Archbishop Viganò: Homily on the Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul

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Archbishop Viganò: Homily on the Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul

26 January 2023 Posted by Marco Tosatti [computer translated]

THIS IS THE VESSEL OF CHOICE FOR ME

Homilía del arzobispo Carlo Maria Viganò on the feast of the conversion of Saint Paul the Apostle

Eminent Doctor Paul, instruct the manners
And draw our breasts with you into heaven;
Veiled while faith sees the afternoon,
And love alone reigns like the sun
Pablo, distinguished doctor, teaches the laws
and drag our spirits to Heaven with you,
Until the evening Faith sees noon
and Charity reigns alone Charity in the likeness of the sun.

The conversion of Saint Paul was a conquest of Saint Stephen, and it is no coincidence that the divine liturgy has placed this feast a few days from that of the Protomartyr, whose martyrdom was witnessed by the Jew Saul, faithful to the Ancient Law and loyal executor of the will. of the high priests; perhaps he himself contributed to the martyrdom, believing he was acting in accordance with the principles that all orthodox Jews must observe. Father Guéranger comments: «It was appropriate that, to complete the court of our great King, next to the manger the two powerful columns of the Church should rise, the Apostle of the Jews and the Apostle of the Gentiles; Peter with his keys and Paul with his sword. This is how Saul, an observant Hebrew and persecutor of Christians, became Paul, and conquered the pagans to the Gospel».

Today, the power of Christ descends on his enemy, and his mercy later lifts him up to make him a champion of the Faith and companion of the Prince of the Apostles, together with whom he will shed his blood in the City:  O Roma felix, quæ duorum Principum It is consecrata glorious sanguine , as we sing in the hymn  Decora lux.  Blessed Rome, consecrated by the glorious blood of two princes! Blood that is glorious because from it, when shed for love of Christ, instead of death comes life; instead of defeat, victory; and instead of the ignominy of torture the glory of the palm of martyrdom.

When the shepherds obeyed God and did not allow themselves to be seduced by the deceptions of this world, between the festivities of the Chair of Saint Peter in Rome and that of the Conversion of Saint Paul, an octave of prayers was celebrated for the conversion of those who did not are Catholics: the schismatics, the heretics and the pagans. The new church, following in the footsteps of the Council, has reneged on its mission and tries to hide what differentiates us from sects and idolaters, emphasizing what –according to them– unites us. Those days of prayer became the  Week for Christian unity, putting the objectives of a senseless ecumenism before the supernatural mission of preaching the true Faith. I urge you to pray for the priests and prelates who persecute good Catholics, and for those who, like Saul, believe that they comply with the precepts of the Law while they are in error. Let us ask the Lord to manifest himself to them and convert them, as the Apostle of the Gentiles was converted.

Let us not be surprised by this parallel; the veil of the Temple, which was torn from top to bottom at the moment when the Savior expired on the Cross, put an end to the Old Covenant. The Church of Christ thus became the new Israel and the baptized the new chosen people. This new and eternal alliance, sealed with the Blood of the Lamb of which the sacrifices in the Temple were a figure, welcomed many children of the Synagogue, enlightened by messianic prophecies and confirmed by the miracles of the Lord. There were among them many who, like Saul, obeyed the Law until they were reached by Grace that made them see that the Scriptures were fulfilled in Jesus Christ. And while the blindness of perfidy did not allow them to perceive the Light that came into the world and rejected it; while the Sanhedrin conspired with Pilate for fear of losing his power, and he hid from the simple the truth that the rolls of Isaiah and other holy prophets guarded; while Saul tried in all the synagogues to force Christians to blaspheme (Acts 26,11), that is, to deny the divinity of Christ and his coming as the promised Messiah, the great miracle of conversion was being prepared: instantaneous, immediate, withering like everything that has to do with God.

Sometimes the path of conversion is long and arduous, full of difficulties and falls; but the conversion itself with the strength and power of which the Lord is capable when he touches us with the light of Truth and the fire of Charity. "Who are you, Lord?" Saul asks, fallen from his horse. «I am Jesus, whom you persecute» (Hch.9,5). In the dazzling light in which the voice of Christ resounds, one of the most feared inquisitors of the Temple recognizes the miracle, realizes who its divine Artificer is, addresses Him calling Him Lord and obeys the order to go to Damascus. He remains dazzled and blind for three days, and during those three days he assists in mystical preparation for the epiphany of Christ.

With another miracle, Ananias is asked to go and heal Saul of Tarsus, and he is stupefied, because this Jew has authorization "from the high priests to seize all who call on his name" (Acts 9:14). The Lord answers him: "Go, because a chosen instrument is for me that same one, in order to carry my name before nations and kings and children of Israel, because I will show him how much he will have to suffer for my name" (ibid., 15-16). So he goes to see Saul, lays his hands on him and heals him, causing the veil of blindness to come off his eyes, a figure of the darkening of the sight of the soul. Overflowing with the Holy Spirit, Saul "was baptized" (ibid., 18) with the name of Paul.

Today there is also a Sanhedrin of supporters of the Council who send their ministers in the synagogues to persecute traditionalist Catholics, punish them and force them to observe the reformed rites. Also today there are jealous and terrible sauls who go after the faithful to force them to blaspheme, to deny the teachings of Christ and obey the high priests and the scribes of the people. Many of them believe that they are good and respect the Law. But the power of God, which turns and throws the proud to the ground, wants to touch his soul as it touched Saul's. I invite you, dear faithful, to pray for them. So that the Lord manifests his power by dismantling his granite certainties, blinding his pride and having mercy with them to lift them up, restore their spiritual sight.

We pray that the prelates and priests who today obey the Sanhedrin of Rome, who does not want to recognize Christ the King and pay homage to Caesar, be enlightened by the Grace of the Lord. Let them return to the synagogues like Saint Paul to proclaim Jesus the Son of God (ibid., 22), to preach that the Sacrifice of the New and Eternal Covenant is renewed on the altar of those whom they persecute to this day. That it can also be said of this monsignor, of that bishop, of that cardinal: «Is not this the one who destroyed in Jerusalem those who invoke this name, and had come here with the purpose of leading them bound before the high priests? » (ibid., 21).

If we know how to bear witness of faith in the Lord and fidelity to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, which is the beating heart and soul of our most holy religion, we will be able to do with those souls reached by the Grace of God what the disciples did in Damascus: speak to them about Christ, help them to be with us to "build themselves up walking in the fear of the Lord" (ibid., 31). Who knows if such a prelate who has come to force them to accept the reformed rites will want to celebrate the Traditional Mass, discovering to what extent the divine liturgy confirms and nourishes his priesthood, seeing the extent to which his Levite soul finds its full fulfillment by repeat the words of the Savior who immolated himself on the altar, in the same way that he once did on the Cross. Perhaps that bishop who came with bellicose intentions realizes that he persecutes Christ, and wants to become his apostle and disciple after being persecuted by order of the Sanhedrin.

Then you will understand, as we have understood by the Grace of God and despite our unworthiness, how much you will have to suffer for the name of the Lord.

Such is our most sincere wish, our prayer, the reason for our testimony.

So be it.

January 25, 2023

On the Conversion of Saint Paul the Apostle