Anything under the Sun
St. Paul – Apostle of the Gentiles (1)
Dramatic conversion of St. Paul
On June 28, 2007, Pope Benedict XVI proclaimed the period from 28 June 2008 to 29 June 2009 as 2000th Jubilee Year of St. Paul.
Who was St. Paul? Popularly known as the Apostle of the Gentiles, he was born circa 7 AD to 10 AD in Tarsus, Cilicia (now a part of Turkey). His parents were Jews from the tribe of Benjamin but were able to obtain Roman citizenship. He was named Saul after the first king of Israel but later adopted the name Paul – his Roman-Latin name. He was a Pharisee – a Jewish group zealously committed to the Mosaic Law and therefore, did not believe in Christ as the Messiah.
As a Pharisee, Saul ran after the newly formed Christian communities in Jerusalem and persecuted them. He entered house after house, dragged men and women out and threw them to jail. He took an active part in the killing of St. Stephen – the first Christian Martyr.
Then one day, while on a journey to the city of Damascus, as he was nearing the city, a very bright light suddenly flashed from the sky blinding him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice. “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” In return, Saul asked: “Who are you, sir?” The reply came “I am Jesus who you are persecuting. Get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do.”
Soon a certain Ananias came and told him: “Saul, my brother, regain your sight.” Instantly, he regained his sight and Ananias fetched him to Damascus where he was introduced to the Christian community.
There, he discerned his mission to spread the Gospel not only to the Jews but more to the Gentiles (non-Jews). Thus, while he was in Antioch, Cilicia, the Holy Spirit said to the worshippers: “Set apart Barabas and Saul for the work I called them” Then laying their hands on the two they sent the latter off.
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NOW AVAILABLE – Following volumes of Interesting Facts About West Visayas by this writer: The titles are, Vol. 1 – The Maragtas; Vol. 2 – Malay Civilization and Culture; Vol. 3 – Commerce & Industry; Vol. 5 – Evangelization; Vol. 10 – Tourism; and Vol. 11 – World War II in Panay. For information, write the writer in 4 Santa Ana Street, Molo, Iloilo City or call up tel. no. 337-3045.
These series are authorized as reference books in private and public schools per Regional Memorandum No. 60 dated May 25, 1993 of the DepEd Region 6.