28/04/2023

God's revelation of himself on the Road to Damascus brings about a conversion known as one of the most spectacular in the whole history of mankind. Saul having harried the nascent Church in Jerusalem was on his way to do the same in Damascus. Father, Son and Holy Spirit stops him and reveals himself as Jesus. Saul then experiences a total blackout for three days before sight returns to Paul.

Jesus was not seen until the third day of his entombment. Paul could not see until his sight returned on the third day of his blindness. The Jews had been the strongest monotheists of the ancient world. Saul had been dedicated to the study of the Scriptures of "IAMIAM". When his sight returned he began to preach. "Jesus is the Son of God". This is indeed speechless wonder!

When Mary Magdalen saw the "gardener" she saw the risen lord but was disturbed in her own being to the extent that she "knew" but did not recognise. All the first recollections of the Resurrection have this quality of "seeing" but not "knowing"until Thomas touches the wounds and Jesus not only eats with the Apostles and even cooks for them by the shores of Lake Galilee.

There is nothing but clarity in St John's memoir of Jesus' teaching at Capernaum. IAMIAM is the source of life. I am his Son. Life comes from the Father into the Son and the Son is the Bread from Heaven that is always available to ensure that all mankind can believe and thus accept the Holy Spirit the Loving Mercy that is Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Dear Lord, you know that accepting the holiness that your Church needs to be the vehicle of your Will on earth, has always been difficult. You have always tolerated the sinfulness of priests and prelates but we who sincerely try to know, love and serve are more than disappointed as we come to know more about the personal sins of clerics and the institutionalised perfidy of prelates. May Mary and all the saints pray that all priests act in accordance to the words they preach and not be satisfied with a glib, "I 'm a sinner too". We all need heartfelt repentance and to seek penance in this life before entering into the Spiritual purging of Purgatory.