Pope Benedict Speaks On Prayer Life Of Saint Paul

Pope Benedict XVI recently said that the life of St. Paul demonstrates to us that God can work wonders through and in the lives of those who constantly seek God and grow closer to Him through prayer.

“As our union with the Lord grows and our prayer likewise becomes more intense, like St. Paul, we too will turn our focus on what is  important as well as to recognize that it is not by our own power that the Kingdom of God comes about, but rather by the grace of God who works miracles through us in spite of our weakness,” said the Pope at the Vatican during the course of the June 13 general audience.

In focussing on the prayer life of the apostle Paul, as recorded in his 2nd letter to the Corinthians,  Pope Benedict noted that in safeguarding the legitimacy of his apostolate, Paul allures more than anything else, to his profound nearness to the Lord in prayer, where he, Paul, experienced moments of revelation, euphoria and visions.  Pope Benedict also pointed out Paul’s quickness to also boast about his weakness so that the power of Christ may live in him.

This approach used by St. Paul bears witness to his enthusiasm  in letting his readers know and understand that the difficulties and even suffering they will encounter in following Christ, “can be conquered by completely opening ourselves to and trusting in the grace of God,” the Pope pointed out.

The testimony of the life of St. Paul, and the many trials and tribulations he lived through should help remind all Christians that it is “at the moment we feel we’re at our very weakest that the power of God can be seen.”

In a world that is relying more and more on our own humanness and our own power, St. Paul calls us to “rediscover and to bear witness to the power of prayer, through which we grow each passing day as we allow our lives to become more like that of Christ.”

Pope Benedict suggested that the lesson for our very own lives is to observe the example of St. Paul as well as stay consistent and faithful in our relationship with God, particularly in times of trouble and distress and persecution.  Only then will we have the ability to deal with the dilemmas we face as St. Paul was able to, “with the total conviction that we are able to do all things through Christ who gives us strength.  The Pope also added that by devoting more time to prayer, our lives will be completely changed as well as animated by the magnificent power of God’s love.