THOUGHTS ON THE TWO PAULS...

We are now half-way the Jubilee Year of the Apostle Paul, called by Pope Benedict XVI on the occasion of the bi-millennium of his birth, which historians have placed between 7 and 10 A.D. Many of the liturgical, cultural, and ecumenical events are being held in Rome, particularly at the Papal Basilica of St. Paul Outside-the-Walls. Pilgrimages are made to the remains of the Apostle Paul preserved beneath the Papal Altar of the Basilica. In dioceses all over the world, bishops have designated pilgrimage churches and shrines where the faithful can gain the gift of indulgences.

The Holy Father has also called for the promotion of study, conventions and special publications on Pauline texts in order to make ever more widely known the immense wealth they contain, a true patrimony of humanity redeemed by Christ. Dioceses in all parts of the world have come out with and implemented initiatives for the Year of St. Paul. Also taking active part are religious congregations and communities, educational institutions, and social assistance centers which are named after St. Paul or inspired by him and his teaching.

Inspired by this occasion of the Jubilee Year of St. Paul of Tarsus on the occasion of his bi-millennium of his birth, I am reflecting deeply on this occasion and decided to write this humble and amateur thesis, which I entitled “THE SPIRITUALITY OF ST. PAUL OF TARSUS vis-à-vis THE SPIRITUALITY OF ST. PAUL OF THE CROSS”. It is only my humble attempt to write this article for the spiritual consumption of my community (Passionist) as well as for all those who have particular interest on Pauline spirituality.

There are four questions (problems) that I would like to propose in this article. First, “What is the meaning of Christian Spirituality in the context of our time?” Second, “what is the Spirituality of St. Paul of Tarsus?” Third, “what is the Spirituality of St. Paul of the Cross?” Fourth, “what are the significant things and challenges of these two Spiritualities (St. Paul of Tarsus and St. Paul of the Cross) in the life of religious and of Christian faithful today?”

These are the four questions (problems) that I would attempt to solve in order to come up with some insights and guide for our spiritual growth as God’s believers and followers.

                    I. WHAT IS THE MEANING OF CHRISTIAN SPIRITUALITY?

                    A. Spirituality

The concept of spirituality resonates deeply among postmodern people. “I’m spiritual, but not religious,” could be a motto for our generation and our age, and for good reason. What has often passed for “religion” in the modern era has now begun to crash and burn.

Standing amidst the ashes of failed modern religion, postmodern Christians have the opportunity to turn those ashes and cultivate new and fertile spaces for an “additive-free,” organic spirituality that is expressive of true religion in fresh, creative ways.

The word religion comes from the latin word religare “to link, unite or belong,” and speaks of a way of life. Early Christians were often called “people of the way”, because Jesus said “I am the way, the truth and the life.”(Jn. 14; 5)

Authentic Christian Spirituality is not about following rules, but following Jesus and his way of life. So, the core of our spirituality is not so much “what we do”, as it is who we love. Within the context of our love relationship with good, expressions of that relationship come naturally, so in short “spirituality” is the way you live your life before good, through Jesus Christ, in the power of the spirit.

All of life is spiritual (play, work, rest, eating, being with friends or family, writing poetry, telling stories, singing songs, creating art…) everything we do is an expression of spirituality as we direct those activities toward the good we love in Jesus Christ.

Apostle is a spiritual hub, where you can connect to your core nature as a spiritual being. We don’t gather as church to download spirituality into lives that are unspiritual, instead we come together to heighten and reinforce our awareness of our spiritual nature and its importance in our lives.

We hope you will express your spirituality within community, in a home church group and by offering your gifts (music, poetry, art, video, theatre, geek ability hospitality) at mass gatherings, prayer services.

                    B. CHRISTIAN SPIRITUALITY

Inside everyone is the path that shows a way to be happy with a full deeper meaning to life that requires no departure from modern life. This awareness of consciousness can enhance achievement physically or worship spiritually because it can be approached from any direction. It is like the sky all around us, it is not just above because we are in its midst, we just need to open our hearts and minds. Expressing itself in different ways spiritually embraces all faiths, is in all creeds and is inconsistent with none. With deep understanding and roots in the heart spirituality gives fruit, meaning and direction to the presence of God’s all pervading consciousness.

We were born to witness God mingling with our lives, taking us beyond the five senses, giving us inspiration, and accelerating our feelings, intuition, dreams and achievements. We are multidimensional and it is the spirit that moves, shapes and shakes this environment. The spiritual perception beyond the physical plane doesn’t make the world negative, but enhances the experience mentally evolving the mind to a higher plane.

Spirituality is listening to the presence of God in the heart, seeing a path upon which to evolve, spiritually knowing what is valuable, and following the destination to a deeper, fuller meaning of happiness in a normal life. This wisdom and science in Christianity is called CHRISTIAN SPIRITUALITY.

It appeals to Christians because it explains and gives directions using Christian symbols leading one to a new thinking and a dynamic happy regeneration.

Spiritual existence in the abstract can be explained in the concrete experience of the mind so consciousness can be experienced. The realization of God’s pure consciousness is beyond the mind’s personality so it is referred to as mystical, but there is no mystery when it can be seen moving the force fields of this planet. The power can be seen build up from layers of energy to an awareness built from within where the subtlest knowledge rises to be express externally. Our current understanding has evolved by the exploring of our physical existence bringing us to a spiritual evolution beyond the mean, selfish, physical mentality of survival to a high-minded, altruistic spiritual consciousness. To go beyond the limit of gross creation, the limits to which our eyes and senses can receive, our attention needs to see through the substrata of the physical realm to the subtle spiritual consciousness permeating all things. With spiritual perception and a new respect for creation, the world comes alive with meaning and purpose, which is better than the alternative of physical survival of the fittest where cruelty, violence and loneliness prevail, in contrast to the bliss of spiritual realization.

