Pope: Humiliations can ‘open the heart’, as they did for Saint Paul

Last updated on: April 15, 2016 at 10:35 pm by CNA Daily News

Pope: Humiliations can ‘open the heart’, as they did for Saint Paul 2016-04-15T22:35:00+00:00 CNA Daily News

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Vatican City, Apr 15, 2016 / 04:35 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis on Friday encouraged Christians to embrace the humiliations that God allows in our lives to draw us closer to him and open our hearts, just as Saul did after he was knocked down on the road to Damascus.

During Mass at the chapel of Santa Marta House in the Vatican on April 15, the Holy Father focused his homily on the day’s first reading found in the Acts of the Apostles.

The passage recounts the famous conversion story of St. Paul, as Saul became known, who was knocked down while traveling on the road to Damascus to hunt down more Christians to persecute.

Although Saul was “a strong, brave young man, zealous in his faith,” he was one “with a closed heart” who “did not want to hear about Jesus Christ” and went so far as to seek out Christ’s followers to persecute them, Pope Francis said.

While on his way to find more Christians, “suddenly a light from heaven flashed about him” and Saul was thrown from his horse where, the Holy Father said, he “understood the truth; he understood that he was not a man as God wanted, because he created us, all of us, to be on our feet, heads held high.”

Saul heard the voice of Christ addressing him asking, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” Then Christ instructs him to “get up and go.”

After his fall, Saul humbly allowed himself “to be guided” by another to Damascus because he had been blinded. It was this “humiliation” that became “the path to open the heart” which allowed him to “be converted to the Lord Jesus,” the Roman Pontiff said.

He explained that “when the Lord sends us humiliation or allows humiliation to come to us, it is precisely for this reason: so the heart may be opened, may be docile.”

However, Christ did not leave Saul on the ground, nor does he expect us to stay there when we are knocked down. In this account we see a lesson in conversion, the Holy Father said, explaining that with humbling experiences, “the Lord is able to change hearts and make a hard, stubborn heart become docile to the Spirit.”

After a fall we first must rise, because “a Christian must be on his feet with his head held high.”

A Christian must also “let yourself be led,” just as Paul did when he “let himself be led like a child; entrusted himself to the hands of another, whom he did not know,” when he came to Ananias, the man who God chose to use to restore Saul’s sight and baptize him.

Even with all the different players in this account, the “main character” in all this is the Holy Spirit, whom the Pope called the “protagonist of the Church who leads the People of God.”

Pope Francis concluded saying that this conversion story affects all of us since we all “have hardness of heart,” just as Saul did.

“(L)et us ask the Lord to make us see that this hardness knocks us to the ground; may he send us the grace and also – if necessary – humiliation so as not to remain down but rise, with the dignity with which God created us, which is the grace of a heart open and docile to the Holy Spirit.”

Vatican

Previous Post

April 15, 2016

Pope Francis' visit to Greece shows a shared Christian concern for refugees

Next Post

April 16, 2016 Founder of Neocatechumenal Way thanks Pope for Amoris Laetitia

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Americas Asia - Pacific Europe Middle East - Africa Uncategorized US Vatican

Select a Month November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who was the first high priest of Israel?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Joshua Caleb Moses Aaron