The Archbishop Viganò Archive:

January 25, 2023

Homily: Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul

The Conversion of Saint Paul is a conquest of Saint Stephen, and it is no coincidence that the divine Liturgy places this feast a few days after that of the Protomartyr, whom the Jew Saul, loyal to the Ancient Law and faithful executor of the will of the High Priests, saw martyred before his eyes and perhaps martyred himself, believing he was performing an action in conformity with the precepts observed by every orthodox Jew.

Abbot Guéranger comments: To complete the court of our great King, it was right that the two powerful columns of the Church should be raised on either side of the manger, the Apostle of the Jews and the Apostle of the Gentiles: Peter with the keys and Paul with the sword. Thus Saul, from an observant Jew and persecutor of Christians, becomes Paul, conqueror of the pagans to the Gospel.

Today the power of Christ overthrows His enemy, and His mercy lifts him up by making him a champion of the Faith and the companion of the Prince of the Apostles, together with whom he will shed his blood in the City: O Roma felix, quæ duorum Principum es consecrata glorioso sanguine, we sing in the hymn Decora lux. “Happy Rome, consecrated by the glorious blood of the two Princes!”

A blood that is glorious because from it, shed for the love of Christ, does not derive death but life, not defeat but victory, not the ignominy of torture but the glory of the palm of martyrdom.

When the Pastors obeyed God and did not pursue the deceptions of this world, from the feast of the Chair of Saint Peter in Rome to that of the Conversion of Saint Paul, the Octave of prayer was held for the conversion of non-Catholics, schismatics, heretics and pagans.

The new Church, along the lines of Vatican II, has renounced its mission and seeks to hide what separates us from sects and idolaters, emphasizing what they believe unites us. And that moment of prayer became the “Week for Christian Unity,” putting the purposes of an insane ecumenism before the supernatural mission of preaching the true Faith.

So I invite you to pray for the clerics and prelates who persecute good Catholics, and for those like Saul who believe they are observing the precepts of the law while they are in error.

Don’t be surprised by this parallel: the veil of the temple that was torn lengthwise at the moment of the Savior’s death on the Cross put an end to the old Covenant, making the Church of Christ the new Israel, and the baptized the new chosen people.

This new and eternal Covenant, sealed in the Blood of the Lamb which represented the sacrifices of the Temple, welcomed many sons of the Synagogue, enlightened by the messianic prophecies and confirmed by the Lord’s miracles: among them there were many who, like Saul, obeyed the Read until they were touched by the Grace that showed them the fulfillment of the Scriptures in Jesus Christ.

And while the blindness of perfidy did not let one see the Light that had come into the world and rejected it; while the Sanhedrin conspired with Pilate in fear of seeing their power compromised and hid from the simple the truths kept in the scrolls of Isaiah and the holy Prophets; while Saul tried in all the synagogues to force Christians with threats 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, lightning-fast like all things pertaining to God.

The journey of conversion is sometimes arduous and long, fraught with difficulties and falls; but the conversion itself takes place with the strength and power of which the Lord is capable, when he touches us with the light of Truth and with the fire of Charity.

Who are you, Lord?, asks Saul, thrown from his horse; I am Jesus, whom you persecute (Acts 9:5).

In the dazzling light in which Christ’s voice resounds, one of the most feared inquisitors of the Temple recognizes the miracle, understands its divine Artificer, addresses Him calling him “Lord,” obeys the order to go to Damascus.

He remains dazzled and blind for three days, and for three days he fasts, in mystical preparation for the epiphany of Christ.

With another miracle, Ananias is instructed to go and heal Saul of Tarsus, and he is amazed because the Jew has the authorization from the high priests to arrest all those who call on your name (Acts 9, 14).

And the Lord answered him: Go, for he is for me a chosen instrument to carry my name before the peoples, kings and children of Israel; and I will show him how much he will have to suffer for my name (ibid., 15-16).

Having therefore gone to Saul, Ananias lays his hands on him and heals him, causing the veil of blindness to fall from his eyes, a figure of the darkening of the soul’s sight.

Filled with the Holy Spirit, Saul was immediately baptized (ibid., 18) with the name of Paul.

Even today, a Sanhedrin of followers of Vatican II sends its ministers to the synagogues to persecute traditional Catholics, so that they are punished and led to the observance of the reformed rites.

Even today there are zealous and terrible Sauls who seek out the faithful in order to “force them to blaspheme”, to deny the teaching of Christ and to obey the High Priests and the scribes of the people.

Many of them believe that they are righteous and that they are abiding by the Law. But the power of God, who overthrows and overthrows the proud, wants to touch their souls as it did with Saul.

It is for these, dear faithful, that I invite you to pray: for the Lord to show his power in unseating them from their granite certainties, to blind them in their pride; and he uses his mercy towards them to lift them up, restore their spiritual sight,

Let us pray that the Prelates and priests who today obey the Roman Sanhedrin, who do not want to recognize Christ the King while paying homage to Caesar, may be enlightened by the Lord’s Grace.

For them to return to the synagogues like Paul to proclaim Jesus the Son of God (ibid., 20), to demonstrate that Jesus is the Christ (ibid., 22), to preach that the Sacrifice of the new and eternal Covenant is renewed on the altar of those who until now have persecuted.

Let us pray that even of that Monsignor, of that Bishop, of that Cardinal it may be said: But isn’t this the one who in Jerusalem raged against those who invoke this name and had come here precisely to lead them in chains to the high priests? (ibid., 21).

If we know how to bear witness to our Faith in the Lord and our fidelity to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, which is the heart and throbbing soul of our most holy Religion, we will be able to do with these souls touched by Grace what the disciples did in Damascus: speak them of Christ, let them stay with us to grow and walk in the fear of the Lord (ibid., 31).

Perhaps that Prelate who came to force us to accept the reformed rites will want to celebrate the traditional Holy Mass, discovering how much his own Priesthood is confirmed and nourished by the divine Liturgy, how much his Levite soul finds perfect fulfillment in repeating the words of the Savior who immolates himself on the altar, as once and for all immolated Himself on the Cross.

Perhaps that Bishop who arrived with fighting intent will realize that he is persecuting Christ, and will want to become his apostle and disciple, after having been his persecutor by order of the Sanhedrin.

And he will understand — as we have understood, by the grace of God and despite our unworthiness — how much he will have to suffer for my name.

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

And so may it be.

+ Carlo Maria Viganò, Archbishop

Original Source: Inside the Vatican

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