St. Paul did not really fall off his high horse on the road to Damascus. There’s no horse in the Bible story, and we probably got the idea from the famous depiction of St. Paul’s conversion by the artist Caravaggio.
Whether St. Paul fell off his high horse or not, it still remains a vivid picture of what conversion is all about.
We’re riding high, going about our business, thinking we’re doing what is right, when enlightenment comes. We’re hit between the eyes by the truth of the Gospel. We’re blinded and knocked down, and then the Lord calls us. It is then that our life is turned around, and we receive a new name, a new direction and a new destiny.
For too many, the idea of a religious conversion consists of a once-and-done decision. Influenced by evangelical revivalist preachers, many Americans think conversion is the same thing as "going forward," "getting saved" or "accepting Jesus into my heart as my personal Lord and Savior."
For too many, conversion is equated with an emotional religious experience of repentance and acceptance of Christ’s forgiveness. Furthermore, too many think this once-and-done experience provides a free ticket to heaven, and they don’t need to do anything further.
This is not true conversion. The conversion of St. Paul happened on the road to Damascus, but when we read his epistles, we see that the struggle continued. In his Letter to the Romans, he cries out, "O sinful man that I am! That which I would do I do not do, and that which I hate I do" (Romans 7:19). St. Paul was a work in progress. His conversion was not completed on the road to Damascus — it was only just begun.
St. Benedict stipulated that his monks should take three vows — obedience, stability and conversion of life. The phrase "conversion of life" shows us the true measure of conversion: We are not simply to go through a conversion experience, but our whole life is to be converted. Every detail of our life is to be changed. Every scrap of sin, every dark and lustful thought, every strut of pride, every wound and twist and distortion in our character must be converted, until, as St. Paul says, "We grow up into the full stature of Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 4:13).
This is the work of a moment, but it is also the work of a lifetime.
Not only must the whole of our life be converted, but the whole of life must be converted. "The whole of creation groans for redemption," St. Paul writes to the Romans. The natural world — and indeed the whole cosmos — fell under the curse of Adam’s sin and so also falls under the blessing of the second Adam’s redemption.
Conversion is not simply a personal, emotional religious experience. It is not even the conversion of one’s whole being. Conversion includes the transformation of all things in heaven and earth.
This ultimate transformation is what the transaction of faith is all about. Too often, we think of faith as signing up for a certain set of intellectually held beliefs — almost as if we are checking the box saying we agree to the terms of an agreement when we are signing a contract or opening a new Internet account.
Another misconception is that faith means trying very hard to believe something that we know deep down is really a lot of poppycock. We say "someone has great faith" when they hold to beliefs despite all evidence to the contrary. Still others say that "faith" is trying very hard to believe that God will give us something we ask for.
All of these ideas have something to do with faith, but genuine faith is greater than all of them. Faith is a gift from God, but it is also a process that we go through.
The first step of faith is to be aware of the need for faith. We then examine the propositions put forward for our belief. We come to understand our situation being estranged from God, and we come to understand what Christ has done for us.
Then, based on this knowledge (and whatever other knowledge we need to gather), our will is engaged. We make a decision to view ourselves, God and the world in a particular way, and, most importantly, we decide to live our lives according to those beliefs.
This is what I call the transaction of faith. "Transaction" means "action across," so faith takes us across the boundaries of our normal life with all its worldly assumptions and enables us to live life according to a supernatural set of values, standards and beliefs. The gift of faith empowers us to follow the path that leads to complete transformation — complete conversion.
Pope Benedict XVI has said, "Scripture can only be interpreted in the lives of the saints, and it is this transaction of faith and life of faith that we see lived out in the vast variety of saints from every age, every culture and every nation on earth. In them, we see true conversion of life. Through the gift of faith, they live their lives in a different dimension of reality. Through the gift of faith, they march to a different drummer; they follow a path of true conversion at the most foundational level of their being."
Faith is, therefore, the most practical, positive and powerful action in which a human being can be involved. The action of faith opens the individual’s heart to the transformative power of God’s love.
This Divine Mercy is what knocked St. Paul to the ground. It is this power to which each of the saints opened their hearts. It is this same power that works in each one of us, and all it takes for us to live this abundant life is to say, "Yes" — and cooperate with that grace that is working within us.
Father Dwight Longenecker (DwightLongenecker.com) is the parish priest of
Our Lady of the Rosary Church in Greenville, South Carolina. His latest book is
Catholicism Pure and Simple.
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A minor piddle: The Bible doesn’t mention a horse in any of the accounts of St. Paul’s conversion, but since it doesn’t say there wasn’t one, it doesn’t discount the probability. I say probability since, seeing that Paul was on official business from the Jewish leaders and the Temple and the distances he covered were long, it is very likely, in fact, that he was given use of a horse to facilitate his task.
Yes, we are a work in progress! And we must accept the gift of faith to continue this work in progress.
