Feast of St. Paul (Hido Mor Phawlos)

Feast of St. Paul (Hido Mor Phawlos)

June 29th is the Feast of St. Paul (Hido Mor Phawlos) according to the Liturgical Calendar of the Syriac Orthodox Church. Mor Phawlos, originally named Saul was a Jew of the Benjamin tribe born to a rich businessman who gained Roman citizenship. His mother died while he was still a child. He began his education in the Jewish school of Taursus, later becoming a student of Rabbi Gamaliel, a Pharisee & reputed scholar in Jerusalem. Paul was arguably the most educated among the Apostles. According to the Jewish law, every Jew should know a craft (work). So Saul learned tent making. Saul was a zealous Jewish believer, & was amongst the crowd that stoned St. Stephen the first martyr, to death. He had a deep rooted hatred towards the followers of Christ, & wished to extinguish their presence among the Jewish people. He was on his way to Damascus to carry out further persecution of Christians when he suddenly had to stop due to an intense flash of light. He fell to the ground as he heard a voice from heaven saying, "Saul, Saul why are you persecuting me?" Saul then replied, ''Who are you lord." Then the Lord answered, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads or spikes” (a proverb implying the futility of actions against an invisible force) Trembling in fear & astonished, he asks, “Lord, what do you want me to do?” Then the Lord said to him, “Arise & go into the city, & you will be told what you must do”. (Acts 9:1-6) When the light vanished, Saul was left blind & his attendees had to guide him into Damascus. In Damascus lived a believer named Ananias who had a vision of the Lord telling him to inquire about Saul of Tarsus, who would also be told of Ananias' arrival in his own vision. Ananias was initially reluctant to do so, as he had heard of the great persecution inflicted on Christians by Saul with the authority of the Jewish high priests of Jerusalem. But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, & the children of Israel. For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name's sake." Ananias went to meet Saul as commanded, laying his hands on Saul saying, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight & be filled with the Holy Spirit." Immediately Saul regained his eyesight, arose with conviction & was baptized. He left to Arabia for a period of around 3 years to strengthen himself for missionary activity. He then returned to Damascus for some time to preach there. Later he would use the name Paul, especially as he evangelized among the gentiles. Paul preached that Jesus is the son of God (Acts 9:20). The Jewish zealots wanted to kill Paul, but he learnt of the plot & escaped to Jerusalem. He desired to meet St. Peter the chief of the Apostles. He wanted to join with the other Apostles but the Church in Jerusalem did not wish to associate with him as had persecuted the Church fiercely. He returned to Tarsus only going back to Jerusalem with Barnabas with donations during a famine. Following this, he and Barnabas with to evangelize Cyprus where governor Sergius confessed the faith. The pair preached in many surrounding areas. Paul & Barnabas went to Jerusalem again for the synod presided by St. Peter in 51AD. After a 2 year period of imprisonment in Caesarea, he left to Rome. While preaching there, he met St. Peter & they were imprisoned together for around 9 months. Under the persecution of Emperor Nero, he was sentenced to death by beheading. Thus St. Paul attained the crown of martyrdom. His dukhrono is celebrated along with St. Peter on June 29th each year, marking the end of the Apostles Fast (Sawme d'S'hlihe). Paul faced insurmountable acts of persecution & suffering. He was stoned, beaten, imprisoned, clubbed, robbed, whipped & insulted. He had to live in treacherous conditions, braving immense difficulty, perils, natural disasters, extreme elements of nature while going without food & sleep. However, he was steadfast in his faith, never wavering under his disastrous predicament for his hope was in the Lord. St. Paul's mission work spans over 30 years. In total, Paul completed 3 missionary journeys stretching a vast area. He was instrumental in bringing countless number of gentiles to the Church. He supported himself & fellow workers by working with his own hands (Acts 20: 34). He also accepted material help for his basic needs (Phil. 4: 15-19). St. Paul wrote 14 epistles to the various churches & his fellow brethren to strengthen their faith, teaching the essence of the Christian message, & correcting the unnecessary Jewish influence that was creeping into the Church. Mor Phawlos stands as a model of atonement, wherein even the greatest enemy of Christ can became the greatest servant of the Master through genuine repentance, & faith in the truth of the Resurrection of our Saviour and the eternal life promised to us in His father's Heavenly Kingdom. Biography adapted from, 'Martyrs, Saints and Prelates of the Syriac Orthodox Church' May the prayers of the Holy Apostle Mor Phawlos be with us all. May the Lord be pleased with our fasting, and may He show mercy upon us. May the memory of the Holy Apostle be honored in Heaven as here on Earth. Oh Mor Phawlos s'hleeho! Plead for us before God's throne of grace. Amen. The Holy Bible readings from the Church Lectionary: Evening: Matthew 16:13-20 Morning: Matthew 19:27-30 Before Holy Qurbono: Genesis 12:1-9 Daniel 1:1-9 Isaiah 43:1-14 Holy Qurbono: Acts 1:12-14 I Corinthians 12:28-13:10 Matthew 20:1-16 Tone of the Day: 5