Memorial of Saints Cornelius and Cyprian
September 16, 2023
Daily Reading from the USCCB: 1 Timothy 1:15-17
Paul’s gratitude for his calling leads him to recall the earlier time when he had been a persecutor of Christian communities, and the mercy with which he was treated.
Being a follower of Christ he says, is about being saved from sin. That’s what his life–Paul’s–had been about: displaying the mercy of Christ. Paul is an example of what it means to be a beneficiary of Christ’s saving power.
In this passage we hear Paul saying, “God forgives sinners. God has forgiven me. Glory and praise be to him.” Implicit in what Paul says is the import of his life for us all. We have all been sinners. We have been forgiven through the mercy of Christ. Glory and honor to God forever.
