The Year of St. Paul - Introduction
Pope Benedict XVI has declared this year, from June 2008 to June 2009, as The Year of St. Paul. At vespers in the Basilica of St. Paul Outside-the-Walls he announced a year long commemoration leading up to the 2,000 year anniversary of Paul’s birth.
The Holy Father noted the important role that Paul played in the founding of the early Church. He paused to note especially the fraternal love shared between St. Peter and St. Paul. At the basilica there even is an icon with an image of their embrace.
The Pope noted: “Thus, from the outset, Christian tradition has considered Peter and Paul to have been inseparable, even if each had a different mission to accomplish. Peter professed his faith in Christ first; Paul obtained as a gift the ability to deepen its riches. Peter founded the first community of Christians who came from the Chosen People; Paul became the Apostle to the Gentiles. With different charisms they worked for one and the same cause: the building of Christ's Church.”
You may remember the old myth of Romulus and Remus as twin brothers who founded the city of Rome. Tradition has similarly seen Peter and Paul as “founders of a new city.” Indeed, the Pope said that on their liturgical feast day it is as if the Church of Rome is celebrating her own birthday, since it was these two apostles who laid her foundations.
Benedict XVI went on to describe Paul’s ministry. In his letters Paul protests a lack of oratory skill, but he was tireless in proclaiming the Gospel. He was consumed by the Gospel, introducing himself with the Greek term doulos, which means “slave.” He was a slave of Christ. Paul nevertheless achieved extraordinary results as an apostle, making three missionary journeys that brought the Christian Gospel to the Mediterranean basin. But, as Benedict XVI observed, this was not due to “to brilliant rhetoric or refined apologetic and missionary strategies,” but rather to his total dedication to Christ.
And this dedication is what the Pope said we need to rediscover. “Today too Christ needs apostles ready to sacrifice themselves. He needs witnesses and martyrs like St Paul … How timely [Paul’s] example is today! And for this very reason I am pleased to announce officially that we shall be dedicating a special Jubilee Year to the Apostle Paul.”
Pope Pius X reminded us that the liturgy is the indispensable source of the true Christian spirit. It is that Christian spirit that Paul spread throughout his world, and that our world desperately needs. Paul poured himself out for others, and in this Benedict XVI says he is our model. But if we would pour ourselves out, we must first be filled. So we turn to the liturgy as the source of this spirit.
Pauline theology has influenced a great deal of our liturgical and sacramental theology. Thus, as its contribution to the year of St. Paul, the Notre Dame Center for Liturgy is dedicating its 2009 June conference to exploring "Paul as Liturgical Theologian." The Center is part of the Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame, sharing the mission of linking the resources of the university to the lives of churchgoers and church leaders at various levels. In anticipation of that 2009 event, the Center is offering a monthly reflection upon Paul and the liturgy.
