25th January: Epiphany 3
Conversion of St.Paul
online Holy Communion from St.Oswald’s.
Acts 9.1-22
On his way to Damascus, the Jew, Saul, an enemy of the Christians (who were known as ‘followers of The Way’), has a vision which leaves him blind. Ananias, a follower of Jesus in Damascus visits Paul and restores his sight. Paul then begins to preach about Jesus.
Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’ He asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ The reply came, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.’ The men who were travelling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one. Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. For three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, ‘Ananias.’ He answered, ‘Here I am, Lord.’ The Lord said to him, ‘Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. At this moment he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.’ But Ananias answered, ‘Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem; and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name.’ But the Lord said to him, ‘Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.’ So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, ‘Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.’ And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptised, and after taking some food, he regained his strength.
For several days he was with the disciples in Damascus, and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, ‘He is the Son of God.’ All who heard him were amazed and said, ‘Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem among those who invoked this name? And has he not come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?’ Saul became increasingly more powerful and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Messiah.
Matthew 19.27-30
Then Peter said in reply, ‘Look, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man is seated on the throne of his glory, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold, and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.
Something to think about
In the last week of his life, Jesus was asked by Peter what reward Jesus’s followers would receive for their loyalty. Jesus quoted the promise made to Jews facing persecution 300 years earlier in the book of Daniel, that the ‘Son of Man’ - a title Jesus used of himself, would come and his disciples would be rewarded, but not perhaps as they expected!
Collect
God of all mercy, your Son proclaimed good news to the poor,
release to the captives, and freedom to the oppressed:
anoint us with your Holy Spirit and set all your people free
to praise you in Christ our Lord.
Post Communion
Almighty Father,
whose Son our Saviour Jesus Christ is the light of the world:
may your people, illumined by your word and sacraments,
shine with the radiance of his glory, that he may be known,
worshipped, and obeyed to the ends of the earth;
for he is alive and reigns, now and for ever.
Next Sunday’s (1st) Readings:
Malachi 3.1-5
Luke 2.22-40
Please remember in your prayers this week: *See footnote
Those who are unable to be with us in church, including Diana & Edmund Urquhart, Linda Torr, Arthur and Barbara Williams.
Those who are ill, especially Graham Price, Pam Phillips and Reina Hammond.
The recently bereaved, especially the relatives and friends of Martin Likeman, John Oakes, Janice Winfield, Julian Galvin, Georgina Nicholson and David Startin.
Areas of conflict: the Ukraine, the Middle East and too many others.
Our local churches.
Our Ministry Team: Dwayne, Maggie, Nigel & Lynda.
*The Prayer List
Please do not give out personal names when intercessing in the Thursday recording.