Conversion of St. Paul –Image Courtesy: Communio Stblogs
(Franciscan Media) Paul’s entire life can be explained in one experience–his meeting with Jesus, on the road to Damascus. In an instant, Paul saw the zeal of his dynamic personality was being wasted, like the strength of a boxer swinging wildly.
This great apostle was born Jewish of the tribe of Benjamin, at his circumcision on the 8th day following his birth, he received the name of Saul, at an early age, his parents sent him to Jerusalem according to EWTN where he was educated and instructed in the strictest observance of the Torah–Surpassing all of his equals in zeal for the Torah and its traditions, he believed the cause of God became thereby a blasphemer, a persecutor and the most outrageous enemy of Jesus Christ and was one of those who conspired to murder Saint Stephen.
Perhaps Saul who was also called Paul Acts 13:9 had never seen Jesus who was just a few years older but he had acquired a hatred of all that Jesus stood for as he began harassing the Church:
“And on that day a great persecution arose against the Church in Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the region of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him but Saul laid waste (of) the Church and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.” —Acts 8:1-3
On Saul’s journey to Damascus, suddenly a great light from heaven ‘flashed about him’ and his companions, brighter than the sun and being struck with amazement they all fell to the ground, then Saul heard a voice speaking to him:
“Saul, Saul why do you persecute me?’ Saul replied, “Who are you, Lord?” (The voice from heaven replied) “I am Jesus who you are persecuting but rise and enter the city and you will be told what you are to do.” The men who were traveling with him stood speechless hearing the voice but seeing no one. Saul arose from the ground and when his eyes were opened he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus and for three days he was without sight and neither ate nor drank.” —Acts 9:3-9
One sentence determined Saul’s theology: “I am Jesus, who you are persecuting.” —Acts 9:5 Jesus was mysteriously with people–the loving group of people that Saul had been persecuting like criminals. Jesus Christ, he saw was the mysterious fulfillment of all that he had been blindly pursuing.
From then on (Saul) “I Paul, became a minister” — Colossians 1:23 and his only work was: “to make the word of God fully known, the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now made manifest to his Saints. To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we proclaim, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man mature in Christ. For this I toil, striving with all energy which He mightily inspires within me.” —Colossians 1:25-29
“For our Gospel come to you not only in word but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake and you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the Word in much affliction, with joy inspired by the Holy Spirit. —1 Thessalonians 1:5-6
Paul life and ministry began tirelessly proclaiming and living out the message of the Cross: Christians die baptismally to sin and are buried with Jesus Christ. They are dead to all that is sinful and unredeemed in the world. They are made into a new creation, already sharing Christ’s victory and someday to rise from the dead like Him, through this Risen Christ, the Father, pours out the Holy Spirit on them, making them completely new.
So Paul’s great message to the world was: You are saved entirely by God, not anything you can do. Saving faith is the gift of total, free, personal and loving commitment to Christ, a commitment that then bears fruit in more ‘works’ than the Torah (Law) could every ever contemplate.
Related: The Conversion of Saint Paul –EWTN
Prayer of Thanksgiving for Feast of Conversion of St. Paul
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