When He was at the table with them, He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, 'Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?' Luke 24:30-32 NRSV

Learning from Saint Paul

On June 29th Pope Benedict XVI, through several ceremonial and liturgical activities, introduced the Pauline Year. He encourages us to ask, what St. Paul is saying to us today through his New Testament epistles. What an enjoyable, exciting, and enlightening year we will have if we collectively read and meditate on the Apostles’ writings together.

As you know St. Paul’s missionary journeys included visiting the city of Thessalonica, which was the capital of Macedonia. He was accompanied by a team of seven disciples two of whom were Thessalonians. The city was mostly populated by pagan gentiles but it also contained a synagogue and a significant Jewish population. We see in Acts 17 that this synagogue is where St. Paul began his ministry in Thessalonica and where he “argued (or reasoned) with them from the scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, ‘This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.’”

While living among the Thessalonians he and his team had a profound impact on their lives, and the letter of 1 Thessalonians is written in part in praise and thanksgiving for the changes God had brought about in the lives of the Thessalonians. Three passages in particular best describe the impact that St. Paul’s team had and the changes that had taken place in these new Christians’ lives.

The first change was a change in their beliefs; they received the Word, Jesus and the Gospel of their salvation, in joy and in the Holy Spirit’s power so that they became followers of Christ not only in name, but also with a life changing relationship which enabled them to become convinced followers of Christ and the Church rather than just lukewarm participants, (1 Thessalonians1:6-7).

The second change to which St. Paul refers was a change in their behavior; they received the Word of God as divinely true and personally applicable to them. The Word of God, undoubtedly refers to both Jesus the Living Word, and to Sacred Scripture as it was communicated orally by St. Paul and his team, (1 Thessalonians 2:13-14). This behavioral change, based on believing that the Word of God was for them extended not only to thier model behavior but also to martyrdom.

The third change seen in 1 Thessalonians was how these new Christians related to Jesus’ mission of taking the Gospel to the world. St. Paul expressed thanksgiving that the Word of God sounded forth from them throughout the provinces of Macedonia and Achaia, and that every place heard and was talking about their faith. They accepted the responsibility for evangelization and consequently the Word of God spread through the lives and words of these new Christians’ witness, (1 Thessalonians 1:8).

Wow!! Wouldn’t it be terrific if that description fit our lives and the lives of each of those who become part of our parishes and dioceses? Perhaps as we study the life and writings of St. Paul this year we will rediscover many valuable principles which when applied will help us see the same results.

In the words of Pope Benedict XVI, “At this hour in which we thank the Lord for having called Paul, making him the light of the Gentiles and teacher of us all, we pray: ‘Give us also today the testimony of the Resurrection, touched by your love, and [make us] able to carry the light of the Gospel in our time. St. Paul, pray for us. Amen.’”