An extraordinary calling for ordinary people

Good News Reflection Tuesday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time January 25, 2011 Today's Feast: The Conversion of St. Paul Pray to speak the Good News with boldness: http://wordbytes.org/saints/DailyPrayers/Paul.htm Today’s Readings: Acts 22:3-16 or Acts 9:1-22 Ps 117:1bc, 2 (with Mark 16:15) Mark 16:15-18 http://www.usccb.org/nab/012511.shtml USCCB Podcast of the Readings: http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/11_01_25.mp3 An extraordinary calling for ordinary people The calling in today's Gospel passage – "Go out to all the world, and tell the Good News" – seems more appropriate today than when Jesus first said it, thanks to the Internet. Here I sit in a small corner of my house in Florida, sharing the Good News with people all around the world. Even when I sleep, my calling is fulfilled non-stop through the Good News Ministries website. I never imagined having such an extraordinary ministry when I said yes to God's call, in 1977, to become a Catholic. Or in 1982 when I became a published writer for his kingdom. Or in the mid-80s when I designed secular ads, which developed skills that later designed Good News webpages. I never imagined during Public Speaking class in high school (ancient days) that God would eventually call me to go into all the world for speaking engagements and via downloadable MP3s (see http://catholicdr.com/e-Classroom/Bible). I am just an ordinary person. God, however, is quite extraordinary, and he does extraordinary works with ordinary people. Judas and Ananias from Acts 9:1-22 were ordinary guys, yet they played a very important role in Church development because they treated a terrible persecutor with extraordinary kindness. First Judas opened his home in an ordinary gesture of hospitality for a very extraordinary reason, risking everything for a man who had been an aggressive enemy of Christianity. Then, while Ananias was having a nice, ordinary prayer time, Jesus appeared to him in a vision and said: "I want you to go to Straight Street on the other side of town, to the house of Judas. He's got a visitor there and I want you to minister to him." "Sure. How do you want me to help him?" replied Ananias. "His eyes have been blinded, and I want you to lay hands on him to restore his sight." "No problem. You've used me to heal people before. I know what to do." "Yes, but the man I want you to heal is Saul of Tarsus." "No! You can't mean that! This man is surely here to arrest us Christians! You can't be serious." "Go!" Jesus commanded. And Ananias went. Judas and Ananias are never in scripture again. And yet, what they did had an impact on the whole world, even to this day. They helped to launch Paul into one of the most powerful ministries of evangelization for all time. What kind of an impact are you making as an ordinary person following God's extraordinary call to spread the Good News? Note: This reflection is available as a printable download to share with others, published by Catholic Digital Resources. Please seehttp://catholicdr.com/calendar/January/StPaul.htm © 2011 by Terry A. Modica This work is NOT in Public Domain and may NOT be copied without permission. You may print one copy for your own personal use. For PERMISSION and info on how to copy this reflection for sharing, see: http://gogoodnews.net/DailyReflections/copyrights-DR.htm Seeking a past reflection? Click this button to register for the searchable Archive Library of the Good News Reflections. One week access is free to subscribers of these emailed reflections.

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