Christian Spirituality is a school within one’s heart where people understand what nourishes the soul and what depletes the awareness of consciousness. The arena of fear, power and control is left externally to go beyond the five senses to the realm of spirit. This vision cannot be bought, traded, inherited, or stolen because it is beyond time and space. It is the beginning of spiritual evolution, a spiritual awareness behind the physical senses that needs to be address with silence and a vocabulary that takes one beyond religiosity to spirituality.

Our minds active on the surface are quieted down deep in the ocean so thoughts abandoned on the deepest level of spirituality can be experienced. The physical veil is parted so life can be experienced anew, not judged, but encountered to find meaning in the smallest details. Greater happiness is a natural tendency of the mind, an increasing attraction as one advance on the path of spiritual evolution to the intensity of bliss, which increases as Christians proceeds from Christ consciousness to God the Father’s pure consciousness. May this day be spiritual, not cumbersome as we learn the way to individual joy and peace?

Thus, when we speak of Christian Spirituality we refer to a human being’s following of Christ, how he in his particular situation lives the values that Christ lived in his earthly lifetime. We move on now to the second question, “what is the Spirituality of St. Paul of Tarsus?”

                    II. THE SPIRITUALITY OF ST. PAUL OF TARSUS

To have a clear view of St. Paul’s spirituality, it is important to know his life through a concise but substantial biography. From the knowledge of his life, we shall proceed to the delineation of some essential points that speak of how he followed the Lord.

                    A. Short Biography

Saul was born in Tarsus, a proud city, rival of Athens and Alexandria in culture. He was a Hebrew of the tribe of Benjamin, a sincere follower of the Pharisees. He knew the Hebrew language as well as the Greek. His father was loyal Roman as well as a most devoted Hebrew. At ten, Saul showed a lively disposition for a study of Sacred Books. At twelve, he was sent by his father to Jerusalem to study to become more proficient on the Precepts of the Law and the faith of his ancestors. There he met Caiaphas the High Priest, and Pilate the Procurator. He was taught by the illustrious Rabbi, Gamaliel, nephew of Hillel and a member of the Sanhedrin.

As a well educated Jew, Saul’s soul was filled with the hope of the Promised Messiah, expected by his people, who would come to destroy the idols of the Pagans, possess the Gentile peoples and establish everywhere the worship of the Most High God. In the land promised by God to the Hebrews, a host of strangers had come to dwell and even rule. For generations, the children of Abraham and Isaac had been dispersed throughout the Empire of Assyria and Arabia where millions of pagan idolators lived like people asleep, under the hallucination of foolish doctrines and the practice of despicable rites. The Hebrew people were despised, vanquished, and saturated with bitterness. They struggled to keep pure their idea of God and clung to the ceremonies of their worship. They held on to their faith with a tenacity made sharper by sorrow which too easily turned to hatred. The coming of the Promised Messiah, is therefore, all the more meaningful for the Jewish people caught in this condition in which the desire to impose the wishes of God through themselves as a Chosen People is met with serious obstacles.

In all probability, Saul could have been living in Jerusalem when Jesus came to the Holy City to conclude the message of His Gospel by His crucifixion. Saul must have heard enough of the coming events to make him detest Jesus as a heretic, one who was vehemently opposed to his own sect, the Pharisees, and who, like so many others, have proclaimed himself the Promised Messiah.

Saul must have witnessed the stoning of Stephen which took place under Tiberius, probably in the year 36, five or six years after the Crucifixion of Jesus. His ardor to defend and promote the Jewish Law grew to the extent that he was able to solicit and obtain power from the Sanhedrin to run after and persecute the Christian heretics in order to restore the integrity of the Mosaic tradition. “He began by seizing the Nazarenes all over Palestine, in the cities and villages, in the countryside and along the seashore. Men and women were taken and put into prison like herds of swine. Others were compelled to take flight beyond the confines of Judea. (Igino, Giordani, St. Paul, Apostle and Martyr, St. Paul’s Philippines, 2008, p.8).

Due to his success, Saul was able to obtain from the High Priest, Jonathan, credentials to the Synagogues of Damascus in order to extend his wrath to the Christians there too. Accompanied by an arm escort and provided with material provisions, he proceeded to Damascus feeling the urgent need to protect the integrity of the religious spirit by a rigid adherence to the Mosaic Law. It was on the road to Damascus that the celebrated CONVERSION of Saul happened. He fell from the horse, was blinded by a brilliant white light that burned the pupils of his eyes. It was then that the Lord asked him: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” trembling he asked, “Who are you Lord?” In the evidence of the blinding miracle, he could not doubt that this was a Divine Being who answered: “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.” Everything about Paul seemed to be crumbling his boldness and his strength was shattered. His Pharisaical self-assurance resisted and struggled until his love for the Most High God overcame his pride, and surrendering he muttered, “Lord, what should I do?”

We know the rest of the story. Saul met Ananias who baptized him and who told him about his being chosen as an Apostle among the Gentiles and the children of Israel. From being a persecutor, God was calling him to suffer persecution for the sake of the Kingdom. For his apostolate, Saul would be rewarded with suffering but this did not frighten him. His character was molded on that of the Prophets who were too focused on their message to be concerned about suffering.

