Pope Francis' General Audience: English summary

Dear Brothers and Sisters: In our continuing catechesis on the Acts of the Apostles, we now consider Saint Paul’s conversion from fierce persecutor of the Church to fearless preacher of the Gospel.  The pivotal moment in his life came when the Risen Lord appeared and asked him: “Why are you persecuting me?”  This encounter with Jesus begins a journey that sees Saul transformed into Paul: God’s “chosen instrument” to bring the Lord’s name to all nations.

Paul’s passage from blindness to sight symbolizes his passing from death to life and he begins to see the world in an entirely new way.  Our immersion in the Paschal Mystery at baptism signifies, as it did for Paul, the start of a new life, a fresh way of viewing God and others.  Let us pray that we may experience the full impact of God’s love, which alone can turn our stony hearts into hearts of flesh, capable of welcoming others in the same way as Jesus himself.