Acts 9:26-31; 1 John 3:18-24; John 15:1-8
In the first reading, we meet the apostle Paul who has a lot of troubles after his conversion. Jesus' disciples in Jerusalem do not trust him, the Jews from outside of Palestine want to kill him, and then he is sent home where he spends about 10 years before being called again. It is difficult to be Christian. The experience of Saint Paul repeats itself in the lives of many converts. They soon realize that the cross is the gate to the promised joy set before us (see Heb 12: 2).
Without Paul, the Church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria grew in numbers. It was not his missionary field and his time had not yet arrived. Like every neophyte, the apostle needed time to understand the extent of his sins and the depth of the grace of salvation he experienced. It was a time of ‘pruning’ (John 15:2), so he could bear more fruit. His experience also teaches us the importance of Christian love. When Ananias laid his hands on blinded by the light of Christ persecutor of the Church, he addressed Paul: "brother" (Acts 9:17), and when Saint Paul could not find a place in the community of the Church, Barnabas was the one who received him (Acts 9:27). Ananias acted in obedience to the voice of Christ (Acts 9:10-16) and about Barnabas, the Scripture says: “he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith” (Acts 11:23).
"Let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth" (1 John 3:18). According to the letter of Saint John, God gave us two commandments: (1) to believe in the name of his Son and (2) to love each other. To love as Christ has commanded us, we need purification, which according to Saint Catherine of Siena goes through three phases. At the beginning, our love is selfish. We avoid sin and keep the commandments of God from fear of punishment, whether temporal or eternal. The second level of love directs our thoughts and feelings towards heaven. We keep the commandments of God because we are attracted by reward. Finally, we reach the highest level of love, that selfless love that has in mind the good of others. The focus is on total dedication to Christ and the service to others. Ananias and Barnabas exemplify such love. Saint Paul experienced love from those he wanted to destroy. It must have given him food for thought.
The vine with the branches symbolizes the Church. We are grafted into the vine by faith and baptism. From that moment our growth begins accompanied by God’s acts of purification necessary for us to bear fruit. “He [the Father] takes away every branch that does not bear fruit and every branch that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit "(John 15:2). The growth of the Church in Judea, Galilee, and Samaria is an example of bearing much fruit in Jesus. The Church is described as walking “in the fear of the Lord” and “with the consolation of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 9:31). The fear of the Lord teaches us to respect God, keep His commandments and avoid sin. The consolation of the Holy Spirit gives us the strength to follow Christ in the midst of hardships. May we too today be characterized by the fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom, and experiencing the consolation of the Holy Spirit, “who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those who are in any trouble" (2 Cor. 1:4 ).