In order to be able to listen only to the voice of the Holy Spirit, Saul withdrew to the confines of the desert beyond Damascus, into a country vaguely called Arabia. Then he went to Jerusalem to see Peter (as he explained it in his Letter to the Galatians). He wanted to know the head of the church, which stood in the place of Jesus Christ, to receive from him some sort of ecclesiastical investiture. Having obtained full ecclesiastical recognition of his apostolate, Paul undertook at once in Jerusalem the work for which he now lived, the apostolate of Christ.

Having been informed of the plot against him in Jerusalem, he proceeded to Tarsus in Cilicia, his native city. He remained a few years in Tarsus. He was afflicted by an incurable malady of the flesh. He asked to be rid of it three times but the Lord said to him “My grace is sufficient for you, my grace is made perfect in infirmity.” “Gladly”, said Paul, “will I glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may dwell in me.” (2 Cor. 12; 9)

From Tarsus, Barnabas invited Saul to another field of labor in Antioch in Syria. Saul did not hesitate to join him. He then made three great Missionary Voyages or Journeys. Founded and guided Christian Churches toward growth by visiting them, exhorting them, reprimanding them, and writing them letters some of which have become part of the Canon of the Bible. In his own words, Saul describes the travails that he had gone through as he did the Apostolate:

…Are they ministers of Christ? I – to speak as a fool – am more; in many more labors, in prisons more frequently, in lashes above measure, often exposed to death. From the Jews five times I received forty lashes less one. Thrice I was scourged, once I was stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I was adrift on the sea…in perils from false brethren; in labor and hardships, in many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, in fasting often, in cold and nakedness. Besides those outer things, there is my daily pressing anxiety, the care of all the churches! (2 Cor. 11: 22-31).

Finally, in his last imprisonment in Rome under the Emperor Nero, when taken to the Magistrates, Paul was asked whether he had been made wiser by the horror of his prison and was ready to deny Christ. He serenely and firmly confessed his love for Christ to whom he belonged. Then he wept for joy at being able to proclaim his final testimony for Christ.

                    B. HIGHLIGHTS OF PAUL’S FOLLOWING OF CHRIST

Nobody can really fully fathom a person’s psyche, not even the person himself. Only God can completely understand each human being. Thus, this section on the Spirituality of St. Paul does not claim an exhaustive rendering of Pauline Spirituality. Nevertheless, there are elements of St. Paul’s attempt of following Jesus that seem to stand out from his life and writings that will be highlighted in this part of this article.

                    1. Christ-centeredness – To Follow Christ Demands Becoming Like Him

The first aspect of Pauline Spirituality that stands out is its Christ-centeredness. The first letter to the Corinthians manifests the centrality of Christ in the life and ministry of St. Paul. This letter is Christo-centric in substance inasmuch as all is seen under the aspect of Christ who is all in all. He instituted the Eucharist and is the Head of His Mystical Body. The neighbor should not be offended or scandalized since Christ offered His life for him on the cross. His presence in all men makes them all sacred and that is why He determined our duties and responsibilities towards our fellow human beings. To sin against the brethren is to attack the work of Christ thereby offending or sinning against God (1 Thes. 4; 8). In no uncertain terms, St. Paul emphasizes the centrality of Christ in his ministry when he said, “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas then to the twelve” (1 Cor. 15; 3-5). In the conclusion of the letter, Paul writes; “If any one has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed” (1 Cor. 16; 22).

In his letter to the Philippians, Paul tells his far-away children of the consolations and sufferings in his imprisonment. He intimates to them that Christ is honored in all his sufferings in the flesh. Thus, even his body is weighed down by so much pain because of the Gospel, Paul is consoled by the fact that a glorification was being realized, a “magnification” of Christ (Philippians 1; 12).

In the conclusion of this letter which was full of affectionate sadness, Paul intimates that he considers the loss of everything as inconsequential because he has gain Christ. Christ is all for him, all else is secondary, useless, and could even be harmful. “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake, I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as refuse, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him…”(Philippians 3; 7-9)

To be a Christian for Paul is to be an alter Christus, to be another Christ. The baptized must seek to constantly be transformed so as to be able to think, to feel, to speak and act like Christ and to fulfill the mission of Christ. Made to live in Christ by the wonderful effects of grace and being made members of the Body of Christ. Christians assume an immediate series of social obligations that are rooted in charity such as truth-telling, controlling one’s anger, doing an honest work, etc. (Eph. 4; 25-32). Relationships have also been the subject of Paul’s exhortations in this letter to the Ephesians: husbands and wives, parents and children, slaves and masters were exhorted to act accordingly. Subjects such as licentiousness, filthy talk, and deceitful lust and the need to renew the spirit of the mind are also dealt with (Eph 4; 19-24 and 5; 3-5). With these Paul implies that unity will only be perfect when all are brought back to Christ, not only Jews and Gentiles but all men and women, the soul with the body, relationships, speech, doctrines and works, earth and heaven.

An essential component of this transformation into Christ is the imitation of Christ’s kenosis or self-emptying as expressed in the letter to the Philippians in which St. Paul exhorts, “have this in mind among yourselves, which you have in Christ Jesus, who though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped at, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on the Cross (Philippians 2; 5-8). In the same manner, Paul emptied himself even of his own flesh and blood. He had given up all titles, honors and prestige, except the title of Apostle in order to lend credibility to his work. He could have been a member of the Sanhedrin but he gave that up in favor of Christianity. He gave up all wealth and an illustrious career. He even left his own family for the sake of the apostolate. Like Christ, St. Paul even gave up his own life.

