Through reading the Acts of the Apostles and the letters of St. Paul in the New Testament we see that St Paul was a man totally gripped by the love of God revealed in the person of Jesus Christ. St Paul's whole life and message, after his conversion, was Christ-centred.

The Year of St Paul then is really as much about Christ as it is about St Paul, because St Paul pointed to Christ's way in what he did and said. One of St Paul's most well known sayings is "I live now not with my own life, but with the life of Christ who lives in me" (Galatians 2. 20). His letters speak of the presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist, in the Church which he called the 'Body of Christ' (1 Corinthians 12. 12-21), and of St Paul's mysterious sharing in the sufferings of Christ. He was driven by the desire to become a more faithful disciple of Christ, by the help of God's Holy Spirit; and encouraged his readers to look ahead to the goal at the end of their lives:

"I think that what we suffer in this life can never be compared to the glory as yet unrevealed, which is waiting for us"  (Romans 8. 18)

He was not just a man of words. He proved his dedication to the Gospel by the sufferings he underwent to spread it - he was imprisoned, stoned, shipwrecked and betrayed by friends during his missionary journeys. His letters also give a vivid impression of his humanity and of the personal struggles he dealt with, such as his unknown suffering "a thorn in the flesh" (2 Corinthians 12. 7).

His frustrations with the early Christian communities are laid bare in his letters, but there are also very touching stories of the love his friends had for him. We read about his departure from Ephesus knowing he would not return. "By now they were all in tears; they put their arms around Paul's neck and kissed him; what saddened them most was his saying they would never see his face again" (Acts 20. 37-28).

Through learning more about St Paul this year, we can hope to learn more about Christ of whom St Paul preached, and to witness ourselves to Christ's love and truth in our daily lives.