Dear Friends,
Life of Paul (detail), Aidan Hart with contributions from Andrew Jamieson, Copyright 2002, The Saint John’s Bible, Saint John’s University, Collegeville, Minnesota USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
St. Paul was the missionary and fruitful disciple of Jesus par excellence. In his vision on the road to Damascus, he had seen a light from heaven and encountered Christ. On the illumination in The Saint John’s Bible titled, Life of Paul, we see at St. Paul’s left elbow the arches from the entrance to the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. Christ suffered and died for us. He was buried, but then he rose from the dead and appeared to his disciples, finally also to Saul who became Paul in the process, a new person. He considered everything as loss because of the supreme good of knowing Jesus Christ as his Lord (Philippians 3:8)
The artist depicts St. Paul wearing a Jewish prayer shawl. He had grown up as a devout Jew. This was his background, but he was open to the working of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of all people, regardless of their culture or walk of life. We see him wearing sandals. As messenger of Jesus Christ, he traveled long distances on foot. We also see part of a ship. Sometimes he traveled by boat; being shipwrecked three times was just one example of the hardships he endured on his journeys!
The broken church building that St. Paul holds in his hands resembles St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Christians are divided into denominations today, but St. Paul’s core message of us being justified by faith in Christ (cf. Romans 5:1-9) can bring us back into unity.
After his conversion, St. Paul first traveled to Arabia through the desert. He needed a time of prayer and of stillness (cf. Galatians 1:17). Today St. Benedict Center is a place of prayer and of stillness, too, conducive to encountering Christ and to growing in our relationship with him.
From our facility I can report that we have gotten new chillers this year which guarantee cool and dryer air in the building during the warmer months. – Especially worth noting among our upcoming events is the retreat titled, A Way to Live and Enjoy Life more Fully on December 12 – 13, 2025, with Fr. Joe Miksch from Columbus, NE. It will be about identifying and working toward eliminating inner obstacles that keep us from living the Great Commandment of Jesus. – I am looking forward to seeing you again soon!
Fr. Thomas Leitner, OSB, Administrator