“Paul was burning with love for Christ and from Paul, people understood Who Christ was. Like Thecla in the Apocryphal “Acts of Paul”, who beheld the Apostle of the Gentiles in the mirror of his own prose, they saw, not Paul but Jesus Christ with whom Paul had identified himself so perfectly.” (Giordani, p. 276). No wonder, in his lifetime Paul exclaimed that “It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me.” (Gal. 2; 20b)

                    2. Apostolate Flowing From Being Christ-like

The apostolate is a spiritual effusion that naturally flows from being an alter Christus (another Christ). Like Jesus, Paul did the apostolate or fulfilled the mission of Jesus through teaching and suffering. The text from 2Cor. 11; 22-31 that we have quoted above succinctly describes the sufferings that St. Paul had to go through. Paul had no fear of suffering. Since he must reproduce Christ in himself, it was not surprising that he should repeat Christ’s sufferings.

Paul taught that it is the duty of an Apostle to reach all men, to reveal to them God’s grace. It is only after he has exhausted all means is he exonerated from further responsibility. Paul exemplified this very clearly in his missionary journeys even amidst threats of persecution, shipwrecks, stoning and the like. Despite adverse circumstances, he tried to save as many souls as he could.

The success of Paul in both East and West cannot be explained in human terms. He succeeded certainly due to God’s grace which he wholeheartedly received. “He gave up everything, career, interests, affections, and allowed himself to be filled and molded by grace. So that in him two forces were always acting, God, who made the approach to him, and Paul, who in return, went to meet God. And having found God, he abandoned himself to God with all his strength and power. Such collaboration produced miracles in every turn.” (Giordani, p. 239). In other words, Paul succeeded because it was Christ Himself working in him. As he has said: “If Christ is with me, who can be against me?”

                    3. From Mosaic Law to Christian Freedom

The Law served the Hebrew people by preparing them for the coming of Christ but, having fulfilled this task, it had no more use. With the coming of Christ, the purpose of the Law ceased. The faithful were dead to the Law with the death of Christ who alone has given salvation. To add the Law to Christ’s work of salvation would render Christ’s Salvific action insufficient and attribute to the Law some of the merits for salvation. “For Christ is the end of the Law, that everyone who has faith may be justified” (Romans 10; 4).

Faith in Jesus Christ who suffered and died on the Cross is sufficient for justification according to St. Paul. This should put to an end the practice of the Jewish people of accumulating good works in observance of the Law which, for them, bestows on them the right to justification. Thus, in their view, justification becomes a human project rather than the work of God. St. Paul repudiates this belief. But, of course, he sees the value of the Law as a predisposition to the faith in Jesus Christ.

However, although we are freed from the works of the Mosaic Law, this does not free us from the works of faith. We still have the obligations to practice justice and charity, to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, not render evil for evil but render good for evil. Aside from this, we still have the civic obligations such as obedience to proper authority, respect for superiors, and the paying of one’s tribute to the tax collectors among others.

Another bondage from which human beings must be freed, according to St. Paul is that of the ‘flesh’. Flesh here does not mean corporeality as distinguished from the spiritual soul, but humanity’s ethical and moral weakness before God. This is sinfulness as experienced in ‘body and soul’. This notion of the flesh as sinfulness is reflected in Ps 65; 2-3; “You who hear our prayer, to you shall flesh come…you will forgive our sins.” Flesh stands in contrast to ruach, the spirit, God’s new, life-giving power; Similarly, God promises in Jl. 2; 28 to “pour out his spirit on all flesh.” This flesh-spirit contrast in the Old Testament is sharpened by St. Paul through the contrast between good and evil, God and the power of sin.

                    For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. (Romans 7; 19-20) (Gruber, TD, p. 21)

By seeking to liberate man from the bondage of the Law and of the flesh (sin), St. Paul manifests his conviction that the essential mark of Christianity is freedom. “For freedom, Christ has set us free, stand fast therefore and do not submit yourself to the yoke of slavery…For you were called to freedom, brethren, only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love be servants to one another.” (Gal. 5; 1, 13)

Indeed, from St. Paul, we can see that the great leap forward from the Old Testament to the New Testament is a jump from the external observance of laws to the internalization of values or the acquisition of virtues that disposes us to actions that are in accordance with Christ’s teachings. In other words, we make a leap from the letter of the law to the freedom of the spirit. At some stage in our growth in the following of Jesus, we will have to make this leap forward to freedom. In the words of Albert Nolan, the famous South African Dominican;

“Jesus challenges us to transcend all laws, rules and principles, even the Ten Commandments, in order to take responsibility for our own actions. Jesus challenges us to be free and to judge for ourselves what is right and what is wrong, the ability to decide for ourselves when it would be appropriate to keep a law or a rule and when it would not be appropriate requires a great deal of personal freedom and responsibility. Many people find this kind of freedom quite frightening. They prefer to be told what to do of they prefer to have absolutely binding laws and rules so that they don’t have to take responsibility of deciding for them selves. This is a very serious obstacle to progress in the spiritual life. It quenches the spirit of freedom.” (Albert Nolan, OP, Biblical Spirituality, 1982)

The freedom of God’s children that Jesus desires for all Christians, is the same freedom that St. Paul wanted each Christian to have.

