Reflections on Conversion and the Call to Follow Christ

by Jonathan Lumamba, M.A

Every January 25th, the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul has always held a special place in my heart. It is a day that calls me to pause and reflect on my own journey with the Lord. How am I responding to His call to transformation? Am I the same person I was years ago- sometimes failing to love and follow Jesus- or am I striving to live more faithfully, attending Mass, receiving the Sacraments, and walking in holiness? This day reminds me that being a Christian is more than participation in rituals; it is a call to live a vibrant, sacramental, and loving faith.

I have experienced my own moments of conversion- small Damascus encounters that have shaped my life. One of the earliest occurred when I was twelve years old. My mother suffered a terrible accident and was unconscious for almost two weeks. As the youngest child, I had been used to receiving constant attention and having my needs met. Suddenly, everything changed. My family’s attention had to focus entirely on my mother’s recovery, and I realized that the comfort I had relied on was gone. In that emptiness, I encountered Christ in a new way. He became my true provider and source of love. I began to live for Him, learning to serve others and to care for my mother as she recovered. That experience strengthened my relationship with Jesus and gave me a new perspective on life- one that continues to guide me today.

Another moment of conversion came before college, when I attended a retreat with Youth for Christ ministry. It was there that I truly encountered the Holy Spirit, who empowered me and led me into a deeper conversion. I began to recognize and actively use the gifts of the Spirit that I had received at baptism, and my heart was set on fire for God. I felt a renewed desire to serve Him and love Him more fully, especially as I entered college.

This moment of conversion shaped my college years, my vocation, and my calling in life. It gave me clarity and direction, helping me discern where the Lord was leading me. Even at a young age and while still in college, I began to focus on what truly mattered- seeking not my own plans, but what the Lord was asking of me. When I graduated from college, I did not pursue the career I had originally envisioned. Instead, I chose the path that led me to serve full-time in Catholic lay ministry with Couples for Christ specifically the Youth for Christ ministry, embracing the call to become a missionary and to give my life in service to the Church.

A later moment of conversion brought me even closer to St. Paul’s experience. During a mission in Pakistan, I faced interrogation at the airport and a potentially life-threatening situation because of my faith. When officers inspected my luggage and hand-carried items and found my Catholic belongings: my Bible, images of the Blessed Mother, and my rosary, I was taken aside for a thirty-minute interrogation and strip search. It felt like the longest thirty minutes of my life.

Yet in that moment, I felt no fear- only the quiet but overwhelming presence and love of the Lord. I understood, even briefly, what it means to witness to Christ and to suffer for His name. While I was not called to shed my blood, I was invited to offer that moment of vulnerability, uncertainty, and humiliation as a small participation in the Cross. In that sense, it became a form of redemptive suffering, an offering united to Christ, who Himself was questioned, stripped, and misunderstood.

In that place, I encountered Christ in a profound way, much like St. Paul on the road to Damascus. That moment became a turning point in my life, confirming my call to live as a missionary disciple. It reminded me that following Christ always involves sacrifice, but that His grace is always greater. That calling continues even now, as I strive to live it faithfully within family life and the demands of raising four children. Since then, there has been no turning back, only a deeper desire to belong completely to Christ and to serve His Church with my whole life.

Whenever I enter into deeper reflection, I experience moments where the Lord draws me into His divine presence, much like He did with Paul. Pope Benedict XVI describes this beautifully in his catechesis on St. Paul:

“The turning point of St. Paul’s life, the transformation of his whole being was not the fruit of a psychological process, of a maturation or intellectual and moral development but rather it came from the outside; it was the fruit, not of his thoughts, but of his encounter with Christ. In this sense, it was not simply a conversion, a development of his ego but rather a death and resurrection for Paul himself. One existence died, and another new one was born with the Risen Christ. There is no other way in which to explain the renewal of Paul” (St. Paul- Pope Benedict XVI). 

Beautifully said. May we too experience this kind of true conversion, not a physical death, but a daily dying to sin. With God’s grace, we leave behind our old ways, false ideologies, and attachments, and allow Him to form us into His likeness. We may stumble and struggle along the way, but like St. Paul, we press on, strengthened by prayer, the Sacraments, Scripture, and the liturgical life of the Church.

When we truly encounter the Risen Christ, we are transformed. Our eyes are opened to His light, the light of truth, and we begin to see the world through His wisdom and love. We are called not just to know Him, but to live Him: to pour ourselves out in service, to love others deeply, and to bear witness to the Gospel in our daily lives. St. Paul went from persecuting the Church to being willing to give his life for Christ. His conversion shows us the power of God’s grace to renew and transform even the hardest of hearts.

May we continue to strive for holiness, pressing on in faith and love, allowing the Lord to continually renew us. Every day is an opportunity for a Damascus moment, a chance to encounter Christ anew and rise with Him into a life that is truly holy. And in our own lives, may we recognize the moments, big and small, when He calls us to conversion, trusting that He is always faithful to guide, strengthen, and transform us.

St. Paul, pray for us.