St. Paul gives what he has received: preaching of Christ who died, was buried, and rose again. He, like the man in the Gospel, had his ears healed by Christ so he could then speak the Good News to all.
The encounter with Christ is critical. Paul was the greatest scholar of the law. He knew all the books. He knew about God, but he didn’t know God.
In our Church, we can be tempted to put our faith in books and theologians, and like Paul, we can miss God.
So who is God? How do we know Him?
- He is the one who was crucified and died to conquer sin.
- He is the one who shattered the gates of Hell to free those imprisoned.
- He is the one who tricked the devil and won back humanity.
- He is the one who destroyed death and rose from the ground.
- He is the one who invited us to join him in eternal happiness.
- He did it all for us. To be with us.
These things are what we need to know.
And then we must spend time in prayer so God can give us new hearts. As we approach with our gift of self at Mass today, let us strive to truly encounter God in the Eucharist.