From Persecutor to Preacher, From Busy to Blessed: The Transforming Power of an Encounter with Christ

Gal 1:13-24, Psalm: 138, Lk 10:38-42

My dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

Today, the Word of God presents two powerful and interconnected lessons about what it means to encounter Christ and follow Him. Saint Paul recounts his dramatic conversion from a violent persecutor of the Church to a chosen instrument of the Gospel. Jesus teaches us that the one thing necessary is to sit at His feet and listen to His word. Both readings call us to a radical transformation of heart and priority.

In his Letter to the Galatians, Saint Paul gives us a deeply personal testimony. He does not hold back about his past: “I persecuted the Church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it.” He was a zealous defender of the traditions of his ancestors, a man consumed by religious fervor, but it was a fervor that was misdirected. Then everything changed. God, who had set him apart from his mother’s womb, “was pleased to reveal his Son to me.” Paul’s transformation was not the result of human reasoning or persuasion. It was a direct encounter with the risen Christ. This encounter was so profound, so earth-shattering, that it completely redirected the course of his life. He went from destroying the faith to proclaiming it. He went from being a persecutor to being a preacher.

In the Gospel of Luke, we meet two sisters, Martha and Mary, who welcome Jesus into their home. Martha is “burdened with much serving.” She is anxious and worried about many things—the preparations, the hospitality, the details. Mary, however, sits at the feet of Jesus, listening to His word. When Martha complains that Mary is not helping, Jesus responds with tenderness: “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, and it will not be taken from her.”

The connection between the readings is the call to encounter Christ and to prioritize His presence. Paul encountered Christ on the road to Damascus, and his life was transformed. Mary chose to sit at the feet of Christ, and she received the “better part.” Both readings invite us to examine the source of our own lives. Are we living from a place of encounter with Christ, or are we simply going through the motions of religion? Are we so busy serving the Lord that we forget to sit at His feet and listen to Him?

Saint John Paul II, reflecting on the conversion of Saint Paul, wrote, “The conversion of Paul shows us that God’s grace can transform the most hardened heart.” Pope Francis has said, “The Lord calls us to encounter Him, not just to know about Him. It is in the encounter that we are transformed.” And Saint Augustine, contemplating the scene of Martha and Mary, wrote, “Martha was busy serving the Lord, but Mary was resting in the Lord. The better part is the one that lasts.”

What does this mean for us? We are called to conversion. We are called to allow the grace of God to transform our lives, to redirect our priorities, and to reorder our loves. We are called to encounter Christ not just as a historical figure or a theological concept, but as a living Person who desires a relationship with us. And we are called to choose the better part—to sit at His feet, to listen to His word, and to allow His presence to fill our hearts.

Today, let us examine our hearts. Are we like Paul, allowing our encounter with Christ to transform our lives? Are we like Mary, choosing the better part and sitting at the feet of Jesus? Or are we like Martha, anxious and worried about many things, too busy serving to sit and listen? Let us ask the Lord to give us the grace to encounter Him, to be transformed by Him, and to choose the better part that will not be taken from us. Amen.

May God bless you all!