Day late, dollar short...

Sunday, June 29, 2008 was the Catholic Feast of the Solemnity of Saints Peter & Paul. 

Not to put too fine a point on it, these gentlemen were the human founders of the Church; Catholic and Non-Catholic Christian Churches.  Pope John Paul II put it better:

In their apostolic mission, Saints Peter and Paul were obliged to face difficulties of every kind.  But, far from deterring their missionary activity, these difficulties reinforced their zeal for the Church's welfare and for the salvation of mankind. They were able to overcome every trial because their trust was not based on human resources but on the grace of the Lord, who delivers his friends from every evil and saves them for his kingdom.  May our holy patrons, Peter and Paul, sustain us and obtain for us that missionary zeal which made them witnesses of Christ tot he ends of the then-known world.

St. Peter, Friend of God and Foundation of the Church, pray for us.

Pope Benedict XVI declared the next twelve months 28 June 2008 to 29 June 2009, a special Jubilee Year to the Apostle Paul.  This year is to celebrate the 2000 anniversary of St. Paul's birth.  The pope is hoping this Jubilee Year will spark a conflagration of evangelization (in word and deed) among the Christian faithful throughout the world. In his Vespers homily from this past Saturday formally announcing this Pauline Year, the Holy Father declared:

"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 is his example today! (Emphasis added)

This Pauline Year presents us with many opportunities to spread our Christian faith.  The Most Reverend Michael Saltarelli, Bishop of the Diocese of Wilmington, Delaware wrote six meditations on the life of Paul, and ten concrete ways  to celebrate this special year here.

St. Paul: Great Apostle to the Gentiles and Pagans, Evangelist to All Nations, Mystic and Missionary pray for us.