The last of the apostles

 The last of the apostles, however, Paul will say , without boasting, that he has served Christ more than any other, through his work, his imprisonment,, and the beatings suffered because of the Gospel. At the end of a life of work and suffering for Christ, he has not forgotten his sins of the past. He still mentiones them in one of his last letters, when he thanks Jesus Christ, our Lord, for having called him to his service, "I was a  persecutor of the Church, but I got mercy, because then, I had no faith, but Christ Jesus came to this world to save sinners, and among them, I am the first! "(I Tim. I, 13-15)


  L'últim dels apòstols, això no obstant, Pau podrà afirmar, sense vantar-se, que ha servit el Crist més que cap altre, pels seus treballs, pel seu empresonament i pels cops soferts per l'Evangeli. Al final d'una vida de labors i sofriments pel Crist, no ha oblidat les seves faltes de temps passats. Encara les menciona en una de les seves darreres cartes, quan dóna gràcies a Crist-Jesús, nostre Senyor, d'haver-lo cridat al seu servei, "jo que vaig ser un perseguidor de l'Església, he obtingut misericòrdia, perquè jo encara no tenia la fe, i perquè el Crist-Jesús va venir al món per salvar els pecadors, dels quals jo sóc el primer!" (I Tim. I, 13-15) 

(Georges Chevrot: Le temps de l'Eglise, p.118-119, Bonne Presse)