Paul, co-opted in the apostolic college by Christ himself on the road to Damascus, chosen instrument to bring his name before the Gentiles, is the greatest missionary of all times, the advocate of pagans, 's Apostle of the Gentiles, who along with Peter the Gospel message to resonate in the Mediterranean world. The apostles Peter and Paul sealed with martyrdom in Rome around the year 67, their testimony to the Master. (Aug. Roma)
Patronage: Bishops, Missionaries, and Rover scouts
Etymology: Paul = small in stature, from the Latin
Emblem: Sword
Martyrology: Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul Apostles. Simon son of Jonah and brother of Andrew, the first among the disciples professed that Jesus was the Christ, Son of the living God, from whom he was called Peter. Paul, Apostle of the Gentiles, preached to the Jews and Greeks, Christ crucified. Both in faith and love of Jesus Christ proclaiming the Gospel in Rome and died as martyrs under the Emperor Nero: the first, as tradition says, crucified upside down and buried in the Vatican at the Triumphal way, the second pierced with a sword and buried on the Via Ostiense. On this day around the world with equal honor and worship celebrating their triumph.
Saint Paul is undoubtedly the greatest missionary of all time, did not know Christ personally, but for his brilliant call on the road to Damascus, he became a disciple of the greatest, pleaded the cause of the converted pagans, was the apostle to the Gentiles, along with Peter spread the gospel message in the Mediterranean world at that time, with his words and his writings makes it the first and fundamental inculturation of the Gospel in history.
Origins and training
was born probably around 50-10 AD in Tarsus in Cilicia, now located in southern Turkey near the borders with Syria, a city in the first century was a cosmopolitan place, where they lived Greek, Anatolian, Hellenistic, Roman and a Jewish colony, whose father belonged to merchant tents, who with his family, like all people, enjoyed Roman citizenship, recognized by the Triumvir Mark Antony and then by the Emperor Augustus.
Like many Jews of that time, had two names, one Jewish Saul, meaning "prayed to God" and the other Latin or greek Paulus who was probably alluding to his short stature, Paulus became his only name, when began his preaching in the West.
knew the Hellenistic culture and learned the greek Tarsus, but his education was basically Jewish, his reasoning and his biblical exegesis, had the stamp of rabbinical school.
persecutor of Christians
As a young man was sent to Jerusalem, where he studied under Gamaliel, the most famous and wise master of the Jewish world of the time, and in Jerusalem he met the Christians as a dangerous sect within Judaism to be eradicated by any half, then he would say of himself: "Circumcised the eighth day, the stock of Israel, the tribe of Benjamin, jew by Jews, a Pharisee to the law, as a zealous persecutor Church, blameless as to righteousness which is in the law "(Phil. 3, 5-6). Around 20
completed his studies, he returned to Saul of Tarsus, where presumably it was during the public preaching of Jesus, according to the Acts of the Apostles, "he returned to Jerusalem a decade later, certainly after the Passion of Christ because it was present at the martyrdom of the martyr St. Stefano, deacon of Jerusalem, while not directly participating in the stoning of a young Christian, was among those who approved of his murder, even kept their clothes.
In "Acts of the Apostles, Saul is described as a relentless persecutor Christian, proud supporter of the traditions of their fathers, and his name was pronounced with fear by the Christians, pulls' em in shelters, threw them in prison, testified against them, his blind religious fanaticism, many of them forced to flee from Jerusalem to Damascus. Saul
But do not let go, even on horseback with a squad of soldiers, with the consent of the Sanhedrin, who also rode to Damascus to seek them out and stir in the Syrian city of persecution against them.
Conversion
And on the road to Damascus, the Lord revealed himself to quell'accanito enemy suddenly, telling the 'Acts', a light from heaven, wrapped it and falling from his horse, and heard a voice saying to him: "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?". He said, 'Who are you Lord? "And said:" I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. Come on rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you do "(Acts 9, 3-7).
The men who accompanied him, were dumbfounded because they had seen him fall, perhaps also saw the sudden flare, but without understanding something, Saul was still groping with no view and was accompanied to Damascus, where he remained for three days waiting for someone, fasting and upset by what had happened.
