Thursday, May 08, 2008

Take courage

My post this morning was incomplete (brain lapse). I wanted to also mention a side of Paul that we don't usually associate with his personality at all, but that comes out at least twice in Acts, and that you can read between the lines in some of his letters: Paul's fear. When he arrived in Corinth, the ancient world's city of sin ("What happens in Corinth, stays in Corinth"), the Lord appeared to him in a vision, telling him "Do not be afraid; keep preaching. There are many of my people in this city." And in today's reading, with Paul in Roman custody, the Lord tells him "Take courage! You are going to bear witness to me in Rome" (a city Paul had been hoping to get to). This makes the Responsorial Psalm for the day all the more fitting (it's one of my favs anyway): "Keep me safe, O God, you are my hope."

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