The Spirituality of St. Paul
I
Paul’s Indebtedness to Jesus
Are you in debt? To whom? How much do you owe? St. Paul felt deeply indebted to Jesus for having saved him from his sinfulness. That is the first element of his spiritual life we are going to consider. Like the twelve, Paul did not enter the faith as a saint. Rather, he was quite a sinner, and yet Jesus made him a great saint. He would like to do the same for us. St. Paul was humbly aware of his sinfulness. He writes, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of these I am the foremost. But for that reason I was mercifully treated, so that in me, as the foremost, Christ Jesus might display all his patience as an example for those who would come to believe in him for everlasting life” (1 Tim 1:15-16).
Paul was once an angry man who concurred in the murder of St. Stephen. He writes, “And when the blood of your witness Stephen was being shed, I myself stood by giving my approval and keeping guard over the cloaks of his murderers” (Acts 22:20). He also admits to Jesus who appeared to him, “Lord…from synagogue to synagogue I used to imprison and beat those who believed in you” (Acts 22:19).
Furthermore, Paul confesses, “For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, deluded, slaves to various desires and pleasures living in malice and envy, hateful ourselves and hating one an other” (Tit 3:3).
Paul could never be proud, for he was keenly aware of his sinfulness from which Jesus mercifully saved him. After acknowledging his sinfulness, he explains, “But when the kindness and generous love of God our savior appeared, not because of any righteous deeds we had done, but because of his mercy, he saved us through the bath of rebirth and renewal by the holy Spirit whom he richly poured out on us through Jesus Christ our savior” (Tit 3:4-6).
Paul felt absolutely indebted to Jesus for having saved him from his sinfulness. He was keenly aware of how much Jesus loved him and how mercifully he had treated him. He expressed it this way: “I live by faith in the Son of God who has loved me and gave himself up for me” (Gal 2:20).
Paul felt a need to love Jesus in return. He responded to Jesus’ call to announce the good news of God’s eternal love for us sinners expressed in Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross.
Paul was so utterly grateful to Jesus for having saved him that he willingly became his slave, and dedicated his whole life to preaching the Gospel. Paul describes himself as “a slave of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God” (Rom 1:1). He was wholly given over to the service of Jesus and his gospel. Paul had experienced the full force of Jesus’ agape love on the road to Damascus. And that encounter had totally captured his heart. He had become so inebriated with Christ’s love that he traveled to the ends of the earth to proclaim it to the whole world. He was so on fire with divine love, there was no stopping him. His burning love, fired by the intense heat of his love-union with Christ, kept him going indefatigably. Paul was so deeply immersed in the risen Jesus whom he encountered at his conversion that he blissfully remained a prisoner of love for the rest of his life.
II
In Christ
Another characteristic of St. Paul’s spiritual life was that he was always conscious of being “in Christ”. He experienced himself to be in Christ and Christ in him. These phrases tell us that Paul’s whole being was permeated with the presence of Jesus. Again and again he expressed his awareness of being in Christ. One author says he used this expression 165 times. This shows us that Paul lived continually in union and interpersonal communion with the glorified Christ. And, in fact, he proclaimed that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus are likewise called, like Paul, to live in intimate communion with our risen Lord.
This is precisely what Jesus promised. “On that day you will realize,” he said, “that I am in my Father and you are in me and I in you” (Jn 14:20). “Remain in me, as I remain in you” (Jn 15:3) he said. “Remain in my love” (Jn 15:9). Paul was very much aware of this mystical reality and frequently expressed it in his letters. He explained this mystical union in this way, “But whoever is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him” (1 Cor 6:17). Still another way of explaining this sublime reality is, “Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? The temple of God, which you are, is holy” (1 Cor 3:16-17). Paul was very much aware of how the glorious presence of the Lord had filled Solomon’s temple. And now he states that we are the temples filled with that glorious presence (see 1 Kgs 8:10-13; Jn 14:15-33). We therefore must reverence our bodies and those of others as God’s dwelling place – even as we behave respectfully in a church containing Jesus’ Eucharistic Presence.
Paul is simply making us aware, as he was, of God’s indwelling presence. He is living out what Jesus said would take place: “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him” (Jn 14:23). The saints experienced this reality. St. John of the Cross teaches that God himself is the very center of the soul. We are called to live in continual interpersonal communion with our indwelling God.
