Feast of St. Paul's conversion

Was so absorbed with the analysis of the Wisdom text that I didn't realise it was 5pm and dark and very cold in my room - didn't turn on the "hot air fan". The sun was up again and it seemed pretty warm (looking from the inside but actually it was cold outside, about 3 or 4 degrees). No sign of snow now. But Fr Alliata said maybe in 5 days time. But you know local time - it stretches indefinitely so 5 days probably means next year!

My eyes were so tired from reading so many grammars, dictionaries and lexicons and I couldn't see properly by 6.30pm and being so mentally tired, I fell asleep. Got up half an hour later panicking if I had missed vespers. Then I realised that it's Thursday so Vespers is at 7.45pm. The evening went well; at dinner we were reminded that tomorrow is the Feast of St Paul's conversion - so it's Jean Paul's feastday - not the conversion part, but the St. Paul part!!! Those of you who came with me to the Holyland will remember Quneitra where this event took place - a bombed out Syrian village that lies at the border today between Israel and Syria up in the Golan Heights, protected by UN forces. Like I told you guys, I always felt that it was n't so much Paul who converted as Ananias the "good" christian who needed to convert. God told him to heal Paul in Damascus but he refused. God had to tell him twice before Ananias got moving. That's how I feel as christians we sometimes feel so familiar with God we begin to bargain with him and try to wriggle our way out of doing his will. Paul, the "enemy" of God was far more obedient and did exactly as God instructed him to go to Damascus. So guys, our faith isn't something we can bargain about. We may not understand why God wants us to do something - imagine Ananias being told to meet the person who came to persecute him, and heal him! Not easy! - but God has his reasons. So just as you have your reasons, God too has his reasons - and he always works for the greater good. So stop bargaining and start living!