On The Pauline Year.... from June 28, 2008 to June 29, 2009

Last June 30, 2008, Pope Benedict XVI officially declared the Pauline Year. For what reason? He said: "St. Paul is not a mere historical figure, but someone who has a message for us today. Paul wants to speak with us today. That is why I wanted to convoke this special Pauline Year: to listen to him and to drink from him as our teacher....He is our teacher, apostle and herald of Jesus Christ. Not only do we ask ourselves, 'Who was Paul?' Above all, we ask ourselves, 'Who is Paul? What is he saying to me?'"

There are burning issues today which Paul's letters can give us enlightenment, for example: global warming, mixed marriages, freedom, consumerism, hedonism, sharing of goods, etc. Of what importance is St. Paul? He is the most zealous apostle who brought the knowledge of the Gospel to the whole world known at his time, to Jews and Gentiles, that is, to pagans. We can say we are the fruits of Paul's labor. His letters hold teachings that are relevant until now. Every day at Mass, we hear Paul, one, in the greeting of the priest in the beginning, and at the consecration; those are from the letters of St. Paul, from 2nd and 1st Corinthians, respectively. In many Sundays, the second reading is taken from a letter of Paul. The letters of St. Paul are the earliest New Testament documents we possess; they antedate the Gospels.

What are the desired fruits of the Pauline Year? Three things according to Pope Benedict XVI:

• An invitation to all Christians to be missionaries of the Gospel.
• The Pauline Year cannot be but universal because St. Paul was, par excellence, the apostle of the Gentiles,
• Communion in the Church and full unity among Christians

What are the challenges then?

CHALLENGES

• In order to become missionaries we need to have a deep knowledge of the Word of God, particularly, the Gospel, hence to read, study, and pray the Gospel, so that we may live the life style of Jesus and proclaim him to others.
• To get to know St. Paul by reading the Acts of the Apostles, his Letters and writings about him. He is particularly our favorite apostle because we are Gentiles; we are non-Jews. Then we can imitate this great apostle and ask for his intercession.
• We are to promote communion and unity among Christians. We can begin in our family and in our workplace.

Pope Benedict XVI asks us to entrust these intentions to the celestial intercession of Mary, Most Holy, Mother of the Church and Queen of Apostles.