Send us your favorite St. Paul quote

The Catholic Answer magazine asked well-known Catholics from around the country, "What is your favorite St. Paul quote"? You'll find them below.

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From The Catholic Answer

What’s Your Favorite Passage from St. Paul?

The apostle Paul composed more books of Scripture than any other biblical author. So the ongoing Year of St. Paul (June 28, 2008-June 29, 2009), which focuses on his life and work, has a happy convergence in the coming weeks with the upcoming world Synod of Bishops (Oct. 5-26), whose theme this year is “The Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church.”

Given the depth and breadth of the apostle’s writings, probably every Catholic who’s familiar with Scripture can identify some Pauline passage as a favorite, a biblical text whose insight has served to shape his or her life in a profound way. So TCA talked to Catholics around the country whose names you’ll no doubt recognize, asking them to tell us: Which biblical passage written by St. Paul means the most to you?

Here are their answers. One text (Romans 8:37-39) was chosen by two people. A few came with comments explaining why a particular passage was chosen, but most need no explanation: St. Paul’s words speak for themselves, in all their power, wisdom and passion.

For the good that I would, I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. [(Romans 7:19]

Simon Roughneed

“In [Christ] who is the source of my strength I have strength for everything” (Phil 4:13).

Most Reverend Thomas J. Olmsted, Bishop of the Diocese of Phoenix, Ariz.

“Christ loved the church and handed himself over for her to sanctify her, cleansing her by the bath of water with the word, that he might present to himself the church in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish” (Eph 5:25-27).

Most Reverend Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M., Archbishop of Denver, Colo.; the first words of this passage are the motto on his episcopal coat of arms. “It reminds me,” he notes, “that my role as bishop is primarily to love the Church in exactly the same kind of way that Christ loves the Church, the love of a husband for his spouse.”

“[Christ] is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation; for in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities — all things were created for him and through him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, that in everything he might be pre-eminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross” (Col 1:15-21, RSVCE).

George Weigel, Distinguished Senior Fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C.

“[God] chose us in [Christ], before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him” (Eph 1:4).

Johnnette S. Benkovic, founder and president of Living His Life Abundantly International, Inc., and Women of Grace, and host of the EWTN program “The Abundant Life”

“Or are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life.

“We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more; death no longer has power over him. As to his death, he died to sin once and for all; as to his life, he lives for God. Consequently, you too must think of yourselves as [being] dead to sin and living for God in Christ Jesus” (Rom 6:3-4,9-11).

Bert Ghezzi, Ph.D., author of “The Heart of a Saint” and an editor for The Word Among Us Press

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Rom 12:21, RSV).

Patrick Madrid, publisher of Envoy magazine and author of “150 Bible Verses Every Catholic Should Know” (Servant)

“But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as refuse, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own, based on law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith; that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that if possible I may attain the resurrection of the dead” (Phil 3:7-11, RSVCE).

Peter S. Williamson, S.T.D., associate professor of Scripture at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, Mich., and co-editor of the new “Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture”(Baker Academic)

“With eyes wide open to the mercies of God, I beg you, my brothers, as an act of intelligent worship, to give him your bodies, as a living sacrifice, consecrated to him and acceptable by him. Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let God re-mould your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good, meets all his demands and moves towards the goal of true maturity” (Rom 12:1-2, Phillips)
Al Kresta, president and CEO of Ave Maria Radio and host of “Kresta in the Afternoon,” heard throughout the United States on EWTN Global Catholic Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 8:37-39, RSV).

Thomas Howard, author of “On Being Catholic” (Ignatius) and a retired college professor who taught English for 40 years; Joseph Pearce, author of books on Shakespeare, Chesterton, Lewis, Tolkien and others, and editor of the St. Austin Review

“Therefore take the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand” (Eph 6:13, RSV).

Teresa Tomeo, host of the nationally syndicated EWTN program “Catholic Connection” and author of “Noise: How Our Media Saturated Culture Dominates Lives and Dismantles Families” (Ascension)

“We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose” (Rom 8:28).
Peter Kreeft, Ph.D., professor of philosophy at Boston College and author of “A Pocket Guide to the Meaning of Life” (Our Sunday Visitor)

“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God which is with me” (1 Cor 15:10, RSV).

Steve Wood, president of Family Life Center International and host of Faith & Family Radio

“But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. I do not even judge myself. I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me” (1 Cor 4:3-4, RSVCE).

Mike Dubriel, Office of the New Evangelization, Diocese of Birmingham, Ala.

“Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one — I am talking like a madman — with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Five times I have received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I have been beaten with rods; once I was stoned. Three times I have been shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brethren; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure upon me of my anxiety for all the churches” (2 Corinthians 11:23-28, RSVCE).

Steve Ray, author of “Crossing the Tiber” and producer of the “Footprints of God” DVD series (Ignatius); he comments: “I like this passage because, after filming Paul’s life in six countries, I learned what a tough, determined, indomitable man God chose to preach the gospel of liberty.”

“If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, will he not also give us all things with him?” (Rom 8:31-32, RSV).

Paul Thigpen, Ph.D., editor of The Catholic Answer and author of 35 books

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel: it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Rom 1:16, RSVCE).

Rosalind Moss, a Jewish convert, Catholic apologist, author and television host, now mother superior of a new religious order, the Daughters of Mary, Mother of Israel’s Hope, based in St. Louis, Mo.

“[The Lord] said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness’” (2 Cor 12:9, RSVCE).

Edward Sri, S.T.D., author of “The New Rosary in Scripture” (Charis), who appears frequently on EWTN and teaches theology at the Augustine Institute’s Master’s program in Denver, Colo.

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal 2:20, RSVCE).

Jeff Cavins, founding host of the programs “Life on the Rock” on EWTN and “Morning Air” on Relevant Radio, and creator of “The Great Adventure,” a popular Bible study program (Ascension)

“The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the learning of the learned I will set aside.’ Where is the wise one? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made the wisdom of the world foolish? For since in the wisdom of God the world did not come to know God through wisdom, it was the will of God through the foolishness of the proclamation to save those who have faith. For Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are called, Jews and Greeks alike, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength” (1 Cor 1:18-25).

Amy Welborn, author of 16 books, most recently “Mary and the Christian Life” (Word Among Us Press)

“Bear one another’s burdens, and so you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal 6:2).

Karl Keating, founder and president of Catholic Answers

“Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, [love] is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth” (1 Cor 13:4-6).

Jeremiah Ashcroft, Ph.D., president of Southern Catholic College in Dawsonville, Ga.

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