Conversion of St. Paul
Feast day: January 25
Saul, which is Paul’s given name, was born into a Jewish family in Tarsus (now Turkey). Schooled as a Pharisee, he was a tent maker by trade, but was most noted for his hatred of Christians. The first mention of Saul in Scripture is found in Acts 7:58, as he was present at the martyrdom of St. Stephen. An aggressive persecutor of Christians in Jerusalem, Saul received permission from the high priest to proceed to Damascus for the purpose of imprisoning more followers of Christ. On this journey, he experienced his renowned conversion. Left blind by a light from the sky that suddenly flashed around him, Saul fell to the ground, and it is then that he heard Christ’s voice. He was taken to Damascus and sat for three days in the darkness. Baptized by Ananias, his sight restored, he left the city to spend several years in Arabia in prayer and meditation. Returning to Damascus, he took up preaching the faith. The Acts of the Apostles describes his three missionary journeys, and many of the New Testament letters were written by Paul to Christian communities he had evangelized. According to tradition, Paul was beheaded near Rome during the reign of Emperor Nero.
Collect
O God, who taught the whole world
through the preaching of the blessed Apostle Paul,
draw us, we pray, nearer to you
through the example of him whose conversion we celebrate today,
and so make us witnesses to your truth in the world.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
