St Boniface Catholic Church, Southampton

Imprisoned

Dear People of St. Boniface:

I always had a soft spot for the Christians of Philippi in northern Greece. It was the first place in Europe where, with Silas, I preached the Gospel and made the first convert, whose name was Lydia.

This did not prevent us from being violently opposed, imprisoned, flogged – even though we were Roman citizens! – and urged to leave. We went on to Thessalonika, and in my first letter to the Thessalonians I remind them of the “suffering and insult” we had endured in Philippi. Not that this reduced my love for them.

On my second missionary journey, after spending two years in Ephesus, and finally having to leave as a result of a riot provoked by the guardians of the shrine of the goddess Artemis, I returned to Philippi. It was a sort of safe haven.

So it is appropriate that I draw near to the end of my letter to them with thoughts of peace, urging them to pure and noble behaviour, and not to succumb to that great enemy of the faith – worry.

My blessing, from Heaven, PAUL.