14 October 2025 - St Callistus - homily for Tuesday of the 28th week in Ordinary Time - Romans 1:16-25

The story of St Callistus is a very interesting story indeed. He is said to have been born into slavery in the Roman Empire. Having escaped slavery, he is said to have found himself in the service of Pope Victor around the year 199 AD. He served under several popes and was eventually ordained a deacon. He was put in charge of one of the catacombs where Christians were buried in Rome, which is referred to today as the Catacomb of St Callistus. In the year 217 AD, when the current pope died, he was chosen as successor. He is said to have been a diligent evangelist, converting and baptizing many prominent citizens of Rome, including soldiers and senators, most of whom later died as martyrs. Callistus was martyred during a series of persecutions around the year 223 AD. 

As we commemorate St Callistus today and hear about his service in the city of Rome, we hear from St Paul’s letter to the Romans. This letter is a summary of Paul’s thoughts and theology. While many of the letters that Paul wrote were addressed to communities that he founded, Paul did not found the community in Rome, and at the time of the writing of this letter, it appears that he had not visited this community yet. Paul begins the letter by stating that he is not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ. However, in Paul’s day, as in our day, the Gospel meets a lot of opposition. As a priest in the Bible Belt South, I am faced with scorn and criticism sometimes. Paul also speaks of God’s power for the salvation of everyone who has faith, Jews and Greeks alike. This is an important theme in his letter to the Romans. When Paul speaks of not being ashamed of the Gospel, perhaps he thinks of Rome, which at the time was the prosperous capital of a huge empire and the center of pagan worship. Paul was subject to ridicule and persecution in many places where he preached the Gospel. Faith is at the center of Paul’s message. Paul saw faith as a necessary condition of salvation and as our human response to the truth and goodness of God. Faith requires our belief in Jesus as the son of God, in the new life that Christ offers us. Yes, the themes of Paul’s letter to the Romans are very relevant to us today and certainly give us a lot to think about.