In the 'Pauline Year' will continue the apostolate of catechesis of the Holy Father: "The catechesis of today will be devoted to the experience that Paul had on the road to Damascus and then to what is commonly called his conversion. Just on the road to Damascus, in the early 30's First Century, and after a period in which he had persecuted the Church, the decisive moment in Paul's life. On top of it and of course much has been written from different points of view. It is certain that there was a turning point, even a reversal perspective. Then he unexpectedly began to consider "loss" and "rubbish" all that had constituted for him the highest ideal, almost the raison d'etre of its existence (cf. Phil 3.7 to 8). What happened? We this regard, two types of sources. The first type, the best known are the stories arising from the pen of Luke, who narrates the event three times in the Acts of the Apostles (cf. 9.1 to 19, 22.3 to 21 ; 26 0.4 to 23). The average reader is probably tempted to pause too long on certain details, like light from heaven, falling to the ground, the voice calling, the new condition of blindness, healing like scales fall from his eyes and fasting. But all these details point to the center of the event: The Risen Christ appeared as a splendid light and addressed Saul, transforming his thinking and his own life. The splendor of the Risen One left him blind; also outwardly what was his inner reality, its blindness to the truth, the light that is Christ. And then, his definitive "yes" to Christ in baptism reopens his eyes again, he does actually see.
In the early Church, baptism was also called "enlightenment" because this sacrament gives light, really shows. As well indicates theology, Paul is also realized physically healed from his inner blindness, he sees good. St. Paul, therefore, was not transformed by a thought but by an event, by the irresistible presence of the Risen One, whom he could never in doubt, so strong was the evidence of the event, for this meeting. It fundamentally changed the life of Paul in this sense we can and must speak of a conversion. This meeting is the center of St Luke's, which is quite possible that he used a story probably originated in the community of Damascus. He does think the local color provided by the presence of Ananias and the names of the street is that the owner of the house where Paul stayed (cf. Acts 9:11 ).
The second type of sources on the conversion is made by the same letters of St. Paul. He never spoke in detail about this event, I think it could be assumed that everyone knew the essentials of his history, everyone knew that from a persecutor was transformed into a fervent apostle of Christ. And what happened was not following its own reflection, but a strong event, an encounter with the Risen One. While not talking about details, he mentions several times in this very important fact, namely that he is witness to the resurrection of Jesus, which he received revelation directly from Jesus himself, together with the mission of apostle. The text is clear on this point in his story as to what constitutes the center of the history of salvation: the death and resurrection of Jesus and the apparitions to witnesses (cf. 1 Cor 15 ). In the words of the ancient tradition, which he also received from the Church of Jerusalem, says that Jesus died crucified, buried, rose again appeared after the Resurrection, the first to Cephas, that is Peter, then to the Twelve, then to five hundred brethren in much of that time were still living, then to James, then to all the Apostles. And this story from the received tradition adds: "Last of all he appeared also to me" (1 Corinthians 15:8 ). So to understand that this is the foundation of his apostolate and of his new life. There are also other texts in which appears the same thing: "Through Jesus Christ we have received grace and apostleship" (cf. Rom 1:5 ) and again: "Have I not seen Jesus our Lord?" ( 1 Corinthians 9:1), words with which he alludes to one thing that everyone knows. And finally, the most popular text reads Gal 1.15 to 17: "But when the one who chose me since my mother's womb and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal His Son in me because I preach among the Gentiles, immediately, without consulting any person, without going to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, I went to Arabia and then returned to Damascus. " In this "autoapologia" underlines decidedly that he is a true witness of the Risen Christ, has its own mission received directly from the Risen.
We can see that the two sources, the Acts of the Apostles and the Letters of St. Paul, converge in a fundamental point: The Risen One spoke with Paul, called him to the apostolate, made him a true apostle, a witness the resurrection, with the specific charge to proclaim the Gospel to all nations, the greek-roman world. At the same time, Paul learned that, despite the immediacy of his relationship with the Risen One, he must enter the communion of the Church, be baptized, and live in harmony with the other apostles.
Only in this communion with all will he be a true apostle, as he wrote explicitly in the First Epistle to the Corinthians: "Whether I or they, so we preach and so you believed" ( 15, 11 ). There is only one proclamation of the Risen One, because Christ is one. As can be seen in all these passages Paul never interprets this moment as an event of conversion. Why? There are many hypotheses, but for me the reason is very obvious. The turning point in his life, this transformation of his whole being was not the result of a psychological process, of a maturation or evolution intellectual and moral, but came from outside: it was not the result of his thinking, but the encounter with Jesus Christ In this sense it was not simply a conversion, a maturing of his "I", but for him was death and resurrection himself: his life and died a new one was born with the Risen Christ. Nowhere else can you explain this renewal of Paul. All psychological analysis can clarify and resolve the problem. This event alone, this powerful encounter with Christ, is the key to understanding what had happened: death and resurrection, renewal on the part of him who revealed himself and spoke with him. In this deeper sense we can and must speak of conversion. This meeting is a real renewal that changed all his parameters. Now you can say that what was essential and fundamental for him, became for him "garbage" is no longer "gain" but loss, because now counts only the life in Christ.
We must not think that Paul was so closed in a blind event. The opposite is true, because the Risen Christ is the light of truth, the light of God himself. This enlarged his heart, made him open to everyone. At the moment did not lose all that was good and true in his life, his legacy, but understood in a new way the wisdom, truth, the depth of the law and the prophets, he appropriated them in new ways. At the same time, his reason opened to the wisdom of the Gentiles, having opened himself to Christ with all my heart has become capable of a broad dialogue with all, he had been able to become all things to everyone. Hence he could really be the apostle to the Gentiles.
Turning now to ourselves, we ask what does this mean for us? It means that for us, Christianity is not a new philosophy or a new morality. Christians only if we encounter Christ. Certainly he does not show us in this irresistible, luminous way, as he did with Paul to make him Apostle of the Gentiles. But we can also encounter Christ the reading of Sacred Scripture, in prayer, in the liturgical life of the Church. We can touch Christ's heart and feel him touch ours. Only in this personal relationship with Christ, only in this encounter with the Risen One do we really become Christians. And so our reason opens, it opens all the wisdom of Christ and the richness of the truth. So we pray to the Lord to enlighten us, to give us our world in the meeting with his presence, and so give us a lively faith, an open heart, a great charity for all, capable of renewing the world. "
Benedict XVI , September 3, 2008
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