Dear
brothers and sisters, as in early times, today too
Christ needs apostles
ready to sacrifice themselves. He needs witnesses and
martyrs like St Paul. Paul, a former violent persecutor of
Christians, when he fell to the ground dazzled by the divine
light on the road to Damascus, did not hesitate to change
sides to the Crucified One and followed him without second
thoughts. He lived and worked for Christ, for him he
suffered and died. How timely his 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 from 28 June 2008 to 29 June 2009,
on the occasion of the bi-millennium of his birth, which
historians have placed between the years 7 and 10 A.D."
~
Pope Benedict XVI,
June 28, 2007
First Vespers of the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul