Today January 25th we celebrate the conversion of St Paul.

Now until he was about 30 years old Paul

also known as Saul was a very devout Jew.

In fact, as we read in the Acts of the Apostles,

he was committed to stop the spread of Christianity.

But suddenly, while he was traveling to Damascus,

there came a light from heaven, he fell to the ground and he heard a voice saying,

Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?

Who are you, Lord? he asked. the voice answered I am Jesus whom you are persecuting

Get up now and go into the city and you will be told what you have to do

Struck blind Paul was led by the hand into Damascus where a Christian named Ananius laid hands on him and prayed.

Immediately it was as those scales fell away from Saul's eyes and he could see again.

And then he was baptized.

And after he had spent only a few days with the disciples in Damascus, he began preaching in the

synagogues that Jesus is the son of God. So realizing that Jesus was alive and that he was truly God and the

Savior of the world, Paul converted to Catholicism and became the greatest

missionary in the history of the Catholic Church.

Paul brought Christianity to Turkey and Greece, Italy, and even Spain before his martyrdom in Rome around the year 65 or 66 a.D.

Once Paul encountered Jesus everything changed.

Our Father changed.

Our father who art in heaven, hallow it would be your name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us to stay our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

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