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Paul, Conversion of Saint

The American Church Dictionary and Cyclopedia

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A feast of the Church observed on January 25th, in memory of the Conversion of St. Paul, through whose preaching God caused the Light of the Gospel to shine throughout the world. St. Paul is not commemorated as the other Apostles are, by his death or martyrdom, but as stated above, by his Conversion because it was so wonderful in itself and was so important and beneficial to the Church. He labored more abundantly than they all. While the other Apostles had their particular fields of labor, St. Paul had the care of all the churches and by his labors contributed very much to the propagation of the Gospel throughout the world. There are good reasons for believing that he extended his Apostolical labors even to the remote island of Britain. We find him described by two names, Saul and Paul, the first being Hebrew, relating to his Jewish origin and the other Latin, assumed by him, as some think, at his conversion, as an act of humility, styling himself less than the least of all saints. St. Paul suffered martyrdom, having been beheaded, in the sixty-eighth year of his age, at Rome, under Nero, in the general persecution of Christians upon the pretense that they set fire to the city. It was from the instrument of his execution that the custom arose of representing him in ecclesiastical art with a sword in his hand.