INDEED ST.PAUL (aka SAUL) FOUND CHRIST THE LORD WHEN HE WAS IN PURSUIT OF THE CHRISTIAN BELIEVERS AT THAT HISTORICAL DAY OF TRAVELING THE ROAD TO DAMASCUS. HE BEING A FERVENT AND ZEALOUS JEW THOUGHT AND BELIEVED THAT HIS PERSECUTION OF THE BELIEVERS IN JESUS CHRIST WAS WHAT IS ALL ABOUT AS A PHARISEE AND A JEW BUT WHEN THE LORD JESUS CALLED HIM THUS,I QUOTE ” SAUL, SAUL WHY DO THOU PERSECUTES ME”. HE REPLIED, ” WHO ARE YOU LORD ? “. “I AM JESUS WHOM THOU PERSECUTES “. ” IT’S HARD TO KICK AGAINST A PREEK “. LITERALLY, WHICH IS MEANING,” YOU CAN’T KICK A SWORD BY IT’S TIP FOR SURELY YOU’LL BE HURT “.SO, SUCH WAS THE MIRACULOUS AND STRANGE CONVERSION OF PAUL BUT NOT WITHOUT PENALTY FROM JESUS FOR HE FELL FROM HIS HORSE AND WHEN HE GOT UP HE COULD NOT SEE. AMEN, LORD JESUS HELP OUR UNBELIEF !
FAITH IS THE EMBODIMENT OF THINGS YOU BELIEVE BUT DON’T SEE AND IT’S THE EVIDENCE OF THINGS HOPED FOR ! SO, SUCH WAS THE STORY OF THE CONVERSION OF A GREAT SERVANT OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, ST.PAUL WHO ONCE KNOWN PERSECUTOR OF THE NEW CHRISTIANS BUT TURNED OUT TO BE A GREAT APOSTLE NEXT TO ST.PETER AND HE A DIED MARTYR FOR HIS FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST, OUR LORD AND SAVIOUR !
I agree with Vince Contreras. It’s a bit too much of a Protestant habit to think that if the Bible doesn’t mention something, it didn’t happen (the Immaculate Conception, the Assumption, etc.).
I’ve had a moment like that, when the Blessed Virgin pointed my eyes at what I actually supported, and why it was wrong. The story is here: http://arkanabar.blogspot.com/2008/10/first-principles.html
Father Dwight:;
I was born on January 25 on the Conversion of St. Paul 62 years ago. I can’t live up to St. Paul’s life and falling short of his reputation. How the Lord changed his life from persecutor to evangelist. I know he fraility and when sufferung through shipwreck and other things in his life. Please if you feel response to what I say.
God bless you!
To Mr. Contreras & Howard,
Whether, or not, Saint Paul traveled to Damascus on a horse we will never know with certainty, most likely.
Of what we can be fairly certain is that Paul was not knocked of his horse (if he was traveling on one) when the “light from heaven” appeared.
I make this claim based on an essay I read by Dr. Taylor Marshall, in which he sheds light on a little detail that Paul includes in his testimony before Herod Agrippa:
“Thus I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. At midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining round me and those who journeyed with me. And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, `Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It hurts you to kick against the goads.’” - Acts 26:12-14
Dr. Marshall explains that 1st century Jews prayed three times a day “in obedience to Psalm 55:16-17, ‘But I call upon God, and the LORD will save me. Evening and morning and at noon.’”
It is likely that Saint Luke (inspired by the Holy Spirit) included this detail so that readers would know that Paul was praying when Christ appeared as a bright Light. Also, Paul says that all of his party fell to the ground. Were they all knocked off their horses?
For me, it is one of those little details I find fascinating which also helps me meditate on the Sacred Scriptures better. Now, when I hear/read about Paul’s conversion on the way to Damascus, I picture his party all facing Jerusalem, praying intently, when the Light of Christ appears to them.
Please, do a search for the article, “Was Paul knocked off his high horse on the way to Damascus?”
God Bless!
@ The author: You wrote: [“For too many, conversion is equated with an emotional religious experience of repentance and acceptance of Christ’s forgiveness. Furthermore, too many think this once-and-done experience provides a free ticket to heaven, and they don’t need to do anything further.”]
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The “once-and-done” thinking person is (a) either misguided or (b) was poorly taught by someone else who was poorly taught. For others who truly are born again, it is a matter of the Lord having revealed a man’s true condition—that of a sinner and being separated from God because of sin. One needn’t be a drug addict, alcoholic or worse to have a Damascus Road experience. The power of Holy Spirit will find a man where he lives in order to reveal truth concerning concerning conviction of sin and his dependency upon God alone for forgiveness and restoration to new life in Christ. A transformed life affects everything including behavior, speech personal integrity and relationships. A true encounter with Christ changes a man’s perspective and viewpoint to become more sensitive to the things of Christ and that which Jesus says “are plesing to the Father.” While sin is still there and always present in the flesh, the converted man whose heart is now bent towards the Lord is quick to repent of sin since being out of relationship is something unthinkable and demands reconcilation with Christ. A verse by verse reading of Romans explains this whereby in chapters 1 thru 7 Paul so eloquently details how the gospel saves the sinner. An examination of the hymn “Amazing Grace” is another illustration in which British slave trade John Newton also details his own conversion and transformed life by the grace of the Lord, Jesus Christ.
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A transformed life will also mean a transformed checkbook. Not for what God will do, but for what He has already done for you.
Paul received conversion as a gift. It’s a gift that the rider Saul received at high noon on the road to Damascus. The gift is knowing Christ and to follow him at any cost. He knew without falling into disbelief that Jesus is the Son of God foretold by the prophets and teachers of the Mosaic law. His whole life from Damascus to Rome is chronicled in his letters to the churches and to his friends Barnabas and Timothy. His confession of faith, hope and love (1 Cor 13) can be considered a distill of his conversion. That Paul cherished the gift of faith was summed up by St. Augustine on a discourse on Galatians 1.
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