The following is a reflection on the conversion of St. Paul by Francis D. Kelly from January 27, 2010. The full reflection can be found here. I chose this particular event from scripture because I think that God has so much to say about our own need of conversion by speaking to us through the conversion of St. Paul. I hope you will enjoy it! – Ryan
“What shall I do, sir?” (Acts 22:10)
“The first Reading of today’s Mass (the lectionary offers two options — Acts 22 or Acts 9) documents in dramatic fashion the moment of St Paul’s personal encounter with the Risen Christ. He was struck down on the way to Damascus by the presence of Jesus: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”.
Christ calls Saul by name, reproves him for his persecution of the Christians — with whom Jesus identifies himself — and is told “now get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do” (Acts 9:6-7).
“The central element of the whole experience is the fact of conversion. Destined to evangelize the Gentiles ‘to turn them from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God that they may obtain the forgiveness of their sins’ (Acts 26:18), Saul is called by Christ, above all, to work a radical conversion upon himself. Saul thus begins his laborious road of conversion that will last as long as he lives, beginning with unusual humility with that ‘what must I do, Lord?’ and docilely letting himself be led by the hand to Ananias, through whose prophetic ministry it will be given to him to know God’s plan” (John Paul II; Jan. 25,1983).
The start of the conversion journey of Saul is significantly enveloped in prayer. The now humble and open Saul gives himself up in prayer to discern and accept God’s will. Ananias is told by Christ — “Ask at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is there praying” (Acts 9:11).
All of us are called to conversion — probably not in a sudden dramatic fashion like Saul —but still constantly day by day we are called ever more to surrender our lives to Christ. He calls us too by our own name with great mercy and tenderness; he calls us to abandon our special resistance to his will and plan for our lives and to conform ourselves to his will and plan.
If we are to respond to that call we, like Paul, must give ourselves up to prayer, stopping the whirl of frantic activities and putting ourselves before God, saying like Paul: “What shall I do?” (Acts 22:10).
We can all also profit in this lifelong conversion process from the guidance of a spiritual helper — our own Ananias — who can help us in our discernment of God’s will.
St Paul’s conversion therefore is not just an interesting historical episode from the beginning of the Church — it is paradigmatic for our own continued journey of conversion. All of its elements can be applied to ourselves.”
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