                    4. Working For and With the Church

St. Paul speaks of the Church as the Mystical Body of Christ whose members, many though they are, form one body animated by the one and the same Spirit. Just as the human body has many different parts with their proper functions so too the Church has many gifts and charisms that play a particular role in the functioning and growth of the Church. (1Cor. 12; 1-25). At the head of this Body is Jesus Christ Himself. Expressing the profound intimacy in the relationship among the members of the church, St. Paul says that whatever each member does, affects the entire church. A good and holy act of a member increases the holiness of the whole church just as a member’s unholy action decreases her holiness. In the first letter to the Corinthians, Paul writes, “If one members suffer, all suffer together, if one member is honored, all rejoice together.” (1Cor. 12; 26)

Indefatigably, St. Paul labored not only to increase the membership of the church (1Cor. 9; 19-23) as manifested in his missionary journeys, but also to lead the church towards growth in holiness. The latter is shown by St. Paul in his countless exhortations to the different churches, especially to the church of Corinth to live according to the Christian ideals, given the abuses and the impurities of the members. In the so called Pastoral letters (First and Second Timothy and Titus), there were also varied exhortations for bishops, priests, deacons, widows and others. When working for the church, St. Paul never let go of the idea of him self being just a member of the Body of Christ. Thus, he never pretended to be the church. Whenever he encounters problems and issues that he knows he could not settle by himself, he makes it a point to consult the rest of the Apostles, especially Peter who was early on acknowledged as the Vicar of Christ. An example is the dispute on the teaching of Mosaic which claimed that there can be no salvation without circumcision. Thus, no one ought to be baptized without passing through the rites of the Law of Moses. Paul’s view was that circumcision was no longer necessary especially for the Gentiles but, recognizing a central authority he brought the case to Jerusalem and asked Peter and the other Apostles to make a decision about it. In what can be considered as the first Council of the Church, the matter was decided by Peter, Paul, Barnabas and James who ruled that circumcision was not necessary for newcomers in the Church.

In the first letter to the Thessalonians, Paul points out that for a Christian or for the entire Church to become holy, a submission to ecclesiastical discipline is necessary. This starts with a respect for those who preside over the church and instruct in the Gospel. Such discipline establishes Christian Unity or solidarity among the brethren.

St. Paul’s deep concern and solicitude for the Church is manifested in his refusal to live by the material things offered to him by the Churches. Instead, he painstakingly wove nets by his bare hands to earn his keep. If he did ask any material help from the Churches, it was to support other churches that might have been in dire need. Here we see that St. Paul when he worked for the church, he has in mind not only a local church but the Church in its entirety.

After exploring the Spirituality of St. Paul of Tarsus, let us now move forward to the third question of this article; “what is the Spirituality of St. Paul of the Cross?.”

3. The Spirituality of St. Paul of the Cross

                    A. Biography

                    1). Early Life

                    In his book, “In this sign; The Spirituality of St. Paul of the Cross”, Fr. Martin Bialas, CP the author, describes to us who Paul of the Cross was. Bialas said:

The name Paul of the Cross- seems familiar but his life and works are not well known. At times he is confused with St. John of the Cross the reformer of Carmel, because the names are so familiar. Yet, Paul of the Cross was a remarkable Saint, a mystic and founder of the Congregation of the Passion and Death of Jesus played a major role in the spirituality of St. Paul is apparent from his own choice of the surname ‘of the Cross’. Contemplation of the passion and zealous preaching of Christ and Him crucified were Paul’s outstanding characteristics. His charism of announcing the ‘Word of the Cross’ became for him a driving force, which sustained him throughout his life’s work.

From this long quotation, we can already have an initial knowledge of who Paul of the Cross was. As Fr. Bialas says, ‘Paul was a remarkable saint, a mystic and founder of the Passionist Congregation’. Similarly Fr. Jude Mead, CP, the author of the book, “St. Paul of the Cross, a Source/workbook for Paulacrucian Studies also describes in detail the man Paul of the Cross. Fr. Mead begins by sketching the Biography of St. Paul of the Cross:

Paul Francis Danei, the future St. Paul of the Cross – was born 3 January, 1694, at Ovada in the Republic of Genoa. The Italy of his time was both a geographical and a political maze. It was broken into multiple various-sized states. These were the Oligarchical Republic of Genoa, Lucca and Venice, the Papal States, the Kingdom of Naples, and a Claque of Duchies and Granduchies in Milan, Modena, Parma, Piedmont and Tuscany. The entire Italian peninsula was patch-worked with Austrian, French, German and Spanish hegemonies. In Metternich’s phrase, Italy was as yet only a ‘geographical expression’. Almost forty years later St. Paul of the Cross could still write; “Poor Italy is in a state of great desolation and ruin, May God in His mercy be kind to her”.

To know more about his life and background, let us also consider Paul’s family, education, spiritual development, religious life (vocation, rule, foundation and charism), liturgical spirit and final days (death, beatification and canonization).

                    2). Family

The family surroundings in Paul’s youth up to 1720 were serene. They were founded on the mutually loyal fidelity of his parents and animated by a deep faith in God. His parents were Luke Danei (1659-1727) and Anna Marie Massari (1672-1746) were married on January 6, 1692 in Ovada. Paul’s youth was spent beside his mother, who was exhausted by fifteen (15) other pregnancies and pained by the loss of nine (9) of her children. While Paul helped his father carry on his business, which was the only source of income, he became more and more aware of his mother’s sacrifice

. His family circle provided important support in the development of Paul’s natural gift. A whole set of circumstances in his life gave him many practical experiences, journeys, business dealings and other contacts with people in which he began to understand the working of the human soul in both men and women. These experiences developed in him certain attitudes of compassion, of understanding the needs of others, of ease in treating women and the subject of motherhood. He knew how to accept things and events, and had an appreciation of peace and communion. He considered these as supreme goods to be safeguarded at all costs.

