The Challenge of St. Paul

On Friday night I was very happy to hear Father John Donahue, SJ’s lecture on Paul.
This was the annual Hecker Lecture at St. Paul’s College. It was subtitled: The Challenge for Our Country Today.

I find it enjoyable to hear a leading biblical scholar speak to one of his areas of expertise.

There were numerous good points–and Fr. Donahue handed out some texts and bibliography.
[His text can now be found in Origins: Catholic News Service Documentary Service, 38/34, February 5, 2009, pages 541-546.

One point he made about St. Paul’s Call has stuck with me.

Paul kept his Judaism.
And he accepted Christ.
The Call–experienced so dramatically–was transforming for him

This reminded me that in our ecumenical work it is not a matter of giving up our tradition but rather of going deeper in accepting Christ and letting our lives be transformed by the Spirit. This transformation can often occur in our dialogue with our fellow Christians. We don’t give up our own personal Christian history but rather go deeper together.

Peace,
John

PS I was great to see and speak with friends who were in attendance.