The presence of the indwelling God includes the glorified Christ. St. Paul speaks of “Christ in you, the hope for Glory” (Col 1:27). We can deduce from these words that the presence of the risen Christ in us gives us a foretaste and an assurance of the glory that awaits us in heaven. St. Paul further speaks of “Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col 2:3). St. Paul goes on to explain why “all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” are hidden in Christ: “For in him dwells the whole fullness of the deity bodily, and you share in this fullness in him” (Col 2:9-10). Through the gifts of wisdom and understanding, we may come to know the presence of the divine Jesus in us and the spiritual riches that are in him. St. Paul goes on to explain, “For God…has shone in our hearts to bring to light the knowledge of the glory of God on the face of [Jesus] Christ” (2 Cor 4:6). Christ dwells in the center of our persons. His glorious presence illuminates our whole being with the knowledge of himself, his divinity and glory. That is why St. Paul can pray “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation resulting in knowledge of him. May the eyes of [your] hearts be enlightened, that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call, what the riches of glory in his inheritance among the holy ones, and what is the surpassing greatness of his power for us who believe…” (Eph 1:17-19). We too pray for this spirit of wisdom and revelation resulting in the knowledge of the risen Jesus living in us and the riches of glory, which we have inherited. The spiritual life that St. Paul experienced is also made available to all of us – if only we dispose ourselves for it.
It is impossible to fully convey how precious, valuable and fulfilling it is to personally know and experience the glorious presence of the risen Jesus living in us. Up until the time St. Paul met Jesus in person on the road to Damascus, he had devoted his whole life to the Law of Moses as a Pharisee. But once he had experienced the divine Jesus in person, he considered all the previous advantages that he enjoyed as a Jew to be worthless. They were nothing compared to Christ. He writes, “[But] whatever gains I had, these I have come to consider a loss because of Christ. More than that, I even consider everything as a loss because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have accepted the loss of all things and I consider them so much rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him….” (Phil 3:7-10). Compared to his personal experience of Jesus, the God-man, all other gains and advantages are like garbage. Paul lost everything he previously cherished, and considered them good riddance. Anything that stands in the way of knowing Jesus more intimately is trash. Knowing him is the beginning of heavenly life and happiness.
Paul prays to the Father that “rooted and grounded in love [we] may have strength to comprehend…what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that [we] may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Eph 3:17-19). Through baptism we have been plunged into Christ and God who is love. We can taste and experience this love through the gifts of the Holy Spirit. We can thus know its immensity. This mystical knowledge is beyond our natural intelligence. We know it through the gifts of wisdom and understanding as we experience God’s presence within ourselves filling our whole being with the fullness of his presence.
To clarify still further how we can come to this mystical, experiential knowledge through the gifts of the Holy Spirit, St. Paul explains that it is through a transformation of our persons into God-likeness. He says, “All of us, gazing with unveiled face on the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, as from the Lord who is the Spirit” (2 Cor 3:18).
In other words, we are like Moses, standing in God’s presence, beholding and reflecting his glory. The Holy Spirit is constantly at work in us transforming us into the image of God, which is Christ (2 Cor 4:4). And we grow in increasing knowledge of the indwelling glorious Christ as we are formed anew into his image (see Col 3:10). The more perfectly we are transformed into the image of God through a process of spiritualization, the more we can see or know God and the risen Christ.
We should not be surprised that we are able to know the risen Jesus as St. Paul has explained. This is simply a confirmation of what Jesus had already promised: “Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him” (Jn 14:21).
III
Self Denial
Jesus plainly states that after the resurrection he will return to be with his disciples. He will reveal himself to those who love him. He will reveal himself through his indwelling presence perceived through the gifts of the Holy Spirit (Jn 14:22-23). And those who love him are those who observe all his teachings. But those who ignore his words and live only for themselves and this world will be indisposed to see or know him (Jn 14:16-17, 24).
