Princeton speaker series kicks off with Bishop on topic of St. Paul
September 25, 2024 at 10:11 a.m.
Addressing those gathered in the St. Paul Parish spiritual center Sept. 24, Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., talked about the Apostle Paul from a three-fold perspective: the man, his mission and his message.
“St. Paul the Apostle defines much of what we believe and teach in Christianity and much of what we have believed and taught for over 2,000 years,” he noted. “He is often considered the most important person in Christianity after the Lord Jesus himself.”
St. Paul, Bishop O'Connell says to those gathered in St. Paul Parish spiritual center Sept. 24, is probably best known for his New Testament letters written to both Gentiles and the Jews. EmmaLee Italia photoThe Bishop gave his talk, “In the Footsteps of St. Paul,” as the first of a four-part speaker series “St. Paul Presents,” launched by the Princeton parish. The series, which will include a new speaker quarterly, was inspired by feedback from the recent Synod listening sessions, which revealed that many in the parish were seeking expanded adult faith formation.
“He could not be shaken from his conviction … St. Paul traveled over 10,000 miles preaching, teaching, baptizing and evangelizing, rallying communities and churches around the message of the Gospel,” Bishop O’Connell pointed out. “And he wanted everyone to know why. We read in his letter to the Galatians, ‘I want you to know, brothers, that the Gospel preached by me is not of human origin, for I did not receive it from a human being, nor was I taught it; it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ.’
The Bishop went on to explain how St. Paul made three missionary journeys before his mission to Rome – an amazing feat, given the limitations of transportation and the travel conditions.
“He encountered several physical hardships – hunger, thirst, cold, inadequate clothing,” he said. “He was opposed by the Jews, he was opposed by the Romans, even thrown in jail and stoned. He also had spiritual and emotional issues, anxiety … but despite all these challenges along the way, Paul exhibited unwavering faith and perseverance.”
More to come on this story.
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Addressing those gathered in the St. Paul Parish spiritual center Sept. 24, Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., talked about the Apostle Paul from a three-fold perspective: the man, his mission and his message.
“St. Paul the Apostle defines much of what we believe and teach in Christianity and much of what we have believed and taught for over 2,000 years,” he noted. “He is often considered the most important person in Christianity after the Lord Jesus himself.”
St. Paul, Bishop O'Connell says to those gathered in St. Paul Parish spiritual center Sept. 24, is probably best known for his New Testament letters written to both Gentiles and the Jews. EmmaLee Italia photoThe Bishop gave his talk, “In the Footsteps of St. Paul,” as the first of a four-part speaker series “St. Paul Presents,” launched by the Princeton parish. The series, which will include a new speaker quarterly, was inspired by feedback from the recent Synod listening sessions, which revealed that many in the parish were seeking expanded adult faith formation.
“He could not be shaken from his conviction … St. Paul traveled over 10,000 miles preaching, teaching, baptizing and evangelizing, rallying communities and churches around the message of the Gospel,” Bishop O’Connell pointed out. “And he wanted everyone to know why. We read in his letter to the Galatians, ‘I want you to know, brothers, that the Gospel preached by me is not of human origin, for I did not receive it from a human being, nor was I taught it; it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ.’
The Bishop went on to explain how St. Paul made three missionary journeys before his mission to Rome – an amazing feat, given the limitations of transportation and the travel conditions.
“He encountered several physical hardships – hunger, thirst, cold, inadequate clothing,” he said. “He was opposed by the Jews, he was opposed by the Romans, even thrown in jail and stoned. He also had spiritual and emotional issues, anxiety … but despite all these challenges along the way, Paul exhibited unwavering faith and perseverance.”
More to come on this story.