PASTORAL LETTER FOR THE YEAR OF PAUL

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The Solemn Feast of Saints Peter and Paul marks the summer calendar with the recollection of their glorious martyrdom under the Emperor Nero around the year 67 AD.

The first, St Peter, was crucified in Nero’s Circus and buried on the slopes of the Vatican Hill, where the world’s largest church marks his grave. The second, St Paul, being a Roman citizen, did not suffer the indignity of crucifixion. Instead he was beheaded and buried according to Roman custom at the side of one of the consular roads leading out of Rome. His tomb is enclosed within the great basilica on the Ostian Way which bears his name.

They were the founders of the new Rome which rose from the ashes of the Imperial city. Its bishop is the first in Christendom, our Holy Father, the Pope.

Pope Benedict XVI has invited the whole Church to celebrate the 2000th anniversary of the birth of Saul of Tarsus, whose conversion to Christ on the road to Damascus is one of the key events in the development of the early Church. He, Paul, became the great Apostle of the Gentiles, the non-Jewish nations. His missionary travels are recorded in the Acts of the Apostles. His epistles are the most numerous of the apostolic letters comprising the New Testament. They deal with matters of faith and Christian practice.

It was Paul who preached that it was not by good works that we were saved but by the grace of God, merited for us by Christ Jesus our Lord. “From his fullness,” says St John the Evangelist, “have we all received, grace upon grace” (John 1:16) and “To all who received Him, who believed in His name, He gave power to become children of God,” (John 1:12). Those who receive this grace and respond to it by faith are justified.

Paul, time and time again, had to stress this message. He wrote to the Galatians: “We ourselves… know that a man is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ." He speaks of having himself died to the law – meaning that he no longer lived as though by keeping the laws and ordinances of Moses he could be saved.

He knew that this was an impossible thing. No, he said, “I have been crucified with Christ,” my old self has died with him, and Christ, being risen, becomes for me, through faith, my hope of salvation: “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” (Galatians 1:16,19,20)

Towards the end of his life St Paul could write to his disciple, Timothy: “I am already on the point of being sacrificed; the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:6-8)

“Always be steady,” he wrote to Timothy, “endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist.” (ibid v5)

It is not only by words, but even better by deeds, that we do the work of an evangelist  or preacher of the Gospel. We witness to Christ by the practice of our faith, and by the love we show towards others, our neighbours.

The world needs this witness; our society needs the steadiness of which St Paul spoke, “for the time is coming,” he said, “when people will not endure sound learning, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own likings.” (ibid 4,3). 

Sadly we witness this even among Christians, and our lawgivers are all too ready to follow suit, preferring commercial interests or passing fashion to sound morality.

St Paul speaks further of those who “will turn away from listening to the truth and wander into myths.” (ibid 4) Ready reference could be made here to those popular writers who masque fiction with pseudo-historical research. 

We need the preaching, example and prayers of St Paul to keep us steady.

This year dedicated to St Paul commences with the solemn feast of the Apostles, (June 29th). It is a year in which to hear with fresh ears St Paul’s preaching; to reflect again on his marvellous example; and to seek his help in prayer.

I invite my priestly co-operators and all teachers to give a lead. Places and times are suggested for imaginative efforts in regard to prayer. Our young people will be challenged to study St Paul’s life. And from the treasury of the Church we will all be able to seek and obtain those graces which we call “indulgences”.

Graces in this context mean the application to us of what we have not merited, but what Christ has merited for us, and what the saints have made up for, namely, what is still lacking, as St Paul said, in the sufferings of Christ for the benefit of His Church.

Indulgences are not the forgiveness of sins, but in a sense the restoring of that balance of goodness which is impaired by our sins, which is why, in order to gain such indulgences, it is necessary to go to confession and seek sacramental absolution, and undertake the prayers and good works imposed upon us as a penance, and those offered to us as conditions for the gaining of the indulgences. But as always, it is by the graciousness of God, and not our own efforts, that we are fully restored to His favour.

And then we can look forward with Paul’s assurance to the “crown of righteousness which the Lord… will award… to all who have loved His appearing.”

With my warmest blessings,

Yours devotedly in Christ

+Mario

Archbishop of Glasgow