PETALING JAYA: In conjunction with the feast of St Paul and to conclude the Jubilee Year of St Paul, a special Mass was held on June 29 at 8.00pm in the Church of the Assumption.

Organized by the Daughters of St Paul and Association of Pauline Cooperators, Assumption Church parish priest, Fr Phillips Muthu presided at the Eucharistic celebration with Fr Larry Tan SJ concelebrating.

Twelve banners depicting the life of St Paul from his conversion right up to his martyrdom were hung on both sides of the church walls, with a brief history of his mission and quotes from the New Testament. Bookmarks of St Paul were also distributed to all.

Fr Phillips sketched in detail, the portrait of the man named Paul, most prolific of the early Apostles, the man who took the Gospel of Christ into the world of non-Jews.

The diocesan priest described Paul as an arrogant preacher, yet Paul tried his best — good fight to the end, despite human challenges, he worked hard to preach the Gospel. “I fought the good fight to the end, I have kept the faith....”. Fr Phillips said Paul, despite not being part of the 12 apostles has his conversion, goes through three years of formation (a kind of RCIA). He said his listeners should follow his example: those struggling with sin/faith should relate and follow Jesus through the life of St Paul.

Fr Phillips said we must be the libation to bring Jesus to others. “Lay leaders can’t do it alone, be in partnership to work with Jesus. When we are lonely and fed-up, don’t give up. Preach Jesus and see Jesus in us. Preaching about Jesus is easy, but to live the life of Jesus is not easy. Be a libation, tell the world who Jesus is. Be the apostles and slaves of the Gospel,” Fr Phillips concluded. — By Bernard Anthony