"We are travellers…not yet in our native land" – St. Augustine
The hermits said, “We become more humbled when we are tempted, because God, knowing our weakness, protects us. But if we boast of our own strength, he takes away his protection, and we are lost.”
– De vitis Patrum, Sive Verba Seniorum, Liber V
In the Second Reading at Mass this weekend we had my favourite passage from Paul:
Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. ” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. – 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
The question of suffering is one that everyone has to struggle with at some point. For a good treatment on the subject I would invite you to head over to Canterbury Tales to read Taylor’s article Why do we suffer? The theological answer of St. Paul:
Nearly every religion seeks to make sense of the problem of pain. If God is both omnibenificent {all-loving} and omnipotent {all-powerful}, why then does He allow us to suffer?
The Eastern traditions such as Buddhism dismiss pain and suffering as “unreal.” This solution is difficult to explain to a child with cancer.
Other religious traditions attempt to accrue “good karma” in order to ensure that good times will come with a future reincarnated life. For these traditions, the origin of suffering is past sins, even sins committed in previous lives.
Still other religions, such as Islam, seem to place the origin of suffering in the capricious “will of Allah.”
The Catholic Faith offers an entirely different account of suffering… Continue Reading
In this week’s Readings we hear about prophethood and about our utter dependence upon the grace of God.
In our First Reading we read about the calling of the Prophet Ezekiel, how he was strengthened by the Spirit and sent to proclaim an unpopular message to an obstinate people. In the Gospel, Jesus returns to His hometown of Nazareth and is met with suspicion and unbelief.
We are convinced beyond doubt that the truths of faith cannot deceive us; yet we cannot seem to bring ourselves to trust in them. It is easier for us to trust in human reasons and the deceiving appearances of the world. This, precisely, is the reason for our poor progress in virtue and in all that pertains to God’s glory – St. Vincent de Paul
For me though, the Readings which stand out are the Psalm and the Second Reading from St. Paul. The psalm expresses complete reliance upon God. St. Paul’s epistle to the Corinthians expresses a similar theme. Paul, probably the greatest Christian missionary in the history of the Church, knew something about strength and weakness. He knew that, in his weakness, God’s strength was more greatly manifested.
As we prepare ourselves to receive the Eucharist this week, let us come mindful of our weaknesses and therefore also recognize our need of God, thankful that He calls poor, imperfect creatures to be His children and to declare His goodness.
A lot of Christians choose a “life verse”, a favourite verse from the Bible which is a source of encouragement and inspiration. If I had to pick one passage from the Bible I guess I’d choose the following text from 2nd Corinthians:
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. – 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
Here’s what Tim Hawkins has to say about his favourite Bible verse…
“We are not the sum of our weaknesses and failures; we are the sum of the Father’s love for us and our real capacity to become the image of his son”
– JP2