25th January, MondayI. Acts 22:3-16
II. Mk 16:15-18
Theme: The inner conversion.
In the first reading we hear St. Paul explain to the crowd of Jews in Jerusalem his former life as a Jew and then his awesome meeting with risen Jesus on the road to Damascus. St. Paul had just returned from his third missionary journey to the Gentiles. The apostle tells the Jews about his conversion experience so that they may believe that Jesus was the promised messiah and received baptism to wipe out their sins. The gospel reading tells us how Jesus appeared to the apostles after his resurrection and commanded them, to proclaim the good news to all creation. This is the command that Paul, in the wake of his conversion, worked so zealously to carry out the mission of Jesus Christ.
We know that every believer has to carry the message that in Jesus salvation is available to the whole world. As the believer carries out the great commission, God promises a supernatural power, which is needed to get the task done. St. Paul rest of his life lived for Christ, making him known to the world. Does our sense of mission compel us to say like St. Paul, woe to me, if I do not preach the gospel?
Bro Prakash Horo SMM
II BTh