The twilight of Christian life
"For I am already being poured out like a libation, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have competed well and finished the race, keeping my faith. From now on, the crown of righteousness awaits me, which the Lord, the just judge, will award to me on that day and to all who have longed for his appearance." (2 Timothy 4:6-8) In this moving testimony from his final letter, Saint Paul reflects upon his impending martyrdom with a profound sense of peace, fulfillment, and unshakable hope. His words, imbued with solemnity and confidence, reveal a life wholly offered to Christ, symbolized in the phrase "being poured out like a libation." In Old Testament sacrificial language, a libation was a liquid offering poured before God; Paul adopts this image to express the totality of his self-giving, a life consumed in service of the Gospel. His impending death is not met with fear but embraced as the final act of fidelity in a life lived entirely for Christ and His missio...