25/01. THE CONVERSION OF ST.PAUL, APOSTLE

1.Acts 22:3-16

2.Gospel: Mark 16:15-18

Today we are celebrating the conversion of St.Paul. He was born at Tarsus, the capital of Cilicia( Modern Turkey) and encountered Christ on the road to Damascus which changed him forever. This conversion of St. Paul while he was on his way to Damascus is one of the most touching  miracles in the history of the early Church. It shows us how faith comes from the grace of God and from one's free cooperation. And so he, from being persecutor( Saul), he was transformed into the most zealous and courageous apostle( Paul)

Saul, in the first place, was a persecutor of Christians. He hated and persecuted Christians as heretical, even assisting at the stoning of Saint Stephen, the proto-type martyr of the Church. On his way to Damascus to arrest another group of Christians, it is apparent that it was a pure and simple grace that he was knocked to the ground, struck blind by a heavenly light and given the message that in persecuting Christians, he was persecuting Christ. A voice was heard saying, " Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?" And Saul answered, " Who are you, Lord?" and the voice replied, " I am Jesus, whom you persecute" In other words Christ identifies Himself with His followers and always with them until the end of the world. The experience had a profound spiritual effect on him causing his conversion to Christianity. He was baptized changed his name to Paul to reflect his new persona and began travelling and preaching.

It is our common experience that once when we hear the word ' conversion' what comes into our minds in the first place is that we usually think of a great sinner who abandons a sinful life and becomes a good person. When Paul persecuted Christian he did it with good intention, out of great zeal for God and his religion. He did it because he did not know Christ at that time. This Christ he did not know did not come to abolish his Jewish religion or destroy it but Jesus brought profound and complete insight to who God is.

From Christian point of view, Conversion is basically the discovery of a person whose name is Jesus Christ, our Savior and Giver of our lives. Exactly this is what happened to St. Paul . Once he discovered the love of Jesus in his life he dedicated himself completely to proclaiming that love to all who would listen.

Therefore we must not think that conversion is only for those who are non-Catholics. All of us need conversion. This conversion is a task that never comes to an end until we will reach our final destiny. We have to always turn away from sin and grow deeper in our knowledge and love of Christ.