The Conversion of St Paul the Apostle

As the theme of this month is Faith and Hope, I would like to talk about one of our patron saints, St. Paul the Apostle. If you remember the mosaics in our school Hall, you probably know that St Paul is holding a book and a sword. The book carried by him, actually represents his epistles in the New Testament of the Bible. He wrote 14 books in the New Testament, and was very famous for his missionary journeys which led to the spread of the teachings of Jesus in the first-century world.

But do you know that before he started following Jesus, he had intensely persecuted Christians and he was strongly against people who believe Jesus is the Messiah? He used to consider himself as “a Hebrew of the Hebrews, and a Pharisee that touches the law”. After receiving education about Jewish law, he began his persecutions in Jerusalem, and he travelled from one church or one city to another, trying to punish people who follow Jesus’s teachings.

However, when he was on his way to Damascus and hoping to arrest more Christians and bring them back to Jerusalem, he had a life-changing vision of Christ. If we look at the Book of Acts, Paul fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”. He then asked, “Who are you Lord?”. The reply then came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” Paul was struck blind when he stood up, and for the next three days he spent his time praying to God, as he was finally convinced that God had sent Jesus to be the promised Messiah. Ever since then he became one of the leading apostles in Jerusalem, travelling around to preach the gospels and the messages of God. His story of conversion, known as “the road to Damascus” event, is also referred by non-Christians as the important turning point in one’s life in modern context.

So, what is your road to Damascus? Have you ever experienced a point at which you fundamentally changed your mind? Did you feel like your direction had suddenly shifted, and nothing will be the same from that time forward? As you all have received your exam papers, some of you may feel satisfied with your results, while many others may feel sad and disappointed. I encourage you to reflect on your studies, and most importantly to be more determined in studies starting from today. Even if you did not work hard enough in the past and you feel like you will never be able to catch up, please know that it is never too late to learn. In God’s eyes, Paul’s past does not matter to him. He is more interested in his future. Even though Paul had been one of Jesus’s cruelest enemies, he became one of his closest friends after the conversion.

Tomorrow is the feast day of the Conversion of St. Paul the Apostle. Let us keep this story in mind and start reflecting and changing your behaviour, habits and attitudes starting from today. It is never too late to start, it is never too late to try, and it is never too late to pray.

Ms. Wu H. Y.
24 January 2022