The Conversion of St. Paul

MANILA, Philippines - Conversion is the heart of Christian experience.

We celebrate the feast of the conversion of Saint Paul every 25th of January. Accordingly, this event of the life of Saul of Tarsus, or Paul, while he was on his way to Damascus is one of the most touching miracles in the history of the early Church. But, we might be asking why would God choose a persecutor of the Church to be an Apostle? What was there about Paul that made him useful to God? What significance does his life have to us today?

The study of the life of St. Paul tells us that he was a Pharisee, one of the religious leaders of that time. He was a devout Jew with a profound knowledge and understanding of the Scriptures. He persecuted the Church because he truly believed that the teaching of Christ was dangerous and heretical. After his encounter with Christ, his knowledge of the Scriptures made him an authoritative preacher of the gospel. His ability to apply the Old Testament teachings to the new covenant in Christ made him uniquely effective. Although Paul was a Jew, he was also a Roman citizen. His citizenship gave him an entrance into audiences he would otherwise not have enjoyed. He is known as the Apostle to the gentiles because his ministry focused on non-Jewish Greeks and Romans.

Paul worked feverishly to stamp out the Christian Church, before his conversion, and worked as diligently or more so for the Church after he was converted. His fire and zeal were powerful qualities, qualities that made him a successful missionary. Paul’s ministry spread throughout the Roman Empire and his slavish devotion to Christ helped him deploy the Word farther than any other Apostle. God used Paul’s single-mindedness and dedication to their best advantage.

The story of Paul’s conversion teaches us about the nature of God and about the nature of salvation. God meets us where we are at. Just as Jesus went to the homes of sinners to share His Good News with them, so does He come to us where we are to offer His salvation and forgiveness. We only have to say yes to His invitation, like Paul did.

We pray that we may follow Paul in bearing witness to the truth of the gospel. That sounds beautiful, but I presume that all of us know how difficult it can sometimes be to bear witness to the gospel in our lives. This is our common call as baptized Christians, whatever our particular vocation may be. But in the midst of the pressures of life, we realize how much strength and courage are needed to bear faithful witness to the gospel among our friends, family members, co-workers and others we encounter. Paul encountered these challenges, too. But, as John Chrysostom reminds us, Paul knew himself to be loved by Christ. It was Paul’s experience of Christ’s patient, faithful love that enabled him to proclaim the good news of Christ in season and out of season. He recognized the closeness of Christ in his life, so close in fact that he could say, “Yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me.”

Let us pray that as we gather for the celebration of St. Paul’s conversion, we may come to realize a little more deeply how much we are loved by Christ. And may this experience empower us to bear witness in our day-to-day experience.