YEAR OF SAINT PAUL     By Jane Guenther   Twelfth in a series of Reflections on the Life of Saint Paul For the Jubilee Year of St. Paul June 28, 2008-June 29, 2009

PASSIONATE PAUL

                                                         

We are approaching the end of the year of St. Paul, which was established by Pope Benedict XVI.

When one is passionate about something, there is a desire to ignite others with the zeal one has for it. This certainly has been a year that expressed the passion Pope Benedict has for the very zealous Paul. Bringing this attention of Paul to the faithful of the world has certainly raised awareness about geography, the person Paul, and the scripture authored by Paul.

I will never forget the day our Associate Pastor stood before the large bulletin board sized map designed to show the journeys of St. Paul. He inquired as to why there were three Antiochs. This simple question brought about a fuller understanding of the true distance of Paul’s journeys. As the ancient map revealed, there were several Antiochs in the region of varying distances from one another. Thus the Scripture illuminated Paul’s true zeal to spread the Gospel message. We are called to do the same.

Paul tells the people of Corinth: “But as it is written: ‘What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and what has not entered the human heart, what God has prepared for those who love him,’ this God has revealed to us through the Spirit” (1 Cor 2:9-10). Paul, having experienced this personal love, expresses it to others.

 

The Catechism of the Church states: “The phrase ‘heart of Christ’ can refer to Sacred Scripture, which makes known his heart, closed before the Passion, as the Scripture was obscure. But the Scripture has been opened since the Passion” (CCC #112).

 

Paul is a passionate person because of the identity of Jesus Christ whom he knows and has experienced in the Passion of our Lord. Pope John Paul II states that, “St. Paul writes that Jesus crucified is our wisdom and our strength. It is a paradox, but this Crucified One is the source of all our strength, the strength of the suffering and of all those who do not want to err in life, who want to keep on the straight path, who want to build and not to destroy” (Spiritual Advice from John Paul II, 365 Days of Inspiration, August 7th).

Paul’s intense desire to listen to the Lord led him to Rome where he was tried. It is in this life, death and resurrection experience of Paul that he is found drawing on the strength of the Lord. Similarly, that is our place of strength as well. Our unity with the Lord and one another is in this love.

Paul says to the Romans: “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 8:38-39). When we have conviction we have passion. We have had a year of sharing in the conviction Paul had. Where it leads us is the real fruit. Essentially we have to ask ourselves: Where is my passion? How do I feel called to live that “love poured out

on us in the Holy Spirit” (Rom 5:5)?                                                                                  

 

May you recognize that love and use it to ignite the passion of others along the faith journey.

© 2009 National Service Committee. All rights reserved.