God forgives us if only we repent

This Sunday we celebrate the feast of the two greatest saints — Saints Peter and Paul.

- FR. BEL SAN LUIS, SVD

In the beginning, the two were far from perfect. Paul was never a God-fearing, gentle person. Harsh and cruel, he relentlessly oppressed the early Christians, imprisoning them and even supervising their executions, like the stoning to death of the martyr Stephen.

But God showed his mighty power. As Saul was going to Damascus breathing rage and terror to apprehend the Christians, he was struck down from his horse by a blinding light and heard a voice: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”

“Who are you, Lord?” the blinded, helpless Saul said. “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.”

This became the turning point of Saul’s life, symbolized by the changing of his name to Paul. (Read the detail of his conversion in Acts, chapter 9).

There are some people who have been asking, “Why does the Lord not “intervene,” like he did with Saul, knocking down some bad people like the corrupt and incorrigible who cause so much sufferings by their crimes to society and families?