Second Sermon for the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul

“ Learn of Me, for I am meek and humble of heart.’’—Matt. xi. 29.

The feast of to-day, my brethren, commemorates the conversion of St. Paul or rather the transformation of Saul the persecutor into Paul the Apostle. For on this day he became like that little child of whom the Lord says in the Gospel, speaking, perhaps, of Himself, “Unless you be converted and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever, therefore, shall humble himself as this little child, he is the greaterin the kingdom of heaven ” (Matt. Xvi. 3, 4).* I have said the little one presented to us here as our model by the Lord was probably Himself, because although He is “ the great Lord and exceedingly to bepraised ” (Ps. xlvii. 2), He is also the “ little One” That is “‘ given to us” (Is. ix. 6) ; and it was not as great He showed Himself on earth, but as little, in order to win our love and to give us an impressive example of that humility which is so necessary for us. Therefore, my brother, let thy turning be towards that little Child (Cant. vii. 10), to learn from Him how to belittle : do thou also after thy conversion become as a little one. For hear how plainly He informs thee in another passage who that Child is Whom He bids thee

—(Translator.)

to take for thy model, where clearly proposing for thy imitation in His own Person the virtues characteristic of little ones He says, “ Learn of Me because I am meek and humble of heart ” (Matt. xi. 29). Here we have two ways in which we can make ourselves little, by humility and by meekness. The former belongs to the interior, the latter shows itself in our external conduct. But- from the fact that they make us little we must not infer that they are little virtues, forthe Master from Whom we have learned them is as great as He shows Himself little. On this day, then, Paul was converted, on this day he ceased to be Saul, and became meek and humble of heart. He revealed the humility of his heart by the confession of his mouth (Rom. x. 10) when he cried out, “ Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?” Or rather this was revealed by the treasures of grace bestowed upon him, because grace is never given with so much liberality except to a heart that is profoundly humble (James iv. 6). Meekness, as I have said, is the humility of our external life, and consequently it is more open to observation than the interior virtue. We find a threefold manifestation of it in the conversion of Saul. Our meekness, you will observe, is exposed to danger from three sources: reproachful language, bodily hurt, and temporal losses. It is in suffering these three kinds of evil that we have to give proof of our patience and exercise all our meekness. I want you to consider now how Paul was tried in these different ways at the very time of his conversion, and how he was found worthy even then to bear the name of Paul, was found in his affliction even then truly meek and patient. “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me ? ” said the Lord, “ it is hard for thee to kick against the goad” (Acts ix. 4,¹). This surely is severe language, full of reproach, and full of menace. And with regard to Saul’s body, it has been flung down and prostrated on the earth. Has he been also tried by temporal loss? Undoubtedly, he has. For the very light of his eyes has been taken from him (Ps. xxxvii. II): “And when his eyes were opened,” so we read, “he saw nothing.” By the same kinds of suffering was tried and proved the patience of holy Job, whom God has exhibited to us as a most illustrious exemplar of this virtue. But I will leave you to follow out this line of thought for yourselves in your own fervent meditations. Let it suffice for me to have pointed out to you that the essence of a true conversion mostly consists in the acquisition of the virtue of meekness ; so that those religious ought to be ashamed of themselves who, having the name of being converted, are still unable to endure without impatience and bitterness either bodily pain, or temporal loss, or—which is yet more pitiful—a word of reproof.

Footnotes

1. In the opinion of some authors, this child was St. Martel, aiterwards a disciple of St. Peter, by whom he was sent to _ preach the Gospel in Gaul. Another tradition identifies him with St. Ignatius, Martyr, the illustrious Bishop of Antioch ↩