The conversion of St. Paul was a major turning point in the Church so it is rightly remembered liturgically. However, in one sense the feast does a disservice since it creates the illusion that conversion in our lives happens like in St. Paul’s, as a dramatic shift — instead of going in one direction one does a u-turn and goes in the opposite direction. In my experience most conversions are much more gradual, like a giant battleship turning ever so slowly to move slightly to starboard. The one thing all conversions have in common is that they happen when we recognize Christ in the other. ‘I am Jesus the Nazorean whom you are persecuting.’ We can assess our degree of conversion by seeing how easily we can find the face of Christ is someone who is “other.”
