Excerpt from Pope Benedict's New Book

"The Apostles" by Pope Benedict XVI

In Paul's apostolate difficulties were not lacking, which he faced with courage for love of Christ. He himself recalls having endured "labors...imprisonment...beatings...numerous brushes with death...Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I passed a night and a day on the deep; on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my own race, dangers from Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea, dangers among false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many sleepless nights, through hunger and thirst, through frequent fastings, cold and exposure. And apart from these things there is the daily pressure upon me of my anxiety for all the Churches."

From a passage of the Letter to the Romans appears his proposal to push on even to Spain, to the Far West, to announce the Gospel everywhere, even to the then known ends of the earth. How can one not admire a man like this? How can one not thank the Lord for having given an Apostle of this stature? (p. 126.)



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And just think, Paul did not have to be distracted by reality TV, cell phone cameras, and ruffies in bars. People probably did not hit upon him, and they probably didn't try to hypnotize him, or do quick sketches of him going to the bathroom.