St. Paul was keenly aware of the sinful inclinations of our fallen human nature (Rom 7:14-25). If these are followed, they obscure or make it impossible to know Jesus mystically in his indwelling presence. That is why St. Paul taught extensively how to overcome these sinful tendencies. His writings are filled with references to the need to crucify the flesh. “Now those who belong to Christ Jesus”, he said, “have crucified their flesh with its passions and desires” (Gal 5:24). “For if you live according to the flesh, you will die, but if by the spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live” (Rom 8:13). (See also Rom 6: 6-8; 1 Cor 9:27; Col 3: 5-6; Eph 4:22-24; Gal 5: 16-17)
Blindly following the urges of the flesh leads to mortal sin, separation from God, and spiritual death. By spirit assertiveness, we refrain from carrying out these evil desires. We practice self-denial and allow them to die unfulfilled. As a result, we can enjoy living the life of Jesus. St. Paul succinctly expressed how he lived this paschal mystery: “I have been crucified with Christ; yet I live no longer I, but Christ lives in me” (Gal 2:20). To be able to live the life of the risen Christ and to know him in his indwelling presence, it is absolutely necessary to control, moderate, or mortify the disordered tendencies of our human nature. It is only in this way that we can do God’s will and obey his commandments. Then we can be intimately united to God who reveals himself to us. Otherwise, Jesus is a distant stranger to us. He is someone we hear about but are not intimately involved with. We are too full of ourselves and worldly enjoyments to come to know the divine Jesus personally. Therefore, although we are called Christians, we do not know Christ. We only know about him and carry his name. We may be in the state of grace and keep the Ten Commandments, but our hearts are not totally his. We belong to this world and its pleasures. Our lives revolve around self instead of Christ, around the pleasures of the world instead of God’s good pleasure, our will instead of God’s will. In this way we isolate and separate ourselves from the enjoyment of communion with God in Jesus. We do not know the joy of his presence. We opt for the poor substitute of the creatures he made. We prefer these limited gifts to the company of the unlimited Giver and Creator of them all.
IV
Detachment
Another aspect of St. Paul’s spirituality is that, in order to keep our hearts free for God, we must also be detached from whatever hinders our union with God. We must not hold on unduly to persons and things in such a way that they interfere in our relations with God. He and his will must have first place in our lives. That is why Paul could say, “From now on, let those having wives act as not having them…those buying as not owning, those using the world as not using it fully” (1 Cor 7:29-31).
St. Paul also warns us to walk with care in the world we live in. He says, “Watch carefully then how you live, not as foolish persons but as wise…because the days are evil… Try to understand what is the will of the Lord” (Eph 5:15-17).
We live in the world which does not know God and which ignores the Commandments and God’s will. We must be careful not to take on a lifestyle like that of a sinful world, so heavily encouraged on television, the internet, and in the movies. St. Paul reminds us that “the Lord Jesus Christ…gave himself for our sins that he might rescue us from the present evil age…” (Gal 1:4). St. John takes St. Paul’s thought still further saying, “…the whole world is under the power of the evil one” (1 Jn 5:19). That is why St. Paul exhorts us, “Therefore, come forth from them and be separate…and touch nothing unclean; then I will receive you” (2 Cor 6:17). In a similar way, St. John tells us quite bluntly, “Do not love the world or the things of the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 Jn 2:15). What do these apostles mean by the world? St. John explains still more clearly, “For all that is in the world, sensual lust, enticement for the eyes, and a pretentious life, is not from the Father but is from the world. Yet the world and its enticement are passing away. But whoever does the will of God remains forever” (1 Jn 2:16-17).
Jesus himself said at the Last Supper when he was praying to the Father regarding his Apostles, “They do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world” (Jn 17:16).
We pray that we will heed these warnings and take great care not to be contaminated by the sinful world we live in. We pray in the words of St. Paul “that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine like lights in the world, as you hold on to the word of life” (Phil 2:15-16).
St. Paul also warns us about riches, and the danger of luxury and self-indulgence that goes with it. He writes, “Those who want to be rich are falling into temptation and into a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all evils, and some people in their desire for it have strayed from the faith and have pierced themselves with many pains” (1 Tim 6:9-10).
