In the first place, the account of his conversion tells us that what happened occurred suddenly (Acts 9:3). St Paul was travelling with his companions when suddenly he was hit by a bright light. That word “suddenly” says a lot. Very often we have an experience when we least expect it. Moses heard God talking to him through the burning bush when he as not expecting it while Abraham was simply told one day to gather his belongings and to travel to a land which will be indicated by God in due time. There is a reason for this. God is a God of surprises because when things happen all of a sudden, when we least expect it then all our defences are down and the impact of what God desires to impart to us has a much more lasting and deep effect. When something happens to us when we least expect it, we become more influenced and touched.

I can still remember the unexpected words that a friend of mine shared with me as I was discerning what I was going to do after I finished High School. I used to go to the Seminary once a month for a series of meetings on how to be open to whatever God asks of you in life. To be honest, I frequented these meetings not because I intended to join the Seminary but in order to meet my friends. One day I was walking back home with one of my friends and I said “Gee it is not a bad place there isn’t it? It is quiet and it gives you an opportunity to study and reflect in an atmosphere of serenity and peace”. My friend turned to me and said “We might think so because we are intending to start Seminary formation later on in the year”. I said nothing at that stage, but those were the words that started to make me think seriously about a vocation to the priesthood. The rest, as they say, is history.

It is a general principle to keep in mind that when something occurs that has come completely out of the blue, you can bet your bottom dollar that the hand of God is present. God wants to say something special to us at that particular time. These so called surprise occurrences are not limited to what can be termed as happy occasions but God also speaks to us very directly through those experiences that causes us anxiety, fear and sadness. When these situations occur let us not panic but simply keep saying to Him “Lord what do you want to tell me through this situation? What do you want to teach me”? God never desires to harm us but at times we need to experience or be confronted by something dramatic in order to slow down and take stock of where we are.

When St Paul was suddenly hit by this bright light he fell to the ground. The Book of Acts in Chapter 9, never mentions that St Paul was riding on a horse as we often see in paintings or pictures which depict this episode. The real meaning of St Paul falling to the ground is that this experience was so powerful that it impacted on him in such an amazing manner that no human force could resist it. When God touches us and when we experience the direct touch of our God, it affects us in the deepest core of our being and that experience remains with us for the rest of our lives. We will always be able to remember when and where that particular experience occurred.

What actually happened to St Paul on that day? I will let him tell us himself. “Then God, who had specially chose me while I was still in my mother’s womb called me through his grace and chose to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach the Good News about him to the pagans” (Gal 1:15-16). In a nutshell what Paul is saying is that he was completely changed because he encountered the resurrected Jesus. He experienced at first hand the power and the presence of Jesus Christ, the Messiah even though this man had been crucified and died not so long before. No wonder, he became such a passionate and an inflamed witness of Jesus Christ. He realized that this Jesus is not dead but that He is alive. He experienced His presence and he had been touched with his same power to continue his mission. No wonder St Paul became such a powerhouse for Jesus.

The great news is that this is also precisely what we are invited to experience as believers in Jesus Christ today. Yet it is important to know what the catechism says. It is definitely important to be familiar with what the church teaches. It is equally vitally crucial that we become involved in helping the poor and those who are in need. Yet, basically our Catholic faith is an intimate and personal relationship with this God, Jesus Christ who is alive today. Everything that we do, everything that we believe as Catholic people finds its purpose and empowerment in experiencing Jesus Christ alive in our hearts because of our baptism and confirmation.

Let us keep repeating the prayer. “Lord Jesus Christ I believe that you are alive within me today. I acknowledge your presence within me. I desire to know you better. I deserve to experience your presence within me. Lord touch my heart at this very moment and anoint me with a fresh outpouring of your Holy Spirit. I desire to know you as my best friend. Make me a powerful witness of your presence, of your care and love to all the people who I meet today”. Amen