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Letter to the Clergy and Faithful on The Year of
Saint Paul
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Dear
Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
The year 2008 marks the 2000th anniversary of the birth of St. Paul. To
honour and
celebrate the life, mission, and letters of this great Apostle, the
Holy Father, Pope
Benedict XVI, has declared June 2008-June 2009 to be the Year of Saint
Paul.
Throughout this year, the Church is called to share with the Apostle
Paul in the call to
conversion; to live and pray in Christ; to study and live the inspired
Word of God; to
rekindle a love for the Eucharist and the Church; and to respond to the
universal call to
holiness and mission.
The Opening of the Pauline Year in the
Archdiocese of Edmonton
A solemn liturgy to mark the beginning of the Pauline Year will be held
at St. Joseph’s
Basilica on Sunday, June 29th, at 5 p.m. On this day, as the Church
throughout the world
celebrates the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, we in this
Archdiocese shall gather in
our Cathedral church or in our parishes to celebrate the Eucharist and
entrust this year of
jubilee to God, whose love has been forcefully proclaimed by the
Apostle Paul.
Practical Means of Participation in the Year of
Saint Paul
Many activities are already planned or underway in this Archdiocese.
For example, I have
recently announced the beginning this fall of our plan for the new
evangelization. Indeed,
St. Paul’s eloquent testimony to the beauty of life in Christ will
greatly enhance our new
evangelization process, which aims to help all of us discover that
there is “nothing more
beautiful” than our life of faith. As well, the Archdiocese is
continuing to discern and
implement various pastoral goals for this local Church. How, then, to
honour this
privileged moment in the history of the Church in such a way that it is
not perceived as a
burdensome “addition” to events already occurring? The way to do so is
to infuse what is
already in place or planned with the teachings of St. Paul.
For individuals, I strongly encourage the nourishment of your daily
life of faith through a
new reading of the letters of St. Paul. Paul himself was intimately
acquainted with the
Sacred Scriptures of Israel, and through the study of his letters, we
perceive the immense
significance of God’s Son, the Christ, entering into human history and
offering his life for
ours in the fullness of time (Gal 2:20; 4:4). I suggest spending time
with Paul and his
letters in the presence of our Lord through a monthly Holy Hour before
the Blessed
Sacrament. This time would afford us with an opportunity to grow in
appreciation,
knowledge and love of Scripture, which itself witnesses to Christ (Rom
1:2). Reflections
on these pastoral letters can be undertaken on a personal basis, as
well as through joining
parish Bible studies wherever available.
As regards our parishes and institutions, I ask that current programs
and initiatives
incorporate Paul’s teachings. This can be as simple as beginning a
meeting with a
reflection from one of Paul’s letters. Likewise, programs addressed to
such needs as
sacramental preparation, family life and marriage matters, or issues of
social justice may
probe Paul’s letters more deeply.
Our priests have already been assisted to lead the faithful at Mass to
a deeper
understanding of passages from the letters of St. Paul. The person and
the theology of the
Apostle were the focus of their recent study days at Jasper, led by a
Scripture scholar who
specializes in this area, Dr. Margaret MacDonald of Saint Francis
Xavier University in
Nova Scotia.
ScriptureFest 2008, ScriptureFest Follow-up and
the Year of St. Paul
I am also pleased to announce that this year’s ScriptureFest, along
with the monthly
ScriptureFest follow-up sessions, are dedicated to exploring the
letters of St. Paul. Since
Dr. MacDonald’s presentations to the priests were so well received, we
have invited her
to return to lead ScriptureFest this fall. As a yearly two-day event,
ScriptureFest allows
us the opportunity to reflect on the timeless riches of the Bible and
hear recent scholarly
insights. The monthly follow-up sessions this year will allow for a
closer and sustained
tour of Paul’s missionary journeys and letters.
Prayer for the Pauline Year
Finally, I suggest that we pray often, throughout this year of jubilee,
the following prayer
adapted from the one composed by St. Paul himself while in prison (Eph
3:14-21). It is a
powerful expression of the hope that is ours through faith in Christ.
I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on
earth is
named, that he may grant us in accord with the riches of his glory to be
strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner self, and that
Christ may
dwell in our hearts through faith; that we, rooted and grounded in
love, may have
strength to comprehend with all the holy ones what is the breadth and
length and
height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses
knowledge, so that
we may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to
accomplish far more than all we ask or imagine, by the power at work
within us,
to him be glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus to all generations,
forever and
ever. Amen.
Yours sincerely in Christ,
 Richard W.
Smith
Archbishop of Edmonton
Solemnity of St. Peter and St. Paul
June 29, 2008
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