V
Weakness
Another element to consider in St. Paul’s spiritual life is weakness. We would think that a great apostle such as Paul, who fearlessly and tirelessly traveled the ends of the earth to proclaim the salvation he experienced in Jesus, would have no weaknesses. This great saint humbly admits to much weakness. He writes, “14We know that the law is spiritual; but I am carnal, sold into slavery to sin. What I do, 15I do not understand. 19For I do not do the good I want, but I do the evil I do not want. 22I take delight in the law of God, in my inner self, 23but I see in my members another principle at war with the law of my mind, taking me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members” (Rom 7:14-15, 19, 22-23). In desperation our saint cries out, “Miserable one that I am! Who will deliver me from this mortal body?” (Rom 7:24). The answer comes, “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom 7:25). Have you ever felt so overwhelmed by such weakness? You’re in good company! What an encouragement St. Paul’s struggle with sin and the solution he found in Jesus is to us! His secret to success in overcoming sin is Jesus. He must unite himself more completely with Jesus and rely totally on him for the strength he needs to vanquish these evil inclinations arising from his wounded human nature.
St. Paul discovered a valuable truth in the weakness he experienced. This strong man seemed invulnerable. But he tells us that “the abundance of the revelations” (2 Cor 12:7) he received could have easily induced him to become a very proud man. So there was given to him what he describes as “a thorn in the flesh…an angel of Satan to beat me, to keep me from being too elated” (2 Cor 12:7). Three times Paul begged the Lord to remove this thorn.
Paul’s insistent prayer reminds us of Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane, that he might escape the shame and pain of crucifixion. This triple prayer indicates what an intense problem that “thorn in the flesh” was for our saint. We do not know what this “thorn in the flesh” was: whether a disease, a physical disability, a temptation, a handicap to his apostolic ministry, or some persistent and obnoxious opponent. Whatever it was, Paul’s petition is denied; release and healing are withheld for a higher purpose.
The answer the Lord gave was, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor 12:9). Jesus’ answer to Paul’s petition is that sufficient grace will be given him to bear patiently with his problem so that it will be spiritually fruitful for his ministry. Furthermore – and this is a most spectacular and magnificent revelation – “power is made perfect in weakness”. Our very weaknesses, which may be so discouraging, can be used by God in such a way that we can attain greater sanctity with the weakness than without it. God can use that very weakness to manifest his power and glory – if only we will let the weakness move us to rely totally on Jesus and allow him to reveal his strength in us. The secret to power is to remain closely connected to the indwelling Christ to draw strength from him. Then we can truly say, “My strength and my courage is the Lord, and he has been my savior” (Is 12:2). With joy we will then draw power at the fountain of salvation (see Is 12:3).
Having understood the value of this “thorn in the flesh” for his ministry, St. Paul peacefully resigns himself to it, saying, “Therefore, I am content with weakness, insults, hardships, persecutions, and constraints, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor 12:10). Now he can say, “I have the strength for everything through him who empowers me” (Phil 4:13). How enlightening and encouraging Paul’s experience is for us. We are glad indeed!
VI
Scripture
Still another element in St. Paul’s spiritual life is his love for Holy Scripture. In his second letter to Timothy he explains, “All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that one who belongs to God may be competent, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim 3:16-17). That is saying a great deal, about the value of Scripture. God himself is the principal author of Scripture; the writer is the human collaborator. Thus the Scriptures are the word of God in human language. The authority of God, therefore, is in every word that he speaks. St. Paul says that the sacred Scriptures are capable of giving us wisdom for salvation because they stir faith in Jesus. And faith connects us to the glorified Christ and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit who enlightens and guides us to all truth (Jn 16:13). To quote another saying of Paul, “…the gospel…is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes…For in it is revealed the righteousness of God from faith to faith” (Rom 1:16).
We see here how important it is for us to read Scripture every day. These inspired words contain the holiness of God. When we read them with faith, we receive the very righteousness of God, which moves us to be and act like his children. We are in dire need of this divine impulse to move us towards holiness of life. In this way we can counteract our lethargic or wayward human nature. It is important to understand the absolute importance of faith, which is the testimony of God revealing himself in our own hearts (1 Jn 5:10). Righteousness does not come from us: it comes from God. We receive it through faith. Faith connects us to our risen Lord, whose open heart pours out his Holy Spirit of righteousness in us. But our faith is stirred by the word of God. St. Paul explains, “Thus faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ” (Rom 10:17). Again we see the importance of regular Scripture reading in order to stir our faith and connect us to God so we can draw righteousness from him for holiness of life.