In those days knew the tiny Christian community of the place, which should have been imprisoned, on the third day he appeared their boss Ananias, persuaded by a parallel revelation, who told him: "Saul, brother, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the path by which you came, has sent me to you, because you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit. "
Anania said that bade her hands healed and then baptized him, Saul stayed several days in Damascus, where the synagogue stood, witnessing what had happened, the Christian community or joy, while the Jewish remained puzzled, thinking she had lost head.
was his first disappointment, Ananias told him: "God of our fathers, appointed you to know his will, to see Christ and hear the words of his mouth, because you will be a witness to all men. "
Since then, one might say, was born Paul, the Apostle of the Gentiles, and he decided to retreat into the wilderness to bring order into his thoughts and ponder more deeply the gift received, he spent three years here in absolute concentration.
Perhaps at this time, it happened as he himself says in Second Corinthians (12: 2-4) "I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago - whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, I know God - was caught up to the third heaven. And I know that this man was kidnapped in Paradise and heard unspeakable words, which is not lawful for man to utter. "
Indeed Paul had not lived with Jesus as the Apostles, and then gradually he had not received all the necessary training for the ministry.
But this, the Master make up with routine work like lightning on the road to Damascus and making him contemplate the divine reality in paradise, without this event, Paul could not teach you how to do and did and taught.
meetings and reports with the Apostles
Comforted by this light, after retiring he returned to Damascus and began preaching with enthusiasm, inspiring the wrath of the pagans, who considered him a renegade and tried to kill him, Paul was forced to flee, descending at night in a basket from the walls of the city helped by some Christians, was about the year 39.
took refuge in Jerusalem, he stopped here a couple of weeks meeting with the head of the Apostles Peter and James, to whom he exhibited his new life.
The Apostles understood and stayed with him every day for hours, talking about Jesus, but the Christian community in Jerusalem was suspicious about him, remembering the fierce persecution which had operated, only thanks to the guarantee of Barnabas, a Levite ex of great authority, doubts were dispelled, and it was accepted.
Even in Jerusalem, within fifteen days of his tenure, Paul tried to do some conversion, but this piqued his missionary activities, the Jews and Christians worried at the end not being at home, first went to Caesarea and then returned to Tarsus in Cilicia, his hometown, taking the trade of weaver.
From 39 to 43 there were no reports on its activities, until Barnabas, sent by the apostles to organize the nascent Christian community of Antioch, passed him by inviting him to follow him here forever Paul gave the name of Saul, because he was convinced that the His mission was not so much among the Jews, but among other nations that the Jews called it 'kind'; in Antioch the disciples of Christ, they were named for the first time as "Christians."
At the end of the year 43, Paul and Barnabas returned to Jerusalem, to bring economic aid to the community and return to Antioch, brought with them the young John Mark, son of the landlady, the widow Mary, who hosted the Apostles in their steps to Jerusalem, he was the nephew of Barnabas and the same future evangelist.
first apostolic
Barnabas and Paul decided to take in 45, a missionary trip to other regions, then left for Cyprus with Mark, which was originally from the island of Barnabas, you do not know the extent of their evangelization, Here Paul had a falling out with the magician Elimas; from Cyprus the three made the journey back to Antioch, where several towns in Asia Minor, came to Perga contingent in the so-called 'flight of Mark', frightened by the difficulties of a long journey , left his two companions and returned to Jerusalem.
Paul and Barnabas went anyway and Lystra, Paul healed a lame man, the people mistook them for Jupiter and Mercury and wanted to offer them a sacrifice. The dispute
observance of Mosaic Law
Returning to Antioch, satisfied with the results, the two apostles found the community in turmoil, because some Christians from Jerusalem, reported that discussion was the concept that Christian baptism, not the Jewish circumcision is not no good, so Paul and Barnabas to clarify the matter went to Jerusalem to the Apostles, causing what was called the First Council of the Church.
