The conversion of St. Paul on the road to Damascus was a major turning point in the life of the Church — so major that the Acts of the Apostles tells the story three times! There is Saul before the conversion who becomes Paul after the conversion. Stories of a dramatic shift like that of St. Paul can skew our understanding of how conversion works most often. Instead of a definite “before and after,” conversion usually happens gradually, over time. We learn to surrender ourselves bit by bit into the arms of God. But the one thing all conversions have in common is the same catalyst that Paul experienced. Not visions from above or heavenly voices but rather the understanding that all human beings have a divine imprint because we share life with Jesus: “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” Today practice seeing the face of Christ particularly in people where you wouldn’t ordinarily think to look.
