Mary Fabyan Windeatt - St. Paul The Apostle: The Story of the Apostle to the Gentiles

Nihil Obstat:	Francis J. Reine, S.T.D. Censor Librorum
Imprimatur:		Paul C. Schulte, D.D. Archbishop of Indianapolis Feast of Saints Peter and Paul June 29, 1949

Copyright 1949 by Saint Meinrads Abbey, Inc., St. Meinrad, Indiana.

Previously published as a Grail Publication under the title The Man on Fire: The Story of Saint Paul. The Man on Fire first appeared in serial form in the pages of The Torch .

The type in this book is the property of TAN Books, an Imprint of Saint Benedict Press, LLC, and may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, without written permis sion from the Publisher. (This restriction applies only to reproduction of this type , not to quotations from the book.)

ISBN: 978-0-89555-426-0

Library of Congress Catalog Card No.: 93-61076

Printed and bound in the United States of America.

TAN Books
An Imprint of Saint Benedict Press, LLC
Charlotte, North Carolina
2012

To His Excellency
The Most Rev. Paul C. Schulte, D.D.,
Archbishop of Indianapolis,
and to all Pauls, in name or in spirit,
who strive to be
Men on Fire
for the Kingdom of Christ.

Grateful acknowledgment is due the Reverend Placidus Kempf, O.S.B., the Reverend Meinrad Hoffman, O.S.B., and the Reverend Conrad Louis, O.S.B., monks of St. Meinrads Abbey, for their generous help and encouragement in preparing this story of Saint Paul.

THE ANCIENT WORLD IN THE TIME OF ST. PAUL.

I T WAS a well-armed troop of men that marched briskly through the streets of Jerusalem one bright morning in the year A.D. 34. Their destination was the city of Damascus, 150 miles away. Unless something unforeseen occurred, they would reach there within a weeks time. Then woe betide the men and women they sought those betrayers of the Law of Moses and the Prophets, who declared that the Messias had already come in the person of a poor carpenter from Nazareth.

Death to every one of them! muttered the leader of the troop, Saula small, wiry man in his early thirties, whose dark eyes flashed vengefully. Yes, death to all who followed the Nazarene. And before deathimprisonment, torture, starvation

Look, sir! cried a young soldier suddenly, pressing forward on Sauls right as the group passed through the Damascus Gate at the north end of the city. Over there, by the side of the road!

Saul shaded his eyes from the brilliant sunshine, and for an instant a satisfied smile played about his mouth. Plainly visible in the open countryside was a freshly turned mound of earth. At this place a few days ago a raging mob had stoned to death a young man who persisted in declaring that the Nazarene, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, was the Promised One of Israel.

One fool less, isnt it, sir?

Sauls eyes were grim. There are still plenty left, especially in Damascus.

The young soldier smiled confidently. But well stone them, too, sir. And bury them all in a common grave. Then our troubles will be over.

Saul laughed harshly and pointed to a black leather lash curled like a snake about his arm. You make it too easy. The ones we take prisoner at Damascus must have a slower death than stoning. They must be flogged before friends and neighbors, then marched in chains to Jerusalem for sentence.

In chains, sir?

Yes.

Men and women alike?

Men and women alike.

In spite of himself the young soldier fell back a few paces, looking with awe at the young leader. What a man of iron Saul was! Although in one sense he was a foreigner, a Roman citizen born in Tarsus, in Cilicia, he was as filled with zeal for the Law and the Prophets as the most learned rabbi at the Temple. He seemed to have only one purpose in lifeto destroy the followers of the Nazarene. No wonder the Sanhedrin (the Great Council in Jerusalem) had given him full powers to arrest and punish traitors to the Jewish religion. It would be hard to find a more loyal and devoted son of Israel anywhere.

There was no one in the company who did not share these sentiments. Yet as they journeyed on, doubts arose whether Sauls methods in dealing with the Damascus Nazarenes would be successful. If the wretches were to be flogged, then chained together and made to walk, under a hot sun, the 150 miles to the council chambers of the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem

The majority will drop in their tracks after the first day, was the general opinion. Particularly the women.

Yes, well have only a handful of prisoners to show for our efforts when we reach Jerusalem.

Why not save the floggings until later?

Thats right. And then our trip wont have been for nothing.

Saul paid little attention to such talk. Why should he? Elsewhere his treatment of the Nazarenes had been thoroughly successful. No other man could equal his record for rooting out the traitors and bringing them before the authorities for speedy judgment.

It will be the same this time, he assured himself. In spite of what we do to them, therell be plenty of traitors to bring to Jerusalem.