 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Saint Paul: Living and Working for Christ
This year, the Church honors Saint Paul by celebrating a Jubilee Year in memory of his birth nearly 2000 years ago. This special “Pauline Year” is dedicated to remembering the great contribution Paul made to the growth of the early Church through his missionary work and the lasting effect of Paul’s teachings about following Christ in the world today. An important part of celebrating the Pauline Year will be learning more about Saint Paul. Let’s get to know about Saint Paul’s life and teachings through the people who knew him best.
I am Gamaliel, a teacher of Jewish law. Saul, as he was called then, was sent from his hometown in Tarsus to study with me in Jerusalem by his father, a tentmaker. I was a member of the Pharisees, a sect, or group, of Jews who devoted our lives to strictly keeping the laws in the Torah, the first five books of what you now call the Old Testament. Saul was a dedicated student who loved the Lord and followed Jewish law faithfully. Under my guidance, he, too, became a teacher of the law. When his studies were completed, Saul returned to Tarsus to make his living as a tentmaker and to teach other Jews how to live their faith. He was content with his life until he began to hear about a prophet named Jesus who had claimed to be the Messiah, the Savior God had promised to send. After his crucifixion, Jesus’ followers began to preach in his name. They declared that Jesus had worked miracles as a sign that he was sent from God and that he had risen from the dead. Like many Pharisees, Saul believed that Jesus was a false prophet and that his followers were leading people away from the Jewish faith. Saul wanted to stop Jesus’ followers from spreading their claims. He went to the council of Jewish leaders and received permission to join others in persecuting anyone who believed in Jesus.
My name is Stephen. I was one of the seven men chosen to assist the Apostles as the first deacons of the Church. Although my primary responsibility was to care for any Church members in need, I also shared the Good News about Jesus with others and helped them to become members of the Church. The Jewish leaders were angry at the work I did in Christ’s name. They arrested me and brought me to trial before the Jewish council. During the trial, witnesses told lies about me and my ministry. When it was my turn to testify, I spoke about my love for Jesus and told the council about Jesus’ life, death, and Resurrection. I insisted that Jesus was God’s own Son. The council said that my words were blasphemy, a serious sin that showed that I had no reverence or respect for God. The punishment for blasphemy was death. As you read about my death and learn how I became the first martyr of the Church in the Acts of the Apostles 7:54-60, pay close attention to the name of one of the eyewitnesses.
I am Ananias, a disciple of Jesus who lived in Damascus. Like many of Jesus’ followers, I had heard about Saul and his cruel persecution of anyone who believed in Christ. I met Saul in a most unusual way. Read about Saul’s conversion and how I was a part of it in Acts 9:1-19.
My name is Barnabas. When I became a follower of Jesus, I sold my farm and gave the money and all my possessions to the Apostles to help them in caring for the needy and spreading the Gospel. I met Saul in Jerusalem, after he escaped from Damascus. Read about the plot against Saul and his escape in Acts 9:19-25. I introduced Saul to the Apostles and convinced them that he had changed his ways and become a true disciple of Christ. Saul’s conversion had changed him so profoundly that he became know as Paul, a new name that represented the new life he had received from his Baptism in Christ. We worked together in Antioch, convincing many people to become followers of Jesus. We then began our first missionary journey, traveling throughout Syria and Asia Minor. It was during this ten-year mission that Paul began to preach to the Gentiles, people who were not Jewish. The conversion of Gentiles was a great concern to the Apostles who believed that only Jews could become disciples of Christ. They called Paul back to Jerusalem to explain himself at the first Church meeting, called the Council of Jerusalem. During this meeting, it was decided that because Christ had come to save all people, the Church would not require disciples to become Jews before joining the Church. Because of his ministry to non-Jewish people, Paul became know as the Apostle to the Gentiles.
I am Timothy. I was converted to Christ by Paul during his first missionary journey and became his co-worker during his second and third journeys. During these trips, we revisited some of the Christian communities Paul had founded and then traveled to cities located around the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas where we established Churches in Corinth, Ephesus, Thessalonica, Philippi, and Rome, to name a few. Paul had such great love for the communities he founded that he wrote letters to them to keep them strong in their faith and to give them guidance when they strayed from living as followers of Christ. These letters, called Epistles, were treasured and preserved by the local Churches. Paul’s letters are now found in the New Testament and they continue to teach and guide the Church today. Paul appointed me as head of the Church in Ephesus and even wrote letters to give me advice in being the pastor of the community. Read 1 and 2 Timothy to discover some of the wisdom Paul shared with me.
My name is Silas and I, too, was one of the disciples who traveled with Paul. We were even arrested together! Read about why we were arrested and how we were freed in Acts 16:16-40. Unfortunately, this was not the last time that Paul was imprisoned.
I am Priscilla, although I was also known as Prisca. My husband, Aquila, and I first met Paul in Corinth. We were converts to Christianity and we welcomed Paul into our home. During a persecution of Christians in Corinth, we fled with Paul to Ephesus. Our home became the “house church” where the Ephesian Christians gathered for worship, fellowship, and to hear Paul preach. He taught us to “live as children of light, for light produces every kind of goodness and righteousness and truth. Try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord…giving thanks always and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father” (Ephesians 5:8-10, 20).
My name is Julius. I was a centurion, the officer in the Roman army who guarded Paul after his final arrest in Jerusalem. He was charged with causing riots because of his preaching. As the son of a Roman citizen, he demanded his right to be tried in Rome. After two years in jail, Paul was handed over to me for the voyage to Italy. I treated Paul with kindness, allowing his friends to visit him when we stopped at the port in Sidon. When we set sail again, we were caught in a violent storm that crashed our ship on the rocky shores of the island of Malta in the Mediterranean Sea. You can read about our shipwreck in Acts 27:14-44. After spending the winter in Malta, we boarded another ship and resumed our voyage. When we reached port, we traveled on foot to Rome for Paul’s trial. He was placed under house arrest, but he was allowed to have visitors and preach to the believers who came to hear him. He also was permitted to write letters to the Christian communities he founded. After two years, he was tried and sentenced to death. He died as a martyr for his everlasting faith in Jesus Christ and for sharing Jesus’ message throughout the world.
My name is Pope Benedict XVI. I made the decision to dedicate this special year to Saint Paul. When I made the announcement in Rome, I said that today’s Church needs witnesses like Saint Paul who “lived and worked for Christ.” I pray that celebrating Saint Paul’s life and learning more about his teachings will inspire us all to “take the Good News to all peoples, leaving no stones unturned for unity and harmony among Christians.”
Note: Many of the people who helped you learn about Saint Paul in this article were later canonized as saints by the Catholic Church. They are Saint Stephen, (feast day December 26); Saint Barnabas (June 11); Saint Timothy (January 26); Saint Silas (July 13, Roman Calendar); and Sts. Priscilla and Aquila (July 8, Roman Calendar).
Discussion Questions
• Why did Saul begin to persecute Jesus’ followers?
• What ministry does Saint Stephen share with some of the men in today’s Church?
• What is blasphemy?
• What happened to Saul on the road to Damascus?
• Why did Paul preach to Gentiles?
• What do we call the letters Paul wrote to the Christian Churches he founded?
• Why is Saint Paul often described as the Church’s greatest missionary?
• How is your diocese and parish honoring Saint Paul during this year?