His mother’s courage and peace, derived from the thought of Christ crucified, was instilled in young Paul. The family home, though filled with the shouting of the little ones, was a place of peace and austerity as a result of the frequent visits of death, on the one hand, and the type of education imparted by the parents, on the other. The parents dreaded evil companions and hence were reluctant to allow their sons and daughters to join the flocks of other children. Neither were they prone to permit games, particularly card-playing, as at that time it was closely allied to drinking among young people, wasting money, and creating difficulties for their families.

By word and example the parents instilled in their children a sense of ‘deep’ faith in God, a great love for Jesus crucified, the ideal of the lives of the saints, uprightness of life, solidarity among the members of the family and relations, and care for the poor. Economic conditions and the region’s political situation obliged the Danei family to move many times between 1701 and 1717, with serious discomfort for all but especially for his mother. For Paul this meant greater difficulty in pursuing a regular course of studies. But, it permitted him to come in contact with different towns and cities and hence to cultivate a greater broad-mindedness. It gave him the faculty of appreciating the qualities and the limitations of diverse ‘nationalities’ – and to acquire that social ease which later enabled him to approach people of every region and every social rank.

                    3). Education

With regards to Paul’s education, the young Paul began his elementary schooling in Cremolino under the direction of the Carmelite Fathers. The Parish Priest, Fr. Alberto-Maria Verri, conducted a school for boys, teaching them to read and write as well as Christian doctrines. In 1709 the family again moved, this time to Campo Ligure after a brief sojourn in Tagliolo. During these years of constant moving, until the family settled in Castellazzo in 1718, Paul was sent to Genoa to study. He went as a poor student, living in the home of the Buffa family, while receiving small sums from his father for his needs. Paul Francis Danei at this time in his life could certainly be identified with many contemporary youths in their disillusionment with society and authority. Knowing the reduced circumstances of his family, he felt constrained to assist them. It is recorded that he even went so far as to smuggle tobacco across the border in the dead of winter and under the cover of snow. In 1715 when Pope Clement XI called upon Christian youths to join a new crusade against the Turks, Paul volunteered to the chagrin of all his family. His army career was a disaster. There were forced marches across the plains of Northern Italy, with haphazard camping at Cremona, Ferrara and Parma. There was endless waiting for embarkation, which was frequently announced but never came about. No less did the manners and morals of the military torment him. On 20th February, 1715 he was in the parish Church of Crema. According to custom the Blessed Sacrament was exposed to give opportunity to the faithful to atone for the licentiousness of the pre-Lenten Carnevale then in progress. During his prayers, Paul felt an interior illumination that he was destined for another kind of crusade, a spiritual warfare.

He was readily granted a discharge because by his own request on induction, he was a volunteer without pay. He wandered about on his way home, delaying in order to earn a little to help his family. On his return home he was so unsettled and preoccupied with inner searching that he became a problem to the family. He gave away his clothes to the poor even the ones he was wearing. His mother remarked, ‘one of these days you will come home naked’. He showed his disregard for human respect. Like many a contemporary youth of today, in true hippie fashion he let his beard and fingernails grow long and uncut and would not wear clean linen.

Paul Francis Danei was now twenty-four (24) years old. From portraits made of him in his maturity it can be deduced that this time in his development he was tall, over six feet, well belt and muscular, with a dark complexion and piercing dark eyes. He had a broad forehead and a patrician profile. He gave every appearance of intelligence and manliness. He reflected both the physical and spiritual gifts of his parents. His formal education had ended early. His most recent biographer, the French diocesan priest Charles Almeras, states the case succinctly:

The totality of his secular knowledge consisted of the rudiments he had learned at Cremolino and perhaps a bit of Latin he had been taught at Genoa. However, he made remarkable intellectual progress, under what precise conditions we do not know. Although his sermons have disappeared those of his letters that have come down to us show by their perfectly appropriate Latin quotations that he knew the fine points of both Italian and Latin. Where had he learned the use of language? Very little in class, in his studies he was aided by the similarity between Latin and Italian, and above all by his quick intelligence and his prolonged meditations on the sacred texts. The fact remains that, while Paul Danei’s profane knowledge was rather mediocre, he attained to a profound understanding of ascetical and mystical theology.

                    4). Spiritual Development

In brief summary, the spiritual development of St. Paul of the Cross may be considered in three phases. The first extends from his nineteenth year to his thirty-first (1713-1725). St. Paul himself describes his ‘conversion’ in his twentieth year. Then followed a period of remarkable spiritual advancement: characterized by the practice of heroic penance, with a lofty state of virtue in the Christian life, accompanied by deep and continuous insights into the passion of Jesus. Sometimes in his twenty-eight year, between 1722 and 1723, surely on the heights of Monte Argentario, and on the feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, according to the most ancient and venerable tradition in the Passionist Congregation, he received the precious grace of the mystical marriage. The second phase reaches from his thirty-first (31) to his seventy-sixth year (1725-1770). This is a period of aridity, desolation, and bitterness relieved only rarely by some sensible favors. Paul accepted this phase as his participation in the Passion of Christ, in fact he called it a naked suffering and ‘the sacred martyrdom of love’. This period has been appropriately described as a night of the soul by way of reparation.

