FEAST OF ST FIDELIS OF SIGMARINGEN, PRIEST AND MARTYR.
FEAST OF ST FIDELIS OF SIGMARINGEN, PRIEST & MARTYR.
THE GOODNEWS:
"Saul, still breathing murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord,
went to the high priest and asked him
for letters to the synagogues in Damascus,
that,
if he should find any men or women who belonged to the Way,
he might bring them back to Jerusalem in chains.
On his journey, as he was nearing Damascus,
a light from the sky suddenly flashed around him.
He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him,
"Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?"
He said, "Who are you, sir?"
The reply came, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.
Now get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do."?
The men who were traveling with him stood speechless,
for they heard the voice but could see no one.
Saul got up from the ground,
but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing;
so they led him by the hand and brought him to Damascus.
For three days he was unable to see, and he neither ate nor drank.
There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias,
and 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 ask at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul.
He is there praying,
and in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias
come in and lay his hands on him,
that he may regain his sight."
But Ananias replied,
"Lord, I have heard from many sources about this man,
what evil things he has done to your holy ones in Jerusalem.
And here he has authority from the chief priests
to imprison all who call upon your name."
But the Lord said to him,
"Go, for this man is a chosen instrument of mine
to carry my name before Gentiles, kings, and children of Israel,
and I will show him what he will have to suffer for my name."
So Ananias went and entered the house;
laying his hands on him, he said,
"Saul, my brother, the Lord has sent me,
Jesus who appeared to you on the way by which you came,
that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit."
Immediately things like scales fell from his eyes
and he regained his sight.
He got up and was baptized,
and when he had eaten, he recovered his strength.
He stayed some days with the disciples in Damascus,
and he began at once to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues,
that he is the Son of God." (Acts 9: 1 - 20).
Friday April 24th 2026 in the 3rd Week in the Easter Season is the feast of St Fidelis of Sigmaringen, OFM.
St Fidelis of Sigmaringen (1577 - 1622), Priest and Martyr.
Born in Germany, he achieved fame as Evangelist and Catechist in Switzerland where he was martyred for the faith.
Jesus said:
"I came into the world as light, so that everyone who believes in me might not remain in darkness."
Why is there so much darkness in the world today?
Because of lack of faith.
Jesus is the true light of the world. He shines light on God's purpose for the world.
This includes God's purpose for every person and everything in the world.
Unbelief in Jesus produces confusions like gender ideology, abortion, war, materialism, euthanasia, emotional instability and so forth.
Our saint of today, St Fidelis of Sigmaringen, OFM believed that Jesus Christ is the light of the world. This belief drove him to Switzerland to share this light where he was martyred.
Our Scripture today is from the master story of the Conversion of St Paul.
IS PAUL SPECIAL?
#1. Christ Jesus undertook the conversion of St Paul Himself.
No delegation of this duty to a super Apostle.
No intermediary. Like for all the other Apostles, it was a personal choice, call and anointing.
#2. Paul is the greatest missionary and evangelist in the Church.
#3. Paul wrote most of the New Testament.
#4. Paul's case was clearly an instance of Predestination and Divine Providence.
What do we learn from the Conversion of St Paul?
#A. We share a vocation with the great Apostle: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature." (Mark 16: 15).
#B. People are converted through hearing the testimonies of converted people. Testimony also means witnessing. This is why autobiographies and biographies are powerful genre of literature. They leverage the power of example and testimony.
It is not an accident that the Conversion of St Paul is repeated three times in the Acts of the Apostles in considerable length.
The Holy Spirit is teaching the Church the best practice in Evangelization.
Do not hide the blessings of God. Shout them.
"They [converts] only kept hearing that “the one who once was persecuting us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” So they glorified God because of me." (Galatians 1: 23 - 24).
This powerful example of Paul encouraged the faith of all.
The Church exists for only One Thing:
Evangelization.
Jesus is appealing to us:
"Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature." (Mark 16: 15).
How do we start?
"You will receive power when the holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses..." (Acts 1: 8).
No Holy Spirit, No power.
Ask the Lord Jesus with confident boldness for the Gift of the Holy Spirit for Evangelization.
And you can start evangelizing right away with your smart phone.
Do you have a phone with Internet connection? Do you have an address book on your phone? Start sharing Scriptures and the blogs you like.
"If there are so few priests in certain places, it is above all because those that are there have forsaken Me in the Sacrament of My love and no longer live in My friendship.
Let every priest present himself as a friend of Jesus, and his ministry will soon take on the efficacy and fruitfulness that characterized that of Saint John, of Saint Paul, and of My first apostles. The friend speaks with the authority that only experience can confer." (IN SINU JESU, March 30, 2008 Sunday of Divine Mercy).
The Church learns more and honors the HOLY EUCHARIST in APRIL.
For Teachings, Prayers and Prayer intentions click the link:
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