The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-07-04
THE ZEAL OF ST. PAUL.

Zeal is the glow of perfect
charity, the ardor of love for God
and for man, the inspiration of
heroic labors and sufferings. It is
the most essential qualification of
the Apostle. 1t was the most
prominent Of all the characteris-
tics of st. Paul. For st. Paul
loved God; he loved the Son of
God, our Divine Redeemer; and
he loved all the souls that Jesus
died for. The Charity of Christ
took possession Of him and urged
him on to all the labors, sufferings
and sacrifices which made up his
apostolic life. Sent by Almighty
God with good tidings he was
eager that all men should hear the
word in power and be changed
and transformed and raised to the
dignity of sons Of God.
No man ever loved his fellow
men as Paul loved them. He
loved them because he loved God
and his heart beat in sympathy
with the heart of Jesus Christ. He
loved them because they were
bought with great price. Round
every humblest soul Of man he
saw the calm solemn light of
Gods infinite and eternal charity.
He saw the Divine destiny of the
poor and the lowly. Ever day by
day he heard in his own deep
heart the echoes Of the Divine
Voice that has called men out of
nothingness and never ceases to
call them to the glory Of heaven.
So to him this world held nothing
so noble, so beautiful, so precious
as the human soul. For Christ s
dear sake he would gain them !;
for their own sake he would bring
them to God. This zeal, this
ardent glow Of charity was God s
gift to st. Paul which transformed
the prosecutor into the Apostle Of
the Nations.
In this as in other things we
are hidden by st. Paul to initiate
him according to our measure as
he initiated the Master. We can
do something to win souls for
Christ. By prayers and by aims
we can assist the missionaries Of
the Church. AS good citizens we
can take our part in the war
against vice and wrong. AS good
Catholics we can know our holy
religion well and be ready at all
times to give to all who ask a
reason for the hope that is in us.
But a good life is the best sermon.
If we have in us the Spirit of
Christ, and try honestly to live
up to our profession, then our con-
duct will be to all men a most
eloquent indication Of the way
that leads to God, and a most
winning invitation to walk in it.
There was time when Saul of
Tarsus breathed slaughter against
the disciples Of Jesus and thought
there was nothing he ought not to
do against that Sacred Name. He
was then Of the number of those
who thought that to STAY Chris
tians was to perform a work most
agreeable to God. But the hand
of God touched him and Saul, the
prosecutor, became Paul, the
Apostle. This change was made
by the right hand Of the Most
High. What God did then He can
do now and always. st. Stephen,
the first martyr, prayed for those
who took part in putting him to
death, Lord, lay not this sin to
their charge" It was the mar
tyr's dying breath. One Of those
for whom he prayed was Saul of
Tarsus who had consented to his
death. The prayer of Stephen
was heard; and to that prayer,
says st. Augustine, we owe the
conversion of Saint Paul. The
slanderers and prosecutors of to-
day may provoke us, may perhaps
lead weak souls astray. Let us
think of Saul and of the wondrous
change in him that was made by
the love of Our Father in Heaven.
Let your light shine before men
that seeing it they may give glory
to God. In our conduct as good
Catholics let them see the good
things that come out of Nazareth.
Let our lives show that God is
with us. And our prayers shall
go up to God that He may bring
those poor, wandering souls out
of the darkness into the His won
derful Light. Oh! that God would
give all Catholics this truly Cath
Ole zeal, this noble devotion to
the cause of Christ, this consum-
ing passion for the true interests
of our race! May the Apostle of
the nations ask it for us, so that
our days on earth may be en-
nobled and made beautiful by the
true likeness to our Divine Re-
deemer.