The final phase continues from his seventy-sixth year until his death in his eighty-first year (1770-1775). While, this final period still contain interior desolation in depth, there was an increase in grace and consolation. His retreat diary of 1720, his letters and the depositions in the process of beatification and canonization support the testimony establishing this three-fold ascent of St. Paul of the Cross. These are also the sources for his spiritual doctrine which has been well explored and expounded by Passionist experts, notably Fathers Gaetan Reynders, Constante Brovetto, Basilio de S. Pablo, and Martin Bialas.

St. Paul of the Cross tireless preacher of the word of the cross, outstanding superior of the Congregation of the Passion of Jesus Christ, eminent model of penance and contemplation, and enlighten director of souls, is considered the greatest mystic of the eighteen century. He died in Rome on October 18, 1775 at the age of eighty-one (81). He was proclaimed Blessed in 1853 and was canonized by Pope Pius IX on June 29, 1867.

                    B. Contemplation of the Passion of Jesus Christ is the focus and The source of St. Paul of the Cross’ Spiritual and Theological Thought

The spirituality of Paul of the Cross is focused on the memory of the Passion of Jesus. He understood contemplation of the Passion as the doorway into closer intimacy with God. For Paul the memory of the Passion was not a sad or morbid thing. Rather, it involved a deeper recognition of the Infinite Goodness of God, a realization of the depths of God’s love for us. He was convinced that by entering into the mystery of Christ’s suffering, we would be able to catch a glimpse of the length to which God would go in his love for us. We would recognize that God’s salvific love was costly even to God. And we would also be moved to deeper and more effective compassion for others, particularly for the “crucified of today”.

For anyone who may be trying to discern the call of God in his or her life, Paul of the Cross stands as a reminder to the fidelity and providence of God. To a young man who was struggling to figure out God’s will in his life, Paul wrote these words: “Don’t doubt but that God keeps you in his divine arms and that the time will come when he will teach you his most holy will”. Paul of the cross would reassure all of us that if we truly seek to listen to God in our lives, God will be faithful in speaking to us and guiding us. God will indeed teach us his most holy will.

                    1. In Liturgy and throughout the Church year

During the beatification and sanctification processes, more a hundred persons who had personally known Paul of the Cross unanimously reported the predominant place the Lord’s suffering had in his life. A Lay brother who had lived in the same cloister with St. Paul for some years reported that Paul took every opportunity to draw others more deeply into the mystery of Christ’s passion. The founder did this so often and so ardently that it was as if he had ‘always present in his memory’ the Lord in his passion. The same fellow religious could still remember well the self-composure and great unction with which Paul officiated at Holy Week liturgies. On one occasion, Paul himself reported that the liturgy of Good Friday so moved him interiorly that at the unveiling of the holy cross he was hardly able to sing the prescribed acclamation “behold the wood of the cross”.

In the diary entry of Dec. 20, 1720, Paul called Friday ‘a sad and sorrowful day’, the remembrance of which ‘could make one collapse with sorrow’. Some sixteen years later, Paul of the cross again wrote of the meaning of Friday in a letter to Agnes Grazi. He emphasized that Friday was a day to commemorate the sufferings of the Sorrowful Mother, and the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ. Furthermore, Paul desired that the sorrows of the Mother of God and those of Jesus’ Passion be engraved upon the hearts of all ‘so that the world be kindled by holy love’. Herein, it is obvious that Paul’s realm aim of contemplating the suffering Lord was not to sorrow and mourn but to attain a deeper union of love with God.

                    2. In his Apostolate

St. Paul of the cross was not a person interested solely in his own welfare and salvation; he knew he was bound to his neighbor and to others and felt himself to be in solidarity with them. Consequently, he was filled with an ardent desire to do his best for them. As one whose life was shaped by a vibrant faith in God and by a deep interior union with Christ, he was aware that these eighty or ninety years of earthly life do not represent all there is. God has made us for eternity and for a life without end. Ultimate happiness or unhappiness (salvation or damnation) depends on the manner in which a person lives his ‘time of probation’ here, on this earth. The person, however, is not forsaken or left to him-self, compelled to work out salvation alone. God himself has sent His Son into these earthly ‘confines’, with redemption having been acquired by this same Son’s Passion and death on a cross. God’s will is, therefore, that each reaches salvation through the Passion of Jesus Christ.

An entry on the same day expresses-with all desirable charity-the inner relationship between the apostolate and the contemplation of the passion of Christ a relationship that was decisive for Paul’s entire life. He wrote, “Alas, I felt that I would die at seeing the loss of so many souls, who do not experience the fruit of the Passion of my Jesus. In other words, for Paul of the cross the proclamation and contemplation of Christ Crucified was the effective means of leading people to the attainment of their final goal—eternal joy and blessedness in heaven. We find in an earlier Paul, the great apostle to the nations (Paul of Tarsus), a no less pronounced emphasis on Christ’s crucified when he resolved to know nothing but “Jesus and him crucified”. (1Cor. 2; 2)

Contemplation of the passion of Jesus was an important part of Paul’s preaching even during his initial experiences in ‘God’s vineyard’. For example, Canon Sardi, a friend from Paul’s youth, testified to this when he spoke of the founder’s activity as preacher in Castellazzo:

He held many hours of prayer, in the morning and afternoon for women, and in the evening for men. He especially directed them in the contemplation of the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ. I myself many times took part in these meditations. After knowing St. Paul of the Cross and his spirituality we will move forward now to the fourth question; “What are some practical Insights that we can get from these two Spiritualities”?

