THE CONVERSION OF ST. PAUL.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXVIII, Issue 3, 18 January 1900, Page 7

THE CONVERSION OF ST. PAUL.

The great apostle of the Gentiles, who carried the glad tidings of redemption to so many nations, and who joyfully underwent so many sufferings and afflictions for the love ot Jesus, was once the deadly enemy of the Christian name. The glorious miracle of God's power and goodness by which he was transformed in a moment from a wolf into a lamb, from a furious persecutor of the faithful into a meek and zealous apostle, is celebrated in the Church by a special festival. Born at Tarsus, in Cilicia, of Jewish parents, and brought uu at Jerusalem in the fanatical principles of the Pharisees, Saul, as he was then named, grew up iv an intense hatred of the doctrines taught by Jesus and promulgated to the world by His apostles. The zealous and successful preaching of St. Stephen aroused his special indignation, and when that holy martyr was dragged away from the tribunal to be stoned as a blasphemer, Saul accompanied the crowd to witness the execution. He even consented to have a share in it by taking charge of the garments of those who cast the stone*, ' and thus,' says St. Augustine, ' he atoned him by the hands of others.' But at the same moment the voice of the innocent victim was heard before the mercy seat of God pleading for his murderers : ' 0 Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.' And his prayer wa3 heard in favour of the blinded Pharisee. But the moment of grace for Saul had not yet arrived. After the martyrdom of Stephen a violent pprsecution was raided against the faithful, in which Saul signalised himself above others. By virtue of the power which he received from the high priest, he dragged the Christians from their houses, loaded them with chains, and thrust them into prison. He caused them to be scourged in the synagogues, and endeavoured by torments to compel them to blaspheme the name of Jesus. Not yet satisfied, he applied for a commission from the high priest to take up all the Jews at Damascus who confessed Jesus Christ, and bring them bound to Jerusalem. Having obtained the requisite powers he set out with a number of attendants, and had almost arrived at his journey's end, when about noon he and his companions were suddenly surrounded by a great light brighter than the sun. Being struck with terror they fell to the ground, when a voice was heard by all, though understood only by Saul, which said, ' Saul, Saul, why dost thou persecute Me ?' Christ did not pay, ' Why dost thou persecute my disciples,' but ' Me,' for it is He, their Head, who is chiefly persecuted in His servants. Saul answered, ' Who art Thou, Lord " To which Christ replied, 'Jesus of Naz-ireth Whom thou persecuted. It is hard for thee to kick against the goad, in other words, to contend with One so much more mighty than thyself, and thus only to wound and hurt thyself.' Trembling with awe. and at the same time moved by a powerful interior grace, Saul cried out, ' Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do V To which Jesus replied, 1 Arise and go into the city, and there it shall be told thee what thou must do.' Whereupon Saul rose from the ground, but when he opened his eyes ho found himself unable to wee. His attendants accordingly took him by the hand and led him into Damascus, where he remained for three days blind, and without eating or drinking.

Transformed by the gra^e of God into a new man, Saul now bewailfd his past blindness in the bitterness of his soul, and oftvred himself without reserve for the accouipl^htnent of the Divine Will At the end of three days, our Blessed Lord, Who is accustomed for the greater exercise of our humility to complete by the ministry of others the wurk begun in us by the operation of hi« grace, appeared in a vision to a Christian named Ananias and c lied him s-iying, 1 Ananias,' to which he replied, ' Behold. lam here, Lord !' Whereupon Chiist said to him, ' Ari-e and tro into the street that is called Strait, and seek in the house of Judaa one named Saul of Tarsus. For behold he prayeth.' Ananias answered in his simplicity, ' Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints in Jerusalem. And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that invoke Thy Name.' To this Christ replied, ' Go thy way, for this man is to Me a vessel of election to carry My name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how great things he must suffer for My Name's Bake.'

' And Ananias,' continues the sacred writer, ' went his way, and entered into the house, and laying his hands upcn him, he said, ' Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus hath sent me, Hp that appeared to thee in the way as thou rametit, that thou mayest receive thy sight and be filled with the Holy Ghost.' And immediately there fell from his eyes, as it were, scales, and he received his sight, and rising up he was baptised. And when he had taken meat, he was strengthened. And he was with the disciples that were at Oamascus for some days. And immediately he preached Jes'is in the syna gogues, that He is the eon of God. And all that heard him were astonished, and said, ' Is not this he who persecuted in Jerusalem those that called upon this Name, and came hither for that intent that he might carry them bound to the chief priests ? But Saul increased much more in strength, and confounded the Jews who dwelt at Damascus, affirming that this is the Christ.'