Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul:

Feast day : 25 January

Today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul, earlier known as Saul. He was a staunch Jew who fiercely opposed the early Church. Following the killing of St. Stephen, the first martyr, a great persecution began against the Church. Saul went to the high priest and asked for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that he could go there and arrest people who followed Christ. On his way to Damascus he had a personal encounter with Jesus that changed his life forever. Jesus chose the one who persecuted the Church the most and transformed him by His grace to become a great apostle and a pillar of the Catholic Church! He went about preaching the Gospel and defending the Church, arguing and proving that Jesus was the Messiah, eventually attaining his glorious martyrdom.

Scriptures:

Following the killing of St. Stephen, the first martyr, a great persecution began against the Church. We read in Acts 8:3 “But Saul was ravaging the church by entering house after house; dragging off both men and women, he committed them to prison”. He later went to the high priest and asked for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that he could go there and arrest people who followed Christ. However, on his way to Damascus he had a personal encounter with Jesus. In Acts 9:3-6 we read “Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” He asked, “Who are you Lord?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” When he got up, he could see nothing and his associates led him by his hand to Damascus. There he remained blind for three days and neither ate nor drank.

Jesus then sent his disciple Ananias to him saying “Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before the Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” Acts 9:15-16. Ananias did as was told by the Lord. Saul regained his sight and was baptised.

After spending time with the disciples in Damascus we read in verse 20 “...and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” All who heard him were amazed and said, “Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem among those who invoked this name? And has he not come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?” Acts 9:20-22.

Jesus chose the one who persecuted the Church the most and transformed him by His grace to become a great apostle and a pillar of the Catholic Church! He went about preaching the Gospel and defending the Church, arguing and proving that Jesus was the Messiah. Eventually he attained martyrdom for his faith. Read the conversion of St. Paul from the Bible in the Acts of the Apostles