In today’s First Reading, Paul gives a farewell address to some disciples in Miletus. He says to them: “I served the Lord with all humility and with the tears and trials that came to me because of the plots of the Jews, and I did not at all shrink from telling you what was for your benefit, or from teaching you in public or in your homes. I earnestly bore witness for both Jews and Greeks to repentance before God and to faith in our Lord Jesus.”
Paul, who completely changed his ways—from Saul the persecutor to Paul the evangelist—spent the rest of his life traveling from city to city preaching about Christ. And here in this speech, he mentions that he did so despite the “tears and trials.”
It was not easy for him, and many people didn’t even believe that he had changed. In fact, many still feared him. Yet he persisted. He did so because he trusted in God. He did so because he couldn’t have lived with himself if he hadn’t taught about Christ and helped others walk the path to heaven.
Paul’s testimony and his faith should make each of us think: If he could make such a drastic change, certainly I can mend my ways. I, too, can bear witness.
In today’s world, with secular ideas becoming more and more prevalent and sin becoming normalized, it’s easy for us to want to hide our faith or close our mouths when people say something untrue or something that shows they don’t understand God. We fear standing out. We don’t want to make waves or cause problems. We don’t want to offend.
But, just as Paul bore witness to the truth and the good news of Christ—even when it was difficult—so must we.
Why must we do this? It’s simple. God calls us to be evangelists. He calls us to live His truths, to teach, and to draw others to Him.
We can do this in many different ways—through our actions, through our speech, on social media, or when hanging out with friends. The possibilities are endless!
God gave each of us special talents. We must use these talents to glorify Him and to bear witness to His love, His mercy, and His generosity.
So, as we ponder today’s reading, let us vow to become more like Paul and less like Saul. Let us vow to speak up for Christ and His teachings. Let us vow to shine the light of Christ to others. And let us vow to love as Christ loved.
Susan Ciancio has a BA in psychology and a BA in sociology from the University of Notre Dame, with an MA in liberal studies from Indiana University. For the past 17 years, she has worked as a professional editor and writer, editing both fiction and nonfiction books, magazine articles, blogs, educational lessons, professional materials and website content. Eleven of those years have been in the pro-life sector. Currently Susan freelances and writes weekly for HLI, edits for American Life League, and is the editor of Celebrate Life Magazine. She also serves as executive editor for the Culture of Life Studies Program-an educational nonprofit program for K-12 students.
Feature Image Credit: Argenis Jose Gonzalez, https://www.cathopic.com/photo/928-vayan-todo-mundo
Brendan is just your average Millennial hipster: He likes playing guitar, throwing frisbees, sipping whiskey, and grooming his beard. But he also has a passion for walking with teens and young Christ-followers, hearing every person’s story, and waking up the Church. Brendan works at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Lenexa, Kansas (near Kansas City) as a Youth Music Minister, fusing together his two loves of sharing Christ and sharing the power and need for good and beautiful contemporary praise. 
Jeannette de Beauvoir is a writer and editor with the digital department of Pauline Books & Media, working on projects as disparate as newsletters, book clubs, ebooks, and retreats that support the apostolate of the Daughters of St. Paul at 
Tami Urcia grew up in Western Michigan, a middle child in a large Catholic family. She spent early young adulthood as a missionary in Mexico, studying theology and philosophy, then worked and traveled extensively before finishing her Bachelor’s Degree in Western Kentucky. She loves tackling home improvement projects, finding fun ways to keep her four boys occupied, quiet conversation with the hubby and finding unique ways to love. She works at her parish, is a guest blogger on 
Perpetua Phelps is a high school student residing in West Michigan and is the second of four children. Apart from homeschooling, Perpetua enjoys volunteering at her church, attending retreats, studying Latin and French, and reading classics such as Beowulf, The Lord of the Rings, C.S. Lewis’ Space Trilogy, and Mark Twain’s Joan of Arc. She also spends much time writing novels, essays, and poetry for fun and competition. A passionate Tolkien fan, Perpetua is a founding member of a Tolkien podcast.
Dakota currently lives in Denver, CO and teaches English Language Development and Spanish to high schoolers. She is married to the love of her life, Ralph. In her spare time, she reads, goes to breweries, and watches baseball. Dakota’s favorite saints are St. John Paul II (how could it not be?) and St. José Luis Sánchez del Río. She is passionate about her faith and considers herself blessed at any opportunity to share that faith with others. Check out more of her writing at 
Kathryn Mulderink, MA, is married to Robert, Station Manager for Holy Family Radio. Together they have seven children (including newly ordained Father Rob and seminarian Luke ;-), and two grandchildren. She is a Secular Discalced Carmelite and has published five books and many articles. Over the last 25 years, she has worked as a teacher, headmistress, catechist, Pastoral Associate, and DRE. Currently, she serves the Church as a writer and voice talent for Catholic Radio, by publishing and speaking, and by collaborating with the diocesan Office of Catechesis, various parishes, and other ministries to lead others to encounter Christ and engage their faith. Her website is 
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