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June 29, 2023Abu Dhabi.
Bishop Paolo Martinelli celebrated the 9th Anniversary of his Episcopal Ordination on 28 June 2023 during the Vigil Mass of Ss. Peter and Paul at St. Joseph's Cathedral Abu Dhabi. Bishop Emeritus Paul Hinder also celebrated his feast day along with Bishop Paolo, both of whom bear the name of St. Paul, the Apostle.
Below is the full text of the homily delivered by Bishop Paolo during the occasion.
Dear Sisters and Brothers,
This evening we are called to great joy. We celebrate the first vespers of the solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul. The two great pillars of the universal Church, which we celebrate with great enthusiasm as patron saints of the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia. Monsignor Paul Hinder, my beloved predecessor, and I bear the name of the Apostle to the Gentiles and experience the strength of his intercession, the solidity of his teaching, and the strength of his apostolic zeal for the salvation of all.
Also, celebrating today, the ninth anniversary of my episcopal ordination with you all – the people of God, priests, and consecrated persons. This fills me with gratitude, consolation, and joy. I especially thank Bishop Paul for his constant company and support in my mission. I am grateful to Msgr. Kryspin Dubiel, who this evening represents the Apostolic Nuncio, His Excellency Msgr. Christophe El Kassis.
Since Our Vicariate bears the name of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, we may ask ourselves: what are their fundamental traits that our people of God can admire and practice in our daily life?
Indeed, what we see in Saints Peter and Paul, we can refer above all to all the successors of the apostles, but in a certain sense also to all of you, who are in our hearts and who are God's holy people in this part of the world.
Following the sacred scriptures that have been proclaimed, we, first of all, encounter the beautiful passage of the Acts of the Apostles, where Peter, together with John, goes to the Temple of Jerusalem and meets a man paralytic from birth. He was a beggar. Peter tells this paralytic: I have neither silver nor gold. But I will give you what I have: in the name of Jesus, walk! The miracle of healing takes place knowing that the only richness of Saint Peter is the person of Jesus himself. Peter does not offer himself but brings Jesus to others.
Dear brothers and sisters, we, too, are called not to bring ourselves to others, but Jesus. We are called to be witnesses, that is, transmitters of Jesus with our lives and words.
In the second reading, Saint Paul, briefly tells the story of his conversion. He was a persecutor of Christians. Then the encounter with Jesus completely changes Paul and makes him the Apostle of the Gentiles, a tireless preacher of the Gospel of Jesus. In the reading we have heard, we discover that Saint Paul himself came to this region as he says in his writings, "I went off to Arabia". For this reason, we feel him particularly close to our Apostolic Vicariate. Saint Paul, therefore, teaches us that one can change completely when one discovers the power of God's grace. From the persecutor of Christians, he becomes an apostle of Christ.
We too, are invited always to be on a path of conversion, always trusting in God's grace more than our abilities. But the letter to the Galatians allows us to discover another part of Paul's journey: he realizes that he has always been loved, chosen, and elected by God for his mission: "God who especially has chosen me while I was still in my mother's womb, called me through his grace to reveal his Son to me”.
Dear brothers and sisters, this also applies to us. Each of us has been wanted and thought of while we were still in our mother's womb. God has always loved us and has given us life to be able to know him and announce him to everyone.
Finally, the Gospel takes us to the heart of the life of the Apostles, presenting us with the dialogue between Jesus and Peter after the resurrection. Jesus turns to Peter three times, asking him if he loves him with a love greater than that of others. Peter is embarrassed that Jesus repeated three times the same question. Inevitably Peter had to recall those three times he publicly denied Jesus. Despite his sin, Peter affirms his love for `Jesus. He will give his life for Christ. For this love, Jesus entrusts to Peter his flock, the Church, and all of us.
Love for Jesus is, therefore, a necessary condition of every authentic authority in the Church. From Saint Peter, we learn to love Jesus in everything and above everything. From him, we also learn not to be scandalized by our illness but to always be ready to start over. We do not put anything before the love of Christ.
Finally, dear brothers and sisters, if we look at our two great patron saints, Peter and Paul, we realize they were so different. St. Paul recognizes the supreme authority of Peter in the apostolic Church. He goes to Peter as a sign of communion. However, these are two very different personalities: St. Peter is a humble fisherman from Galilee, a very concrete and practical man. He probably didn't have special education. He was a simple man. He was a man of the people.
St. Paul was born in Tarsus. He was a man of the city. He had studied. He was a cultured man. Two completely different characters. Among them, there were also moments of tension and a great discussion on the life of the Church. But in the end, both arrived in Rome and were martyred for Christ's sake. For this reason, the Christian tradition has always celebrated them together even though they were two very different personalities, but always united by Christ.
All this consoles us; we, too, in our vicariate, are so different. Having recently concluded the pastoral visit in all our parishes, I can say that I have seen so much spiritual richness and so much diversity. We are so different in tradition, spirituality, language, and rites. Yet, like Peter and Paul, we are called to be together and form one body in Christ. The Christian faith unites us, and like Peter and Paul, we want to tell everyone our love for Christ and be witnesses of him in the world for the greater glory of God and the good life of all.