuting,”, admonishes Jesus.   Saul is repentant and asks: What am I to do? And Jesus directs him to the devout Ananias who is himself inspired in a vision to  restore Saul’s sight and set him on a path pf conversion, from Saul, a fanatical persecutor of Christians to Paul, a zealous Apostle of  the Gentiles. This genuine conversion  from sinner to saint offers us three reflections:

First, that spiritual Conversion is always an initiative of our merciful God; It is Jesus who first confronts Saul and admonishes him for his vicious plans;

Secondly, Conversion takes place only in a repentant sinner, open to God’s forgiveness. Shocked to realise who he was persecuting, Saul does not defend nor deny his sin but seeks a solution: What am I to do?

Thirdly, true Conversion is the gift of God’s mercy, turning a sinner into a saint.  Saul the over-zealous Jew, becomes by the mercy of God, Paul the committed Christian; from an aggressive persecutor to a zealous proclaimer of the Faith.

In St. Paul conversion means to be totally focussed on Jesus Christ; Now on his slogans are: I live not I, Christ lives in me; For me to live is Christ; Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel; All I want is to know Christ and Him crucified. I long to be dissolved and be with Christ. Now on, graced by God’s mercy, St. Paul commences a “spiritual work of mercy” of admonishing the Christians to shun sin and embrace sanctity.

We have other Conversion stories in the Gospel of Sinner-Saints, like Mary Magdalene, Peter, Zacheus, etc. and what is most characteristic about them is not so much the turning away from sin as the permanent following of Christ and no turning back.

The Lives of all Saints reflect this “Conversion” spirituality. We notice also a Conversion pattern in the life of a nine year old country boy, Johnny whom Jesus admonishes in a dream: “not with blows”  and sets him on  a mission to be the Father of youth,  a channel of God’s mercy to the young. Here too, it is Jesus who initiates the conversion of Don Bosco who wholeheartedly devoted himself to the conversion of the young and the poor, transforming them from street boys to altar boys. He did so, particularly through the sacraments of the Holy Eucharist and Reconciliation (Confession)

God acts in our lives too. He takes the initiative and admonishes us too. Through our conscience or through our family or good friends, Jesus admonishes us and invites us to the Sacrament of mercy to be embraced by his forgiving love. Are we in denial declaring ourselves: I am not a sinner! Listen, Jesus says “I have come for sinners” and repeatedly assures us: Go, your sins are forgiven. Let us recall also that scene in the Gospel where Jesus declares that the Publican at the backdoor who prayed, “Lord forgive me a sinner” was more pleasing to God that the self-righteous Pharisee at the altar.

Confession of our sins draws down the mercy of God  and is the surest path to personal holiness, family peace and world harmony. Don Bosco’s pedagogy of sanctity was to help his boys to understand that the Confessional is God’s throne of mercy  and not a seat of judgement and condemnation. He made himself available at all times and in all places,  for this ministry of mercy. Holiness flourished among the youth in his oratory.

May the Sacrament of Reconciliation for us, young and old, be an experience of conversion of a prodigal son or daughter being embraced by an all forgiving merciful Father who says: Even if you sins are red as scarlet  will make them white as snow. "Go and sin no more".