Saint Paul: "The Greatest Missionary of All Times"

Since his election as Pope, Benedict XVI has frequently mentioned the figure of St Paul, the Apostle of the nations. And in the very beginning on 25 April 2005, the Holy Father visited the tomb of St Paul where he said in his homily "I am here to revive in the faith this 'apostolic grace', since God, as the Apostle to the Gentiles has likewise said, has entrusted me with 'anxiety for all the Churches'". 

The Apostle is known primarily as the one who worked to announce the Gospel to all nations. If the Church's duty is mission, the successor of Peter comes "on a pilgrimage, so to speak, to the roots of mission". The Pope has contemplated on the person of Paul underlining the radical nature of his encounter with Christ and the revelation received on the way to Damascus as the source of Paul's theology. "He understood in an instant what he would later express in his writings: that the Church forms a single body of which Christ is the Head. And so, from a persecutor of Christians he became the Apostle to the Gentiles."

Pope Benedict XVI emphasizes Paul's awareness that he is chosen and sent by God. This divine calling, the manifestation of God's mercy, is for Paul, the reason for his personal involvement in mission. His self-giving is the principal cause of the fruitfulness of his apostolate. The life of Paul, described by the Pope, is marked by centrality of the person of Christ and the universal aspect of Paul's apostolate. What made him undertake difficult journeys was Christ's love for him and his love for Christ. (An excerpt: St Paul the Apostle, in the teaching of Pope Benedict XVI )

As we celebrate the feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul during this Year of Faith, may we all imitate our Father Saint Paul in his faith and love for Christ and in his fidelity to the mission entrusted to him by God! Happy feast day to all!

Epiphany: a celebration of a change of hearts

Epiphany is a celebration of change, change where it really ought to happen. The three Kings or Wise man stayed all the time with the star of Christ. It changed their lives so they could find Jesus.

We live in a world where so many people, instead of following their faith, they run the other way, looking for something different, something new and unique. Had the three kings followed a different star every night? No, because otherwise they would never be able to find Christ. Upon arrival where Jesus was, they brought with them their gifts of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh. Gold, to signify their loyalty and fidelity to Christ, the prince of peace; Frankincense to symbolize our prayers and worship to the Lord; and, the myrrh to represent the gift of our sufferings, our forgiveness and sorrow when we share in the passion of Jesus.

However, what if our offerings are empty because we haven’t been very faithful, or prayerful, or patient in suffering and not changing our hearts? Then we still have Jesus Christ to offer as our gift to the Father. In other words, though we might be poor in good works because of our weaknesses, Jesus Christ will enrich us with Himself in the EUCHARIST. Though we may be destitute as far as devotion is concerned, Jesus Christ will supply what we lack.

We cannot be discouraged to approach our Heavenly Father. He wants a change of hearts- our hearts to love him and to love the persons around us. He is interested in our prayers and in our problems. The Father does not care where or how far we came from. He wants to send us on our daily journey like the three Kings – overjoyed at having found his Son, Jesus Christ. Christ who ultimately is and who will be our Savior all the days of our lives.

Happy Three Kings to everyone!

Welcoming the Nativity of Christ enlivened by the determination of a sincere conversion

At Christmas, we are not limited to commemorating the birth of a great personality; we do not celebrate simply and in the abstract the mystery of the birth of man or in general, the birth of life; neither do we celebrate only the beginning of a great season. At Christmas, we remember something very concrete and important for man, something essential for Christian faith, a truth that St. John summarized in these few words: "The Word was made flesh."

Dear brothers and sisters, Christmas is a privileged opportunity to meditate on the meaning and value of our existence. It helps us to reflect, on one hand, about the drama of history in which men, wounded by sin, are permanently seeking happiness and a satisfactory meaning to life and death; on the other hand, it exhorts us to meditate on the merciful goodness of God, who has gone out to meet man to communicate to him directly the Truth that saves, and make him participate in his friendship and his life.

Let us welcome the nativity of Christ as an event capable of today renewing our existence. May the encounter with the Child Jesus make us people who do not think only of ourselves, but rather open to the expectations and necessities of our brothers. In this way we too become testimonies of the light that Christmas radiates over the humanity of the third millennium. Let us ask most holy Mary, the tabernacle of the incarnate Word, and St. Joseph, silent witness of the events of salvation, to communicate to us the sentiments they had so that we will celebrate in a holy way Christmas, in the joy of faith and enlivened by the determination of a sincere conversion.

Merry Christmas to all!

(An excerpt of Christmas reflection by Pope Benedict XVI)