Short Homily for Friday of the Third Week of Easter

From Persecutor to Proclaimer — The Power of Encounter

Readings:

• Acts 9:1–20 – The conversion of Saul

• Psalm 117:1bc, 2 – “Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.”

• John 6:52–59 – Jesus: “My flesh is real food, my blood real drink.”

They say God has a sense of humour. If you don’t believe that, just think of how He took Saul — a man hunting Christians — and turned him into Paul, the greatest evangelist. It’s like turning a bouncer into a bishop overnight. I’m just waiting for the Lord to turn my neighbour, who burns meat every braai, into a five-star chef. Miracles do happen!

The story of Saul in Acts 9 is more than a conversion — it’s a divine ambush of grace. Saul is breathing threats, riding high on religious pride — then boom! He’s knocked off his horse, blinded by a light, and confronted by the very Christ he was persecuting. His whole direction changes.

In the Gospel, Jesus speaks again about the Eucharist: “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in them.” It's not a metaphor. It's a mysterious, intimate union that nourishes our souls and changes our lives — just like it changed Paul’s.

When we come to the table of the Lord, we’re not just receiving a wafer — we are encountering the Risen Christ. The same Jesus who met Paul in the light meets us in the Eucharist, again and again, inviting us to transformation.

Question for Reflection

What areas in my life are still resisting Christ’s call? Am I walking in the direction of grace, or riding toward self-made goals that might be blinding me?

Daily Practical Application

Like Paul, we can allow the Lord to reroute our day, our attitude, our priorities. Call someone you’ve been avoiding. Apologise if needed. Be the light in someone’s dark moment — you might be the Ananias they need to see Jesus through.

For Those Who Encounter Difficulties

If you feel far from God or unworthy, take heart: Paul was literally fighting against God. And still, Jesus chose him. No past is too broken, no failure too big, no doubt too strong. Grace always has the last word.

What Can I Do During the Jubilee Year?

Be a Pilgrim of Hope:

• Visit someone sick or forgotten.

• Speak courage into a discouraged friend.

• Start each morning with one line: “Lord, what would You have me do today?”

The Jubilee Year is not just about events — it’s about encounters that change the world, one soul at a time.

Inspiration

“God does not call the qualified — He qualifies the called.”

You might feel like Saul today, but God sees the Paul in you. Like South Africa, scarred but beautiful, we are all works in progress under divine construction.

Let’s allow Jesus to interrupt us with grace. From persecutor to proclaimer, from brokenness to blessing — this is the power of a true encounter with the Risen Christ.

Lord Jesus,

knock me off the horse of my pride,
and open my eyes to Your presence.
Feed me with Your Body and Blood,
that I may rise, see, and serve.
Like Paul, may I carry Your light
from Mamelodi to Mitchells Plain,
from Limpopo to Langa —
wherever You send me.
Amen.