Peter insisted that salvation comes by grace of the Lord Jesus, who had made no distinction between Jews and uncircumcised non-Jewish believers, Paul for his part explained the wonderful results obtained from the 'polite' and declared himself in favor of the non-mandatory observance of the Mosaic law, unlike many Christians are former Pharisees, who refused to give up their practices, observed from birth, such as circumcision, abstaining from meat impure, not the promiscuity with pagans or former pagans, etc..
the end it was the Apostle James to make a proposal, accepted by everyone, not converted from paganism to impose the Mosaic Law, whose practice remains optional for former Jews. A
Paul, Barnabas, Silas and Judas Thaddaeus, was given the task of communicating to the faithful of the various communities for decisions. But the continued controversy among Christians of the two origins, until the Church, has established itself in the greek-roman world, became independent from the influence of the synagogue.
According apostolic journey
It was in 50 and Paul decided to leave with Barnabas for a new journey in Asia Minor, Barnabas proposed to take with them their nephew Marco, but Paul strongly opposed, not to have problems as it happened in the first travel.
stiffened their position, at the end of the two apostles were divided, Mark went with Barnabas to Cyprus again to evangelize and Paul Silas (Silvanus O) went to the new route.
The apostolic journey lasted up to 53, it fell to Greece, Macedonia where Paul evangelized Filippi, here the two men were flogged and imprisoned, but after an earthquake in the night and the conversion of the jailer, the morning after they were freed.
then went to Thessalonica, Berea and Athens, where the learned Paul's Areopagus speech was a failure, after a pause of a year and a half in Corinth, returned to Antioch.
third apostolic journey
In 53 or 54, began the third great journey of Paul, first went to Ephesus, stopping three years, his preaching led to a decrease in the worship of the goddess Artemis and the sacred business linked to it had collapsed, this caused a popular uprising, which Paul came out unscathed, the community was entrusted to his disciple Timothy.
From Ephesus he was back in Macedonia for three months in Corinth, escaping to a planned ambush on the ship on which they had board, continued his journey to earth accompanied by a sudden by Luke who made a detailed report. He visited with emotion
Christian communities of Asia Minor who had founded, they can no longer present review.
The last stop was Caesarea where the prophet Agabus foretold the arrest and imprisonment, and from there came to Jerusalem at the end of May 58 brought the donations collected here in his last journey.
Events judicial
In Jerusalem, as well as the joy of the community, he found a tense atmosphere to it, resulting in unconditional admission to the aforementioned question pagans converted to Christianity.
Suspicions about him, by the Jews were many, was eventually accused of having introduced in the temple profane, not a Christian, a Jew, this Trogiuno; what caused the reaction of the crowd and only the intervention of the tribune Claudius Lysias saved him from being lynched, but convinced that Paul was an Egyptian affected, scourged him, despite his protestations that this was unlawful, being a Roman citizen.
brought before the Sanhedrin, Paul skillfully provoked a conflict between the Sadducees and Pharisees, so that Lysias him back in jail and the next day, wanting to leave the thorny issue, he sent the Apostle under escort to Caesarea, by attorney Anthony Felice, who while dealing with a very slight prison, detained him for two years, hoping for a ransom.
Only his successor Porcius Festus in 60, prudent to instruct a case against him in Jerusalem, but Paul resisted and as a "civis Romanus," he appealed to the emperor.
soon as it was possible, was delivered to the centurion Julius to be transferred to Rome, accompanied by Luke and Aristarchus, the trip at the time adventurous, was stopped in Malta because of a shipwreck, after three months of rest, he went on to subsequent stages in Syracuse, Reggio Calabria, Pozzuoli, Hole Appius and Three Taverns, arriving in Rome in 61.
Here was allowed to stay in a rented room in a sort of probation, but contacts with Christians, awaiting a trial that did not ever for the non-arrival of the accusers from Palestine. After
here the story of the Acts of the Apostles, "the final stages of his life, can be reconstructed from a few hints of his letters, probably was freed, because in 64 was not Paul in Rome during Nero's persecution, perhaps because East and in Spain for his fourth apostolic visit.
We know that the disciples left Titus in Crete, and Timothy in Ephesus, to complete the evangelization he began.
