The Vocation of the Apostle Paul
GOD IN SEARCH OF A SINGLE PERSON
We do not have words sufficient—nor sufficiently eloquent—to express the greatness and importance of Saul of Tarsus, “the thirteenth apostle,” Paul, the great herald of the Gospel, the greatest missionary of all time. It is estimated that Paul travelled 20,000 km by land and sea, a truly exceptional feat considering the conditions of his time. Yet his greatness does not lie so much in the distance he covered, as in the extraordinary charisma of his vocation and apostolate. (Acts of the Apostles 9:1–30; 22:1–21; 26:1–32)
A Vessel of Election
We know much about Paul through both the Acts of the Apostles and his letters. Allow me to recall a few facts. Born in Tarsus in the diaspora, of the Tribe of Benjamin, a Roman citizen, he studied the Law (Torah) at the school of the renowned Rabbi Gamaliel in Jerusalem in the early 30s AD. There, in Jerusalem, he encountered the followers of the new “Way”—the disciples of the Nazarene—who challenged the centrality of the Torah by embracing Jesus as the Messiah and Saviour, crucified and risen. Zealous in his defence of the Law, with all the fervour of his youth (just over twenty), Saul soon became a fierce persecutor of Jesus’ disciples. He was a privileged witness to the martyrdom of Saint Stephen—a death he approved of, believing “it is better that one man should die for the good of the whole nation.”
After this, something unimaginable happened on the road to Damascus (Syria), where he was headed with the aim of persecuting the Christian community. Saul was literally struck down by an apparition of Jesus. Blinded, he was led by the hand into Damascus, and for three days he lived his own “Paschal mystery”, undergoing a radical transformation. Ananias, a leader of the community, was sent to heal him of his blindness and guide his first steps in faith. He became a “vessel of election,” chosen by the Lord to be the apostle to the Gentiles (Acts 9:15). Emptied of the “vinegar” of his legalistic fanaticism, his heart would be filled with the “honey” of Christ’s love. This happened around the year 36 AD. Barnabas would become the sponsor of this new and zealous convert in the Jerusalem community, dispelling divisions and doubts about him. Together, by a revelation of the Spirit, they would set out on the first missionary journey from the community of Antioch. Thus began Paul’s great missionary epic, which would last around twenty years, during which he and his companions tirelessly visited strategic centres of the Hellenistic world of the Middle East. In his longing to bring Christ everywhere, he even aspired to evangelise the Iberian Peninsula. His love for Christ and the Gospel would culminate in the supreme testimony of martyrdom, in Rome, around the year 67 AD.
A Person Who Makes the Difference
Hardly anyone will ever equal Paul in his passion for Christ and the Gospel. Though he considered himself “an abortion” of an apostle, the least of all, unworthy to be called an apostle (1 Corinthians 15:8–10), he became the first, “the first and only” (Benedict XVI). His apostolic figure and the inspired words of his Letters remain a beacon of light for the Church through the centuries. It is astonishing how one person, through their ideas and personality, can change the course of history and extend their influence for generations—for better or worse. History provides many examples (even in recent times), some of them tragically eloquent.
The Bible recalls particularly two unique and opposing figures who have had an extraordinary influence on all humanity: Adam and Christ. Paul expresses this clearly in his Letter to the Romans: “Through one man, sin entered the world, and through sin, death, and so death passed on to all men… so by the offence of one, condemnation came upon all men” (Romans 5:12, 18). Yet in the same way, the grace of God and the free gift through one man, Jesus Christ, abounded for all… “by the obedience of one, many were made righteous” (Romans 5:15, 19).
God Works Through the One
Unity precedes multiplicity: “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness” (Genesis 1:26). One single human being reflects the entire Trinity (Saint Augustine). In God’s plan, this image mirrors the deep solidarity and communion that exists within the Trinity itself. Thus, while animals were created according to their kinds, humanity forms one single kind, says Saint Augustine. In this logic, God’s work usually begins with the “one” to reach the many and ultimately bring them back to unity. “That they may be one, as we are one” (John 17:11). The goal is expressed in the Our Father: “on earth as it is in heaven.” In salvation history, whenever God wishes to begin something new—a new phase—He chooses a particular person through whom He concentrates His action. Through this “leaven”, He multiplies His grace and extends His blessing to the “multitude”. All responsibility is entrusted to one human conscience, which—often dramatically—is called to respond with total trust and availability to God’s plan. Examples include Noah, Abraham, Moses, the Prophets, Jesus Christ, and the Twelve. It is a sobering thought that the “yes” of a multitude mysteriously passes through the “yes” of a single person. Through that one, God’s blessing extends to a thousand generations (Exodus 20:6). Likewise, a “no” can also affect generations (hopefully only “to the third or fourth”—Exodus 20:5). Here lies the fruitfulness of Paul’s vocation! His “yes” remains fruitful, a channel through which God’s blessing continues to flow across the centuries and millennia. Mysterious wisdom of God! Blessed is Paul’s “yes”, which continues to grow through our own “yes”, as we embrace his testimony.
In Search of “One Single Person”: Me!
One single individual can make a difference—and what a difference! God seeks to touch and win the heart of a person in order to save their entire life context. Sadly, not always does He find one: “I sought among them for someone who would build a wall and stand in the breach before me, but I found no one” (Ezekiel 22:30). God seeks a just man to save his brothers but “found none” (Romans 3:10–12; Psalm 14:1–3). For this reason, He had to send His Son. Today, God turns to each of us as He once did to Paul, offering us an incalculable fruitfulness of life. Every Christian, in whatever ecclesial vocation, is eventually called to make a fundamental and radical decision: to choose a way of life—like Paul and many others—soaring on the wind of the Spirit, completely captivated by a double passion for Christ and for humanity; or to adopt a low-profile life, navigating by sight, seeking small comforts. It is a great gamble! The destiny of many depends on our answer. Will Jesus find in us the generosity and courage to accept this challenge?
Ten Sayings of Paul
- To me, the least of all the saints, was given the grace to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ. (Ephesians 3:8)
- I made it my aim not to preach the Gospel where Christ was already named. (Romans 15:20)
- Preaching the Gospel is not a reason for me to boast: it is a necessity laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel! (1 Corinthians 9:16)
- Though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. (1 Corinthians 9:19)
- 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 for me. (Galatians 2:20)
- Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of His body, the Church. (Colossians 1:24)
- Far be it from me to glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world… I bear on my body the marks of Jesus. (Galatians 6:14,17)
- God is my witness how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:8)
- I served the Lord with all humility, with tears, and with trials… and I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable. (Acts 20:19–20)
- Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. (1 Corinthians 11:1)
Fr. Manuel João Pereira Correia, mccj
