God Chooses Saul

Homily for the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul

Today’s feast day marks one of the most remarkable conversion stories in the history of Christianity. Its importance is evident from the Scriptural testimony to the events that happened on the road to Damascus. The story is recounted three times in the Acts of the Apostles. In the first instance, St. Luke tells the story. However, in the latter two instances, he puts the words into the mouth of Paul himself who tells the story as he is being heard in court. In addition, Paul makes reference to his conversion in at least four of his letters.

This important story not only tells us the events that happened on that fateful day on the road to Damascus, they also provide us with invaluable information about the growth of the Church, one of the primary themes of the Acts of the Apostles. In chapter twenty-two of the Acts of the Apostles, Paul tells the court: “I persecuted this Way to death, binding both men and women and delivering them to prison.” Very cleverly and subtly, St. Luke has told us that those who followed Jesus were people of the Way. Later on in this work, we will hear that it was in Antioch that the followers of Jesus were first called Christians.

Though it may seem that the emphasis of today’s feast is being placed on this very important figure in the history of Christianity, the real focus is upon God. God stepped in. On Saul’s way to Damascus, there occurs one of the most unlikely conversions to Christianity in the history of the world. Out of everyone who may have become Christian, Jesus chooses Saul. Why? Out of everyone who could have been raised up to advance the Gospel, God chooses Saul. Why?

St. Paul will constantly go back to these questions in his writings, for he realizes that in God’s choice lies a very important lesson for all of us. God chooses the least likely in every instance. God chooses weak people to demonstrate the strength of God. God chose a temperamental fisherman to become the leader of this movement which will become the Church. God chose a man with a speech impediment to speak to Pharaoh in the Book of Exodus. As St. Paul will frequently remind us in his letters, God does this so that no one can boast of personal accomplishments, for God’s instruments will all realize that they are but the tool in God’s hands.

God poured out an abundance of grace upon Paul and through him, poured out an abundance of grace on all of us. That grace is meant to flow through us to others if we are open to the power of Jesus just as it did through Paul. We too, chosen from the world, can bear witness to the truth, goodness, and beauty of faith in Jesus; we can bear fruit that will last.