Martyrdom
In 66, perhaps at Nicopolis, he was again arrested and taken to Rome, where he was left alone by his disciples, some were far to evangelize new people, someone else had left the faith of Christ, Christians, terrified by the persecution of Rome, had left him or so, only Luke was with him. Paul
now presaged the end and gave a moving appeal to Timothy: "As for me, my blood is being shed in libation and the time has come to set sail ... Try to come early to me because Demas has forsaken me ... , ASC has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because I will be useful for the Ministry ... ".
This time the Roman court sentenced him to death for Christian, was beheaded on June 29 is traditionally a one-year sometime, maybe 67, being a Roman citizen, he was spared the crucifixion, the ruling took place in a place called "Swamp Save" at Rome (later known as Tre Fontane, the name derived from the three fountains that flowed when the severed head bounced three times on the ground), the Christians took up his body by burying it on the Via Ostiense, where he was raised the magnificent Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls.
Worship
There is no certainty whether the two apostles Peter and Paul, have died simultaneously or in different years, it is certain however, that 29 June 258, under the Emperor Valerian (253-260) the bodies of the two apostles were transported in the Catacombs of San Sebastiano, from profane to store them, almost a century later, Pope s. Sylvester I (314-335) did bring back the relics of Paul in the first place of burial, and on that occasion the Emperor Constantine I, he built a church on the tomb, turned into a Basilica in 395, which survived until 1823, when a violent fire destroyed it, in the same place the current basilica was rebuilt.
The Latin Church celebrates the feast of Saints Peter and Paul, patron saints of Rome on June 29, because even if they were the first to bring faith in the capital empire, they really are the 'founders' of Christian Rome.
The liturgical feast of Sts. Peter and Polo was included in santoriale, well before the feast of Christmas and after the Holy Virgin. Are set to s. John the Baptist, the saints mentioned more than once and with greater solemnity, because Jan. 25 is reminiscent of the Conversion of St. Paul, 22 February, the Chair of St. Peter, November 18 Dedication of the Basilicas of Saints Peter and Paul, as well as the solemnity of June 29.
His doctrine
Its 14 'letters' are part of the 'Vulgate', the Latin version of the Bible and are the essential doctrine of the Church addressed a community of Christians of the time (Philippians, Colossians, Galatians, Corinthians, Romans, Jews, Thessalonians, Ephesians), or individual disciples (Titus, Timothy, Philemon), Paul made them in his thoughts proclaiming the Gospel, which he defined as follows: "I have not received nor have I learned from men, but by revelation of Jesus Christ." In
they deal with fundamental issues such as faith, baptism, justification by faith, sin, humanity, the Holy Spirit, the problem of unbelief and the conversion of the Jews, the nature of the apostolic ministry, the scandal of incest, the issue of marriage and virginity, the celebration of the Eucharist, the use of gifts, Christian love, the resurrection of the dead, the tribulations and hopes of the Apostles.
Again, the mystery of the Incarnation, Christ and the Church, universal salvation, the humility of Christ, and his supremacy over the universe, the commitment of the faithful for their personal salvation, the second coming of Christ and of 'Antichrist, the delineation of the figure and work of Christ, under the terms of the Old Testament, sacrifice, worship, priesthood, temple and, finally, practical lessons to hold a community, defending the cause of a slave fled.
S. Paul in the art and patronage
He was short, with hooked nose and bleary eyes, impetuous in dealing with the new mission which was intended, but not dismissive of their rights, abiding by the rules and laws; Paul art was instead depicted variously according to the whim of the artist, mature or old, with beard and mustache and hair with a crown around a large bald forehead, even following the directions of the apocryphal "Acts of Paul and Thecla," considered his disciples to Iconium.
is patron of over Rome, Malta and Greece from July 16, 1914, there are countless basilicas and churches dedicated to him throughout the world and eight municipalities in Italy bear his name, also remember the South American metropolis of Sao Paulo, Brazil.
and protector of the rope-makers and basket weavers and is invoked against storms, sea snake bites, and blindness.
His attribute is the sword, the instrument of his martyrdom.
by santiebeati.it
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