We read Paul’s Letter to the Romans this week and for the next four weeks. It’s his longest and most theological letter. He assures the Romans he’s coming to Rome as a visitor on his way to Spain, but he never will get there. He arrives in Rome under arrest and is killed outside the city.

Paul knows a surprising number of people in the Roman church. He obviously hopes they will support him on his Spanish mission. His mission is to bring the gospel to the whole world. 

In his letters Paul doesn’t refer to incidents in Jesus’ life, such as his miracles, or quotations from his teaching or his parables. We do that as a matter of course in talking or teaching about faith today. 

True, the gospels were not written when Paul wrote, likely in 56 to 58 from Corinth, but certainly the stories of Jesus’ life and summaries of his teaching were circulating in Christian preaching at the time. Why doesn’t Paul use them?

Does he see the mystery of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus an immediate mystery, taking place now? The gospels bring us back to the time of Jesus, the events of his life and the words of his teaching. Does Paul see the death and resurrection of Jesus as a mystery happening now. Jesus is not dead, but living in the world here and now. 

Paul’s not interested in introducing us to someone of the past, but someone who shares himself and his promise with us now. Is that why Paul’s letters are read with the gospels, so that we may understand they are happening now, in our time, in us? Maybe so.

Fr. Frank J. Matera wrote a book “Preaching Romans: Proclaiming God’s Saving Grace” (Liturgical Press 2010) . I’ll be reading it as we go through Paul’s letter.