4…..SOME PRACTICAL INSIGHTS FOR THE CLERGY AND THE RELIGIOUS WE CAN POSSIBLY GET FROM THE TWO SPIRITUALITIES

          A. The first task of a member of the clergy as well as of the religious is to have an intimate knowledge of Christ—His values, His way of thinking, how He relates with people especially sinners, how he does things and so on. This knowledge cannot happen overnight. Neither can it be sufficiently imparted during seminary formation. It is a daily task which requires prayer, reflection and meditation on the Scriptures and the issues involved in the ministry. Sometimes, we can be too caught up in the busy day to day affairs that we forget this first task on which our success as ministers and apostles depend. Let us remember the reminder of Pope John Paul II to all Religious, “not to get so taken up by the works of the Lord that we would forget the Lord of the work”.

          B. Knowing Christ does not mean intellectual assimilation of facts and figures about Him. Knowing the Lord is rather allowing Him to enter the very depths of our being and uniting ourselves intimately with Him. This requires a painful self-giving that consists in separating ourselves from the longings, desires, values, manner of speaking and acting that are contrary to that of Christ. We must be able to assimilate his values and make them our own so that, in the end, we can say with St. Paul, “It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me.”

          C. Working for the church does not make the church our own personal project. The Church remains the project of God through Christ. This means that when we work for the church, we must take into account the original intentions of Christ handed down to the Apostles and to us. There are local issues and problems that can be addressed by a local parish or diocese but some issues can be too overarching as to be decided locally. Proper consultation and submission to the wishes of proper authorities in the church should be in place. Furthermore, there should be a great sensitivity to the needs of other local churches. Our parishioners should be trained to feel for members of other local churches such that they can readily respond to the immediate needs of these churches especially during emergency situations.

          D. As workers for the church, we should take into account the formation and growth of our constituents so that they can decide for themselves what is right and wrong, what is proper and not, what is opportune and untimely. Many times we feel that it is safer to issue rules and regulations all the time but such a way of doing things will only perpetuate the childishness of people and they cannot really grow to be free children of God.

          E. The faithful are more than ready to support their Pastors and many would feel very happy doing it. There is nothing wrong with this arrangement since it is based on justice and on the principle that a worker deserves his wage. However, it is certainly edifying if a Pastor does not enrich himself or live an extravagant lifestyle through his ministry by living as simply as he possibly can. In this way, he can become a credible witness and can easily bridge the gap between the affluent and the poorer sectors of his local Church.

          F. To work as an Apostle always involves difficulties and even sufferings. There will be opposition especially from those who do not really want to live up to the values of the Gospel. As ministers of God, we should take these as a consequence of our ministry of making Jesus Christ alive in our midst. However, in the face of opposition, we should ask ourselves seriously the question, “On which side of the fence do we stand?” For it is possible to happen that people may oppose us because they might not see the Person of Christ in us.

          Conclusion (My Final Recommendations)

As I conclude this article I would like to use Paul’s (the Apostle) Challenge today. What is Paul’s challenge to people of today? The most fascinating aspect of the apostle Paul is his intimacy with Jesus and his zeal for the mission of preaching. This link is expressed by two statements: “For me life is Christ”. (Phil. 1;21) and “I have become all things to all”. (1Cor. 9;22).

In the context of the Jubilee, what challenge does the Year of St. Paul the Apostle pose before Christians, more particularly Catholics? The Episcopal Conference of Turkey in its letter on the occasion of the Pauline Year, offers some valuable pointers. In Turkey, the birthplace of Paul, Catholics are a small minority, the majority is Muslim. Paul, the bishop say, reminds us (in Turkey) of a fundamental element of our Christian identity which is not about faith in God—common to Muslims and many other peoples—but faith in Christ who is ‘Lord’ (1Cor. 12; 3) and whom “God raised from the dead” (Rom. 10; 9). For Paul we cannot encounter God except through Jesus Christ. This looks to be a ‘stumbling block and foolishness’ (1Cor. 1; 23) to many even now, but for Paul salvation through the Cross of Christ is the power and the wisdom of God.

On the ecumenical dimension called for by Pope Benedict XVI, the Bishops of Turkey call for an intensification of dialogue, especially with the Muslim world. This is a dialogue of life which is lived together and shared, a dialogue of work where Christians and Muslims work together for the integral development of peoples, a dialogue of religious experience through sharing of the spiritual wealth of both religions, and a dialogue of theological exchange where greater knowledge of each other leads to greater respect.

On ecumenism among Christians, the bishops challenge the faithful to transcends resistance, as well as disinterest on those not belong to “our” Church. Paul encountered resistance and opposition even on the part of believers. But, for him in the end what really counts is that “Christ is being proclaimed” and “in that I rejoice” (Phil. 1;18). It is good to be reminded that before being Catholics, Orthodox, Protestants, Syrians, Armenians, or Chaldeans, we are Christians.

Lastly, it is good to remember what pagans admiringly said of the early Christians as noted by Tertullian: “How the love one another!” Love is the identikit of Christians, the most powerful force for dialogue and ecumenism. In a world where Catholics or Christians are a minority, is the remark of admiration still being said of them?

(Any comments & suggestions you may send them to: bertzalegre@yahoo.com)

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