The Year of St. Paul

By

Fr. Conley Bertrand

Are you in debt? To whom? St. Paul felt deeply indebted to Jesus for having saved him from his sinfulness…Like the Twelve, St. 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).  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). 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). St. Paul had experienced the full force of Jesus’ agape love on the road to Damascus. And that encounter had totally captured his heart. The second characteristic of St. Paul’s spiritual life is that he was always conscious of being “in Christ”. He experienced himself to be in Christ and Christ in him (2 Cor 5:17; 13:5; Gal 2:20)…he proclaimed that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus are likewise called, like St. Paul, to live in intimate communion with our risen Lord. Knowing him is the beginning of heavenly life and happiness.  The third characteristic of St. Paul’s spirituality is the need for self denial. St. Paul was keenly aware of the sinful inclinations of our fallen human nature (Rom 7:14-25)...that is why [he] taught extensively how to overcome these sinful tendencies. His writings are filled with references to the need to crucify the flesh. “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)…Otherwise, Jesus is a distant stranger to us…We may be in the state of grace and keep the Ten Commandments, but our hearts are not totally his. The fourth characteristic…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. 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. The fifth characteristic for us to consider in St. Paul’s spiritual life is weakness. We would think that a great apostle such as St. Paul, who fearlessly and tirelessly traveled the ends of the earth, would have no weakness…He writes, “We know that the law is spiritual; but I am carnal, sold into slavery to sin. What I do, I do not understand. For I do not do the good I want, but I do the evil I do not want. I take delight in the law of God, in my inner self, but I see in my members another principle at was 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)…Our very weaknesses, which may be so discouraging, can help us grow in humility and may be used by God in such a way that we can attain greater sanctity with the weakness than without it. The sixth characteristic is his love for Holy Scripture. He writes, “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). God himself is the principal author of Scripture; the writer is the human collaborator…These inspired words contain the holiness of God…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). Love is our seventh characteristic of the spirituality of St. Paul…in the spiritual life, of all the virtues we are called to practice, love is the greatest of them all (1 Cor 13:13)…[it] inspires and empowers all the other virtues…without love, all the other virtues are empty… “in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly through him who loved us” (Rom 8:37). The eighth and final characteristic of St. Paul’s spiritual life is his life of prayer and continuous contact with Jesus. He tells his people at Thessalonica to “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thes 5:17).  The spirit of gratitude in St. Paul contains an invaluable grace. So often we become absorbed in…the gifts of God. Instead, St. Paul was caught up in the Giver and Creator of these gifts.  How do we respond to such undeserved, magnanimous favors? St. Paul explains that “God destined us for the praise of the glory of his grace” (Eph 1:5-6). And what is “THE GLORY OF HIS GRACE” that we praise? It is the brilliant majesty of God radiantly beaming his merciful love upon us, saving us in Christ.