ST. PAUL AND THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT pp

The Church begins to take form  50 years after Jesus’ death and resurrection, Christianity had spread and communities of followers would gather the day after the Sabbath celebrate mass.  At this time the Apostles and Church leaders began to organize the communities to ensure that the next generation could continue the Church and teachings of Jesus.

 The Acts of the Apostles marks the beginning of the Church with the Holy Spirit descending on the Apostles and working through them. (Pentecost)  The link connecting Jesus to the first followers was the Holy Spirit (sent after the Ascension to help the Church build the Kingdom of God until the Second Coming. The actions of the Church and the Apostles were guided by the Holy Spirit.  Acts of the Apostles is written by Luke the evangelist.

Who was Paul?  He was not one of the 12 Apostles of Jesus.  Wrote 14 Epistles in the New Testament and played an important role in evangelizing to the Gentiles.  He was originally known as Saul of Tarsus. He had a zeal for the Law of Moses. He was a Shammaite Pharisee and had Roman citizenship.  Saul was originally a persecutor of Christians before his conversion.

 Shammaites were followers of Shammai, who believed that politics and religion were inseparable (Zealous sect of the Pharisees).  They believed the Kingdom of God for Israel could not come, and they could not be free, so long as Roman pagans were rulers of Israel.  Saul believed that he needed to rid Israel of people who didn’t follow the Law especially Christians.

 Saul was also a Roman citizen; being born in Tarsus meant he was Jew of the Diaspora.  Saul was educated and was familiar with Gentile people and their customs as Tarsus was a more diverse and cosmopolitan place than Jerusalem.  Saul would have also been comfortable with navigating and travelling.

 Saul would have been present for the stoning of St. Stephen, the first martyr.  He didn’t participate, but did allow it and was to watch people’s clothes during the stoning.  Saul asks the High Priest for letters of introduction so he can seek out Jewish Christians and bring them back bound to Jerusalem.

Saul’s Conversion (Acts )  On the road to Damascus, Saul is blinded by a light and Jesus speaks to him.  “Saul, Saul why do you persecute me?”  Saul is blinded and without food for three days (similar to Jesus dying and rising on the third day).  In Damascus, the disciple Ananias is told to heal Saul in a vision.  Saul is then baptized and begins his life as a missionary for Christ, now known as Paul.

 Paul was name as the Apostle to the Gentiles, spreading Christianity throughout the Roman Empire to non-Jewish people.  Paul made three missionary journeys and according to tradition, he died in Rome.  With Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles, Christianity eventually grows to be the largest religion in the world; Rabbinical Judaism is the smallest religion since it traditionally doesn’t proselytize.

The Holy Spirit in the life of the Church.  The mission of the Holy Spirit is to complete the work that the Father sent Jesus to do.  Jesus was sent to show the world how great God’s love was and still is for us.  The work of Jesus continues through the faithful with the motivation of the Holy Spirit working through us.

 The Early disciples saw the hand of God in the events that shaped the Church.  They attribute the origin of the Church and their mission to Pentecost.  They also believed that all Christians were living “in the Spirit” and were therefore related to one another.  St. Paul has often described the Church as the Body of Christ.

Christianity and Judaism  Pentecost (50 days after Easter/Passover): Descent of the Holy Spirit (Christians) and Moses receives the 10 Commandments (Jewish).  40 days after: The Ascension (Christian) and Moses and the Israelites arrive at Mount Sinai (Jewish).  Passover: Resurrection of Jesus (Christian) and Moses delivers the Israelites from slavery (Jewish).

 The Holy Spirit breathed a new life (the life of Christ) into the community of believers.  The Church is seen as the mystical Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12-26)  We are called to live in communion as God does in the Trinity (we live in community).  The Church is intended to be an instrument of God’s grace.

 The Church is where the love of the Father for Jesus is made visible and takes form.  We see Jesus - the Son of God, in the way the Church reaches out to the poor and the rest of the world.  The Holy Spirit is everywhere at work (the energy, fire, joy of people doing Christ’s work).  The Church is the sacrament of God’s activity of gathering (sign of God’s love in the world).