 St. Paul, who had repeatedly exhorted the first Christian generation to practice this virtue, intones a hymn to faithfulness which can be taken as summarizing his life as he approaches the end of it. He writes to Timothy, I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on the day...