Feast day: The Conversion of Saint Paul, January 25; Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, June 29
Saint Paul, or Saul, as he was called before his conversion, put extreme energy and vigor into everything that he did. Starting out that vigor went toward the persecution of Christians. He was so passionate about his persecutions that he asked the high priest to allow him to hunt down and arrest all the Christians in Damascus and bring them to Jerusalem for punishment.
What happened on the road to Damascus is one of the most significant accounts in the Bible. On his journey, he was thrown to the ground when he heard a voice asking, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” The person speaking acknowledged himself as Jesus of Nazareth, and Paul's life was completely changed. From then on, he used his incredible vigor and zeal to preach the Good News of Jesus and convert believers, not persecute them.
(Image © Vicki Shuck/Saint Mary's Press)