That is why St. Paul can assert, “…hold on to the word of life…” (Phil 2:16). God’s word is life-giving – life on a higher level: divine life. “…the word of God,” he says, “…is now at work in you who believe” (1 Thes 2:13). How can it be said that God’s word is at work in us? The word of God contains the very righteousness of God. It stirs faith in us and connects us to God’s indwelling presence who sanctifies us in our communion with him. As Jesus expressed it, “It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life” (Jn 6:63). By taking in Jesus’ words we assimilate spirit life to invigorate us. We can see, then, why St. Paul can say, “Through [the gospel] you are also being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you, unless you believed in vain” (1 Cor 15:2). We must be like the Christians in Beroea who “…received the word with all willingness and examined the scriptures daily…” (Acts 17:11). First of all we must read or hear the word with faith. Having received it, we hold fast to it: we keep it in mind and carry it out.
In various ways St. Paul keeps exhorting us: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God” (Col 3:16). We must be like the prophet Jeremiah who said, “When I found your words, I devoured them; they became my joy and the happiness of my heart” (Jer 15:16).
St. Paul expects us to consume God’s word abundantly. We must be so full of his words that we readily speak them in daily life. Cherishing God’s words in our hearts will fill us with divine wisdom, enabling us to give wise counsel. We ought to memorize our favorite passages. St. Paul wants us to create melodies for these inspired words and sing them to God and to one another. By doing so we will be spiritually enriched (compare Deut 6:6-9).
VI
Love
Love is another important element in the spirituality of St. Paul. He explains to us that in the spiritual life, of all the virtues we are called to practice, love is the greatest of them all. Love inspires and empowers all the other virtues. For example, “It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Cor 13:7). Without love, all the other virtues are empty. Even the severest penances and heroic acts are worthless if they are not prompted and informed by love (see 1 Cor 13:1-3). Compared to the other two theological virtues, love is the greatest. For when we reach heaven, faith will yield to sight, and hope will give way to possession. But love will remain to unite us forever to God. And while still on the way, faith expresses itself and works through love (Gal 5:6). We serve one another through love. “For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement, namely, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (Gal 5:6, 13-14).
St. Paul helps us to understand that love is the bond of perfection (Col 3:14). It holds all the other virtues together, inspires, enriches, and perfects them. We must, therefore, “…be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and handed himself over for us as a sacrificial offering to God for a fragrant aroma” (Eph 5:1-2).
If we are called to love one another, it is because we have been loved. To put it in the words of St. Paul, “For the love of Christ impels us, once we have come to the conviction that one died for all…He indeed died for all, so that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised” (2 Cor 5:14-15). Our loving others is a response to having been loved by the Son of God who loved us first, while we were still sinners, and gave himself up for us (Gal 2:20). His great love for us made present in the Holy Spirit impels us toward extending the same sacrificial love for one another.
Love is a power that has been set loose by the Son of God. Jesus handed over his Spirit of love to us as he died on the cross (Jn 19:30). And when he returned, he breathed the Holy Spirit upon his followers (Jn 20:22). So, no matter what obstacles to our faith life may present to us, they are no match for the strong love of Jesus in our hearts. “No” St. Paul tells us, “in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly through him who loved us. [No] creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 8:37, 39).
St. Paul urges us to love one another, saying, “love one another with mutual affection…” (Rom13:8). He goes on to say, “Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another…” (Rom 13:8). Our saint continues, “We who are strong ought to put up with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves, let each of us please our neighbor for the good, for building up. For Christ did not please himself. Welcome one another, then, as Christ welcomed you, for the glory of God” (Rom 15:1-3, 7). “Serve one another through love” (Gal 5:13).”Bear one another’s burdens, and so you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal 6:2).
