Year of St Paul

Pope Benedict XVI has proclaimed a year dedicated to St Paul. The Pauline year will run from June 29, 2008, to June 29, 2009, to mark the approximately 2,000th anniversary of the saint's birth.

The Pauline year will feature numerous special liturgies and events in Rome, the pope said, but should also be celebrated throughout the Christian world. In a special way, the Pauline year will be ecumenical, reflecting the saint's commitment to the unity and harmony among all Christians.

 

Prayer for the Pauline Year

Almighty God, throughout this year we celebrate the life and legacy of the great apostle, Paul. You called him to conversion and to bear witness to the risen Christ among all people, most especially the Gentile nations. Your Holy Spirit found a home in his heart… and that heart spoke to people for generation after generation.

He preached the Gospel with courage and conviction in the many places he visited on his journeys; he endured great hardship and disaster but he continued to run the race that you had set; he suffered failure, rejection and persecution but continued to fight the good fight until the end; he acknowledged and celebrated his own weakness so that your grace and power might work through him; he established and supported communities of believers with his words of wisdom and entreaty.

Those words continue to speak through the ages and reveal your Divine presence to those who have been entrusted with the gift of faith. Open our minds and hearts as we reflect on the life of Paul and read again those passages of Sacred Scripture that bear his name.

As we journey through the Pauline Year we pray that your Holy Spirit may imbue us with the passion and conviction given to Paul so that we too may bear witness to the Good News of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, in whose name we make this prayer.

AMEN