On the Conversion of Saint Paul, Apostle

Deacon Lee Levenson

          On January 25, the Catholic world celebrates the feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul, Apostle. Most Catholics are familiar with the famous story of Paul’s conversion on the way to Damascus, but tend to overlook the implications of his astounding confrontation with the risen Jesus.

During a meeting of RCIA, now OCIA participants, we read the story of Paul’s conversion in Acts 9:1-19.  I mentioned that each January 25th the Church celebrates a feast day for Paul’s conversion.

As I opened it up for discussion, one of my adult Confirmation candidates, already a baptized Catholic and a bit of a “know-it-all” made this observation:

“Sure, look, I get it. We’re basically celebrating Paul’s conversion from killing Christians to embracing Christianity, right? We all know that Paul was not a nice guy in this story.  He was on his way to capture and probably kill more Jewish Christians who fled Israel to Damascus to avoid his relentless persecution.”

Then, smacking his hand down loudly on the table in front of him (startling others sitting nearby) he smiled and said,

“Blam! He gets knocked off his horse, thrown to the ground, hears Jesus yelling at him to knock it off, gets blinded in the process and gets sent into Damascus to get himself Baptized. Then he gets baptized, scales fall off of his eyes, he gets filled with the Holy spirit, his name gets changed from Saul  to Paul and he goes off into the world to spread the good news, a changed man. Case closed, am I right?”

“Well, I think you might have treated this amazing event in Salvation history a bit too cavalierly, and Saul/Paul were the names he was associated with, not necessarily a name change.” I replied to the amusement of some of the others in the group, “but, I think we should explore this in a bit more detail in order to provide a better, deeper understanding of Saint Paul’s conversion.”

First, I pointed out that Saul/Paul was perhaps the single most influential sacred writer of all time, having written thirteen books in the New Testament and being the subject of other references in Sacred Scripture, especially in the book of  Acts. I suggested that they prepare for our next session by reading about his conversion in Acts Chapters 9, 22, and 26  

I felt it was important to show that this was a conversion which began while he was on his way to Damascus and continued throughout the remainder of his life as he spread the good news of our salvation through his letters and his preaching. In other words, Paul’s conversion was something that was ongoing, deepening and lifelong.

His writings reveal an ever-deepening humility as the effects of his transformation continued to work within him. As an example I had them open their Bibles to 1 Corinthians 15::9, “For I am the least* of the apostles, not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God”

In his pastoral epistles at the end of his life he says, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, and I am the foremost of sinners.”

I reminded them that God’s ways are astoundingly not our ways. Thank, God!

This conversion of this brilliant but misguided Pharisee shows God’s power to save anyone regardless of their past behavior and refusal, initially to accept Him.

It would seem that Saul/Paul would be a candidate least likely to be saved, yet laying there on the muddy road, God was transforming his heart.

Saul/Paul was a gifted and skilled scholar of the Law who studied under the supreme Jewish scholar of the time, Rabbi Gamaliel. One would think that Saul would be the perfect candidate to bring the good news of Jesus as Messiah to the Jews.

But that was not Jesus’ plan. Instead, Jesus sent Saul to take the good news of Salvation to the Gentiles. His life, completely turned around 180 degrees, Paul set out on his many missions to take the message to both Jews and Gentiles with great zeal and with great success.

Looking at Saint Paul’s conversion gives each of us hope and challenges us to not shrink from living and praising a good Christian life. Each one of us will find ourselves on our own road to Damascus at some points in our lives. We take heart in Christ’s infinite love and mercy and for the courage and zeal that was offered by our wonderful apostle, Paul.