On his way to Damascus Saul's life was changed forever. He experienced a sudden catastrophic intervention in his life. The intervention questioned all he had done so far in life. All he had lived for, all he had achieved, all he planned to do were swept away in one disastrous blow. Physically, emotionally and spiritually he was cast to the ground, totally helpless. His nightmare lasted three days. The only faint glimmer of hope in his tunnel was the strength of the voice from on high, which indicated the door was not completely closed on him. Convinced by the overwhelming power and holiness of the voice Saul managed to hold on. But the pain of his crushing experience and the obscurity of his future must have tested to the limit his residual faith and hope in the God of his forefathers.

Few of us will have to bear as catastrophic an intervention in our lives as Saul had to bear. All of us, however, will have to face to some degree or other major or minor disruptions to our plans, major or minor disappointments in our careers, major or minor encounters with a sense of failure or uselessness.

Saul had some inkling of a holy Power supporting him. Thanks to today's Gospel we have a much stronger assurance of a source of life and strength in our days of darkness. The life, death, resurrection of Christ and a deep personal intimacy with Him is daily available to us in the Eucharist.