Today, we celebrate the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul. 

St. Paul, then called Saul, was a Pharisee who was traveling to Damascus under the order of the High Priest to arrest those who followed the risen Jesus, and he did this with unmatched enthusiasm.     

While traveling he was struck by a blinding light and heard a voice say, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”  Falling to the ground, blinded, he asked “Who are you Lord?” he heard in reply “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting, Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

St. Paul not only heard the voice of Christ, but he listened and became one of the most ardent evangelists, working to spread the Good News of Christ’s resurrection and redemption to the ends of the earth.

This dramatic moment reminds us of the power of God’s grace to transform lives and redirect hearts.   This teaches us to respond with the courage to listen for God’s voice and respond.  God invites us to see every challenge as an opportunity to grow in faith and to trust that God’s plan is greater than our own.