The Seventh Sunday of Easter 2025

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 The first reading is a familiar scene: Stephen, the first martyr of the church, filled with the Spirit, dying with forgiveness. 

He is a testament to unwavering faith. 

Yet, lurking in the shadows of this moment, a contrasting figure watches from the sidelines—one whose rage will soon collide with divine grace.  

He doesn’t throw a stone. But he approves. He watches. He consents.

He’s described in the reading like this:

“The witnesses laid down their cloaks at the feet of a young man named Saul.”

This is Saul. A man filled not with grace, but with rage. Not with the Spirit, but with self-righteousness. He believes he’s doing God’s will by destroying the followers of Jesus.

And yet… that same Saul will one day become Paul—the greatest evangelist the Church has ever known.

What happened? Grace.  The free and undeserved gift of God's love and favor.

Grace knocked him to the ground, blinded him, and opened his eyes all at once. Grace turned his world upside down so that it could finally be right side up.

The story of Saul-to-Paul reminds us of something we all need to hear:

Grace can change people. Even the ones we’ve given up on. Even ourselves.

We live in a world that is quick to cancel, slow to forgive, and suspicious of change. We tell ourselves people don’t really change… not really. But God tells a different story. God says:

“I make all things new.”

Think of all the areas where we’ve stopped believing change is possible:
 – The divided Church.
 – Our broken politics.
 – Family members who haven’t spoken in years.
 – A son who left the faith.
 – A grudge we’ve nursed too long.
 – Even our own bad habits and hardened hearts.

If Saul can become Paul, then who are we to say that things have to stay the same?

In the Gospel, Jesus prays that we may be one—united, healed, and holy. It’s not a prayer for people who are already perfect. It’s a prayer for those who still need transformation. 

Like Saul. Like us.

And here's the powerful part: Jesus doesn't just pray for his disciples. 

He prays “for those who will believe in me through their word.” That’s us. 

We were on his heart in that moment. He knows our divisions, our stubbornness, our fears—and still, he prays:

“Father, make them one. Let my love be in them.”

So as we wait for Pentecost, let’s take this time to ask the Holy Spirit for the grace of conversion—not just for others, but for ourselves too. 

Maybe it starts with a conversation you’ve been putting off. A hard apology. A letter. A confession. A prayer you haven’t had the courage to pray.

Grace can change Saul into Paul. It can change hearts, homes, and even history.

The only question is: will we let it?

So come, Holy Spirit.
 Break through what divides us.
 Soften what is hardened.
 And begin your work in us—right here, right now.
Location: Morrisonville, NY, USA

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