Paul was first called Saul. As a young man, he was a very bright student of the Hebrew religion. When he grew older, he persecuted the followers of Jesus in Jerusalem because he did not know Jesus was God. It was he who held the robes of men who stoned to death the first martyr, St. Stephen. But one day when he was one his way to hunt down more Christians in the city of Damascus, a great light suddenly shone all around him. As he fell from his horse, he heard a voice say, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecuted Me?”
And Saul asked, “Who art thou, Lord?”
Our Lord answered, “I am Jesus, Whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goad.
Afraid and trembling, Saul said, “Lord, what will you have me do?”
At that moment, Saul became a great lover of Jesus. After his baptism, he thought only of making everyone know and love the Lord Jesus, our Savior.
We know Saul by his Roman name of Paul. He is the great Apostle who travelled all over the world, preaching about Jesus and converting millions of people in one city after another.
He worked and suffered, and his enemies tried to take his life many times. Yet nothing could stop him from bringing souls to Christ. When he was old and tried, he was once again put in prison and sentenced to die. Still St. Paul was happy to suffer for Christ.
This great apostle wrote fourteen marvelous letters to Christians. They are in the Holy Bible. These letters, called Epistles, are read almost every morning at Holy Mass.
God asks us, too, to love Jesus very much. Do we often tell Our Lord that we love Him?