St. Paul reveals a saying of Jesus not contained in the Gospels, saying, “Keep in mind the words of the Lord Jesus who himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’” (Acts 20:35). And he gives us an example of how we ought to give ourselves when he tells the Corinthians, “I will most gladly spend and be utterly spent for your sakes” (2 Cor 12:15). We are surrounded by members of our family and community who are in need of our love and service. In this way we are given endless opportunities to spend ourselves out of love for Jesus in them. By such selflessness we are gradually being transformed into the very image of God who is love. If we follow the example of Paul’s life, and spend ourselves out of love as he did, we too will evolve from sinners to saints.
VIII
Prayer
The final aspect of Paul’s spiritual life for our consideration is his life of prayer and continuous contact with Jesus. After his conversion and baptism, he remained in close touch with Jesus who directed him in his ministry. Since Paul had a special mission, Jesus and the Holy Spirit directed him very closely. Paul’s total commitment to Jesus and his ministry opened him to continuous communion with God. Apart from the special guidance he received for his ministry St. Paul was given special mystical graces to strengthen him for his apostolic labors. He tells the Corinthians that he was “caught up into Paradise and heard ineffable things which no one may utter” (2 Cor 12:4).
He also speaks of “the abundance of the revelations” that he received (2 Cor 12:2-7). All of this helps us to understand what a rich prayer life St. Paul enjoyed. Because of his mystical experiences he could teach others what these divine interventions were all about. For example, he explains how “the Spirit too comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit itself intercedes with inexpressible groanings. And he who searches the heart’s knows what is the intention of the Spirit, because it intercedes for the holy ones according to God’s will” (Rom 8: 26-27). In these words, St. Paul explains how the Holy Spirit comes to assist us in prayer. He brings us into communion with God. He invades our hearts and takes over our prayer. He brings us into God’s presence and intercedes for us before God who pours himself into our hearts and satisfies all of our needs. Perhaps St. Paul meant something similar when he said, “pray at every opportunity in the Spirit” (Eph 6:18). In these forms of contemplative prayer we are drawn by grace and brought into the presence of God. And there the Spirit of God sustains us in communion with God.
But St. Paul engaged in ordinary forms of prayer as well. After being struck blind by the brightness of Jesus’ appearance, Paul was led by hand to a house in Damascus where he spent his time praying (Acts 9:8-11). While in prison at Philippi, Paul could be heard praying and singing hymns to God at midnight with Silas, his companion (Acts 16:25). Again, when he had finished speaking to the presbyters at Miletus, he knelt down and prayed with them (Acts 20:36).
Paul, as Jesus had done (Lk 18:1), urged his disciples to maintain the habitual attitude of prayer that he himself practiced. He tells his people at Thessalonica to “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thes 5:17). He recommends that the Colossians “Persevere in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving” (Col 4:2). He writes to Timothy, “First of all, then, I ask that supplications, prayers, petitions, and thanksgiving be offered for everyone, for kings and for all in authority, that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life” (1 Tim 2:1-2).
Paul is always praying for his own people. He frequently assures them, “We always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling” (2 Thes 1:11) (See also 1 Thes 1:3; Rom 1:9-10). Paul also asks his people for their prayers (2 Cor 1:11; Eph 6:18-19; Philemon 22).
One continuing underlying attitude that Paul had during prayer was gratitude. He was very much aware of God’s saving grace and gifts. He is continually thanking God for the Thessalonians (2 Thes 1:3). He never stops thanking God for the graces the Corinthians received (1 Cor 1:4). He thanks God in prayer for the Philippians (Phil 1:3).
This spirit of gratitude in Paul contains an invaluable grace. It enabled Paul to live out of himself and in God. So very often we become absorbed in the enjoyment of the gifts of God. Instead, Paul was caught up in the Giver and Creator of these gifts. In this way he lived continually in God with grateful love.
IX
Praise of His Glory
Finally, all of the above redounded in Paul for the praise and glory of God. This is how he expresses it: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him (Eph 1:3-4). In his eternal love for us poor sinners, God chose us to be his beloved children, filled with every spiritual blessing. He accomplished this “in Christ”, that is, by means of our personal, intimate union with Jesus.
How do we respond to such magnanimous favors? St. Paul explains that “God destined us for the praise of the glory of his grace (Eph: 5-6). When we realize what God has done and is still doing for us in Christ, we cannot but break out into spontaneous “PRAISE OF THE GLORY OF HIS GRACE”.