Click here for today’s Scripture readings.
Ephesians 1:1-10
Luke 11:47-54
Novena in Honor of Saint Paul of the Cross – Day 3
In our modern day of instant communication by phone and e mail, not to mention Twitter and the rest, the art of letter writing seems poised to recede into oblivion. But for St. Paul of the Cross, a letter crafted with painstaking care became an instrument of the Spirit forming the recipient of the letter into the image of Christ the Lord, which is our common destiny as disciples of Jesus. “Read this letter from time to time”, Paul writes. “I wrote it after saying Mass; I see that God enlightened me: regard it as a treasure coming from him, because in myself I have nothing to give.”
Paul’s whole apostolic mission was devoted to the spiritual formation of everyone who heard his sermons as he went from town to town in central Italy for decades. But in the intimate exchange of this letter, we see more clearly that Paul of the Cross considered himself only an instrument of God, whom Paul knew was the only true director of souls.
Paul’s spiritual formation of laity, religious and clergy flowed from his own contemplative prayer focused on the Passion of the Lord. Through this lens and his immersion in the prayer of the Church, especially the Eucharist, he deepened his experience of the heart of Jesus. In this way, the Father’s Will became his own will, just as it was for Jesus. Despite the suffering, Paul knew that the Father’s Will was always good. This wisdom he shared in his counsel to others.
Paul of the Cross was attentive to the uniqueness of each person. “The direction I am giving you in the name of the Lord corresponds to your way of life. It would be a mistake to apply it to someone else who is not following the same path. Different stomachs require different food.”
Though many thousands of people received Paul’s spiritual message in person centuries ago, we are not spiritual orphans. His thousands of letters remain the most precious legacy through which he still forms us today. He often signed his letters, “Your unworthy servant.” We may wish to dispute that note of “unworthiness,” but he truly serves us still as an instrument of God for our formation in the Spirit.
Fr. Paul Zilonka is Director of Formation for the Passionist Community in Chicago, Illinois.
More on St. Paul of the Cross: http://www.thepassionists.org/Paul_of_the_Cross.html
Novena Prayers: http://thepassionists.org/reflections/novenas/nine-days-of-prayer-with-st-paul-of-the-cross/
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Thanks, Paul, for reminding us of the letters of Paul of the Cross, a treasure of wisdom and an example of his zeal. Letter writing seems old to us, but in his day it was the latest way to communicate, the rage of the time. For Paul of the Cross it became an expression of the ingenuity of love.