Feed My Lambs
by Bishop
William K. Weigand
August 2, 2008
Taking advantage of the Year of St. Paul
The year 2008 is the 2,000th anniversary of the birth of St. Paul, the great apostle and evangelizer of the Gentiles. On the eve of the feast of Saints Peter and Paul on June 29, Pope Benedict XVI inaugurated the observance of a special Pauline Year in honor of St. Paul. Let us strive to make good use of it.
The scriptural account of the conversion of Paul describes the dramatic event that led to the transformation of a zealous, young Jewish Pharisee who opposed faith in Jesus as Messiah and Lord, into a believer in Christ who soon was equally zealous to share his newfound faith with others. As we know, prior to his conversion, Saul of Tarsus was bent on a full scale persecution of the church. Luke tells us that after consenting to the stoning of the deacon Stephen, “Saul laid waste the church in Jerusalem, entering house after house and dragging men and women to prison” (Acts 8:3). Many other early believers were also put to death on charges of blasphemy.
We might wonder how it was possible that Saul and the other leading Pharisees could be so “blind.” How is it that they failed to recognize that Jesus was the Messiah, the “Promised One,” foretold by Moses and the prophets and sent by God? (cf. Luke 24: 25-27).
Spiritual blindness is one of the consequences of original sin. There are plenty of examples of it today in our society. Shortly after the story of the original sin (Genesis 3), “the Lord saw the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that the thoughts of his heart were continually turned toward evil, and the Lord was sorry that he had made man.” (Genesis 6:5-6) Moral and spiritual blindness is harder to cope with than physical blindness, because one does not even know that he is “in the dark.”
So it was with Saul of Tarsus, until the Lord’s manifestation in a flash of light knocked him down and left him without physical sight for three days. It was at that moment that he began to “see.” His inner eyes were opened when he heard the Lord, “Saul, Saul why are you persecuting me?” Luke describes how Saul was led into the city and waited in the dark for three days neither eating nor drinking. Then in a vision God told Ananias to go to Saul so he could receive the Holy Spirit and regain his sight. Hesitant, but obedient, Ananias did so and “immediately something like scales fell from his eyes.” Paul was then baptized.
What a marvelous portrayal of how faith opens our “eyes” to the unseen things of God! In the early church, baptism itself was often equated with an interior “enlightenment” brought about by the illumination of faith. This imagery and reality is still experienced in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adult process. Faith is an inner light that allows us to “see” the things of God! hen Paul began to “see,” he became the great apostle to the Gentiles, a tireless evangelizer and missionary.
This year of St. Paul is meant to strengthen the church’s missionary zeal. In the Diocese of Sacramento, we could all be a bit more zealous in living our faith, sharing it with others, reaching out to newcomers, and assisting inactive Catholics to find their way back. Handing on the faith and evangelizing was also a high priority of our Third Diocesan Synod. Of course, we cannot do this unless we keep Christ at the center of our lives through prayer and faithful attendance at Mass and the sacraments.
We can also nourish faith through study. Reflecting on Paul’s teachings would be an excellent practice during this year. The diocese, as well as many parishes, will be offering programs to study and reflect on the writings of Paul this summer and through the year. Check your parish bulletin and the diocese’s Web site for details (www.diocese-sacramento.org).
Why not volunteer to share the Gospel as a catechist or RCIA sponsor in your parish? We share our faith, too, by practicing the spiritual and corporal works of mercy on a regular basis. Praying for others and for our nation and world through intercessory prayer, including the daily rosary, would be a quiet way of sharing our faith. Praying as a family passes faith on to the children.
During this year of St. Paul, the church offers us the opportunity to receive a plenary indulgence, as in past special holy years. (The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains indulgences in paragraph 1471.) The conditions to receive this indulgence include sacramental confession, holy Communion, prayers for the intentions of the pope and a spirit of detachment from any inclination toward sin. The grace of the plenary indulgence can also be received by participating devoutly in a public service in honor of the apostle Paul, such as a Mass or special Holy Hour, in places that are dedicated to St. Paul or designated for this Pauline Year.
In the Diocese of Sacramento, I have designated St. Paul Church, Sacramento; St. Paul Church, Knights Landing; Saints Peter and Paul Church, Rocklin; Sacred Heart Church, Red Bluff; Holy Family Church, Portola; and St. Vincent Ferrer Church, Vallejo. The opportunity to receive the plenary indulgence will continue throughout the Pauline Year, which will end June 29, 2009.
Let us remember that the “vision” of God that comes through faith is the highest purpose of our lives and is the greatest gift that we can receive and also share with others. Let us all be a “Paul” this year!
