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Meditation: Acts 22:3-16

The Conversion of Saint Paul the Apostle

Why are you persecuting me? (Acts 22:7)

What happened to shake Paul to his core? We know it wasn’t chastisement or threats of punishment, even though Saul “was breathing murderous threats against the disciples” (Acts 9:1). It wasn’t an angry demand that he stop sinning or that he cut out the violence. It wasn’t a bolt of divine wrath that dashed him to the ground.

It was a question: “Why are you persecuting me?” (Acts 9:4). Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, came to Saul, placed a mirror in front of him, and asked him a question filled with sadness, compassion, and understanding. Who are you, Saul? What are you becoming? He spoke not in anger but in kindness. He allowed Saul to see himself, in the light of his own divine glory. And the rest is history.

This is the heart of conversion: a moment—sometimes a brief moment, other times a quite lengthy one—in which Jesus shines his light on us. Conversion happens when the Holy Spirit prompts us to question our priorities, our desires, our very selves. It comes when God’s light shines more brightly, or anew, in our hearts, and we sense his presence more powerfully than before. And that presence unsettles us, even as it lifts us up.

But conversion isn’t just about us. It’s mainly about Jesus. Not only do we see ourselves in a new light, we also see the Lord—brilliant in his glory, blinding in his love, filled with mercy and redemption. Seeing who he is, we get a glimpse of who we can become. And that vision, that sense of hope for our future, is so compelling that we willingly turn away from sin and embrace the Lord.

Paul’s conversion was a dramatic turning point in his life. On that day, he decided to follow Jesus and not look back. This is the kind of conversion God wants all of us to have—this decision to break with our old lives and commit ourselves to Jesus. It may not happen as dramatically as it did for Paul. But we all face the question of whether we are going to turn to Jesus and stick with him through thick and thin. So who are you? Who do you want to become?

“Jesus, I turn my life over to you today.”

Psalm 117:1-2; Mark 16:15-18

PAUL, ONE OF THE CHURCH’S MOST ILLUSTRIOUS SAINTS

(A biblical refection on the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul – 25 January 2013)

First Reading: Acts 22:3-16

Alternate First Reading: Acts 9:1-22; Psalms: Ps 117:1-2; Gospel Reading: Mk 16:15-18

The Scripture Text

“I am a Jew, born at Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, educated according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God as you all are this day. I persecuted the Way to the death, binding and delivering to prison both men and women, as the high priest and the whole council of elders bear me witness. From them I received letters to the brethren, and I journeyed to Damascus to take those also who were there and bring them in bonds to Jerusalem to be punished.

“As I made my journey and drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone about me. And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?’ And I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth whom you are persecuting.’ Now those who were with me saw the light but did not hear the voice of the one who was speaking to me. And I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Rise, and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all that is appointed for you to do.’ And when I could not see because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me, and came into Damascus.

“And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there, came to me, and standing by me said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.’ And in that very hour I received my sight and saw him. And he said, ‘The God of our fathers appointed you to know His will, to see the Just One and to hear a voice from His mouth; for you will be witness for Him to all men of what you have seen and heard. And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.’ (Acts 22:3-16 RSV)

Saul of Tarsus was an unrelenting persecutor of Christians. Then one day, God surrounded him with a magnificent light that sparked an inner revolution. Saul heard God speak, and instantly he was a changed man. The devout Ananias explained to Saul what had happened and what he must do: “The God of our fathers appointed you to know His will, to see the Just One and to hear a voice from His mouth; for you will be witness for Him to all men of what you have seen and heard. And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name” (Acts 22:14-16).

And so Saul – also called Paul – became a great vessel of grace and one of the Church’s most illustrious saints. But he never forgot what he had been and how God had saved him. Years after his conversion, he wrote: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. And I am the foremost of sinners” (1Tim 1:15). Neither did he ever take credit for his personal transformation. Paul knew he owed everything to the absolute mercy and forgiveness of God. “I formerly blasphemed and persecuted and insulted Him; but I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus” (1Tim 1:13-14).

The grace and mercy that transformed the “Terror of Tarsus” into the heroic Saint Paul are still at work today. That’s because all conversion – whether quick and dramatic or gradual – is God’s work, and God never changes. We have to respond, of course, by repenting and putting our faith in Jesus. But it is God who convicts us of sin and makes us a new creation.

Saint Bernard of Clairvaux [1090-1153] once said, “Our true life can be found only through conversion.” And once we have experienced conversion ourselves, don’t we earnestly desire that same great grace for others? Today, think about someone you know who seems far from God – someone in your family, your office, or your neighborhood. Why not decide to pray for them for just five minutes every day? Keep Saul in mind, and pray with the confidence of someone who knows God’s mercy.

Short Prayer: Heavenly Father, merciful Lord, today I come to You. Remove the hardness of my heart. Shine Your marvelous light, and let it be a guide for me to repentance and a share in Your glorious life. Amen