January 25 is the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul.  Here was a man on a mission.  He was walking to Damascus (yes, walking.  The Pharisees of Jerusalem were not wealthy…not wealthy enough to marshal a horse.  And throughout his missionary life he doubtlessly walked beaucoup miles) when he had a vision…of the Lord Jesus who asked him why he (Paul) was persecuting him (Jesus).  The power of the experience was not so much that he (Paul) was mean to innocent people, but that Jesus was alive.  The resurrection was true.  And Paul was experiencing it firsthand!  Hence, the Pharisaic understanding of the destiny of life in God was true: resurrection.

Now, reasons Paul, if Jesus lives a resurrected life now (e.g., within history, not at the end of time) then he is someone special.  The Messiah, the Anointed, is that long looked-for agent of God’s reign who would conquer the oppressors (in this age, the Romans) and bring true, pure worship to the Temple.  Jesus is more than this: he has conquered not just for this life and this time, but for all time.  Jesus, God’s Messiah, conquered death itself!  Everything is changed…by God.  What is more, this gift is available to all God-fearing people, not just the Jews.  Hence, Paul’s mission to all expressed itself over a long life of missionary work.  Paul was probably near to seventy when he died (executed in Rome).

Our parish is dedicated under the patronage of this great missioner.  And we too have a particular mission.  Our mission statement (on the cover of the bulletin) claims that we are a welcoming community to all and that we are the Catholic presence to Indiana University.  Undoubtedly the most common experience that people tell me of their visit to St. Paul’s is feeling welcome here.  I believe this describes an ethos of all of us as members here, not just of the staff.  Recollect for yourself: do you greet persons sitting next to you who you don’t know?  Have you said, “Welcome to St. Paul”?  If you have then it indicates your own sense of belonging here, that this is your spiritual home.  What a feeling indeed!

Being a presence of Christ to IU and to Bloomington has grown.  We are more and more included on panel discussions, present at IMU, visiting professors, and with students on campus.  We are engaged in several aspects of charity and justice work in the city.  The winter shelter is the latest manifestation of this.

But there are two emerging attributes to our mission activity that are pronounced and need inclusion in our mission statement: (1) developing engaged Catholics and (2) developing leaders for the church.  The number and kinds of adult education and formation offerings have increased tremendously.  We are becoming a stewardship parish, that is, inviting and using the gifts among us for service more and more.  The Christ Renews our Parish retreats offer resident parishioners an experience of Christ as powerful as the IU Kairos or youth Antioch retreats.  And the IU student internship program is forming leaders for the church.  We have students doing ministry in music, campus ministry, youth ministry, multicultural ministry, formation, and faith-in-action.  What opportunities for growth!  These students leave here equipped to serve in the church now and in a meaningful and knowledgeable way!

Let us celebrate the call of our mission…as we too share a vision of the redeeming and transforming presence of Christ through his Spirit.