St. Paul. How Appropriate.

Tonight we got a chance to get back to the hotel at a fairly early hour, so the energy I can commit to reflection is a lot more sustainable than the last time I posted.  We began our day with a trip to a catacomb several minutes outside City Central, and moved on to St. Paul's Basilica.  I don't mean to depreciate the value of our catacomb experience, but my attention at the moment is drawn St. Paul.  We got a bit of a whirlwind tour from an official tour guide.  He pointed to the 4th century portion of the church that had outlasted an 1823 fire that destroyed more than 2/3 of the Basilica, and the portraits of every pope from Peter to Benedict.  My spirit was ignited however when Mr. Conrad gathered us at the high altar, where we heard Paul's testimony to Timothy about the dangers he endured in preserving his faith and fulfilling his evangelist duty.  I was so inspired by the story of a man who was once a zealous keeper of the Jewish faith who was so vastly and profoundly touched by The Holy Spirit that he died defending Christ and His workings.  Here I was praying at the sarcophagus of THE Paul, feeling the Holy Spirit perhaps stronger than I ever had, and my thoughts suddenly were shifted: how appropriate.  As moved as I was today by Saint Paul and how he brought the Holy Spirit into the room, I found myself wanted to thank another Paul.  I can still remember being a scrawny sophomore in high school wanting to fit in.  A few friends invited me to attend youth group some Monday night, and I found for the first time it could be FUN to be Catholic.  Mr. Pyrkosz, as I have never called him, always found a way to make talking about God an enjoyable experience; something I began to become passionate about for the first time in my life.  While I in no way want to put the pressure on Paul by comparing him to his namesake, I can appreciate what they both have done for me in a new light today.

Collin Hall