"No regrets..."

Today by the grace of God, we are allowed to enter the sacred space of a man who did it all for the sake of Christ – St Paul.

A man who was nor afraid of giving all and anything for the sake of the gospel.  Not the gospel as a theological proposition or as the theme for a book club discussion but as the message of hope and glory, of redemption, the gospel of the old, old story of Jesus and His love.

A man who, as he said, was denounced and maligned in his days, and still is even until our days.  Indeed, even if the Internet did not exist in those days, for sure there were trolls.  A man who worked much harder than many, who was jailed more often, beaten up more times than he could count. 

In fact, writing to the Church in Corinth, St Paul recalls that he was at death’s door time after time.  And he continues,

“I’ve been flogged five times with the Jews’ thirty-nine lashes, beaten by Roman rods three times, pummeled with rocks once.  I’ve been shipwrecked three times and immersed in the open sea for a night and a day.  In hard traveling year in and year out, I’ve had to ford rivers, fend off robbers, struggle with friends, struggle with foes.  I’ve been at risk in the city, at risk in the country, endangered by desert sun and sea storm, and I was betrayed by those I thought were my brothers.  

“I’ve known drudgery and hard labor, many a long and lonely night without sleep, many a missed meal, blasted by the cold, naked to the weather.  And that’s not the half of it, when you throw in the daily pressures and anxieties of all the churches.  When someone gets to the end of his rope, I feel the desperation in my bones.  When someone is duped into sin, an angry fire burns in my gut.  If I have to ‘brag’ about myself, I’ll brag about the humiliations that make me like Jesus.”

Such was the man who was now penning his last words to his beloved Timothy.  A man who in his own words, felt totally spent and yet feels ready to leave the safe harbor of mortal life to begin his journey in the hope of finding final peace and rest.

And as he looked back to his life, St Paul is realistic.  He never made it to Spain as he had dreamed, and when he thought of preaching in Rome, I’m sure he never thought that it would be from a prison cell.

Writing to Timothy, St Paul says, “I have fought the good fight”.  In other words, he accepted the he was not perfect or spotless – “The first of sinners”, calls himself – but he did his best, he finished the race.  And St Paul indeed finished the race because, if anything, he was not a quitter.

He had his struggles with friends and foes, and even with himself.  Remember St Paul asking God to take care of some physical or spiritual ailment, only to be told, “My grace is good enough”?

And now, even as he realizes that as a Roman citizen he was spared death at the Colosseum, nevertheless had to deal with a sword.  And yet, nevertheless, St Paul entrusts himself to the One who would never fail him, and the one that when the time is come, will hand him the Crown of Glory.

St Paul’s unwavering commitment serves as an lasting inspiration for all of us, in particular realizing that most of us, if not all, never had to endure the hardships that Paul faced.

Some of St Paul’s letters were written from places of suffering and isolation yet filled with faith and inner hope.  And, two thousand years later they continue to encourage and challenge us to embrace our own journeys with courage and conviction.

In moments of uncertainty or adversity, his example reminds us to keep our eyes fixed on the promise ahead and to rely on the strength that comes from faith.

Finally, in reflecting on St Paul's legacy, we are reminded that true faith is not measured by comfort or accolades, but by the power of grace, showing us that even in our weaknesses and limitations, God’s strength is what eventually will make the day.

Now, as you leave this gathering and you return to face the challenges of daily life, the regrets of things past and the anxieties of an unknown future, St Paul urges you to press on, trusting in the One who has called you into God’s fellowship.  Remain faithful, knowing that your struggles are not in vain but are woven with great love and care into the greater tapestry of eternal redemption and life-giving hope. 

And so, as St Paul would have it, “To God be the glory forever and ever.”  Amen.

Fr. Gustavo