Damascus Mission Gone Wrong .

Season 8 – Mission Series Episode 1: Damascus – Blinded to See (Acts 9:1–19) Welcome, truth-seekers, to 2 Minutes with the Lord. You’re listening to Season 8: The Mission Series. I am your host on Fr. Veigas Dominic SVD, and in this season, we travel with St. Paul across the ancient world, exploring the cities where his faith was tested, his mission unfolded, and the Gospel took root. Our journey begins in Damascus — the city where Christ’s mission of salvation overturned Saul’s mission of persecution. Damascus was not only Paul’s first encounter with the risen Lord, but also the birthplace of his apostolic call. Where was Damascus? Damascus, one of the world's oldest inhabited cities, stood as a crossroads of the Roman Empire, bustling with trade routes, caravans, and diverse cultures. But for Saul, Damascus represented something else: a stronghold of the dangerous new sect called “the Way.” Early Christians were growing in number, and Saul, zealous for the Law, sought to eradicate them. Armed with letters from the high priest, Saul set out with authority to arrest believers, drag them back to Jerusalem, and silence the movement once and for all. His heart was filled with rage, his mind set on destruction. But God had a different plan. On the road, a great light from heaven surrounded him. Saul fell to the ground and heard the voice of Jesus: “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” (Acts 9:4) This encounter shook Saul to his core. Blind and helpless, he was led into Damascus by his companions — not as a conqueror, but as a broken man. For three days, he ate and drank nothing at all. And then came Ananias, a disciple who, though fearful, obeyed God’s call to lay hands on Saul. Through prayer and baptism, Saul regained his sight and received his mission. Damascus became the city of transformation — the place where Saul died to himself and rose as Paul, apostle to the nations. Our key verse for today is “Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptised.” – Acts 9:18