Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Strength in Weakness
Is Paul serious? Can you imagine being content with “weaknesses, insults, hardships, and persecutions?” (2Cor 12:10) Paul could have been proud of all that God revealed to him, and of all that he accomplished in spreading the gospel. But instead he boasts about his weaknesses. He knows that all the good work he has done have been accomplished by Christ. So he accepted suffering, rejection, setbacks and persecution because they helped him see how much Christ was doing through him.
We can learn a lot from St. Paul. Remember how Jesus said to love your neighbor as yourself. Paul loved himself in the good sense of accepting his faults and weaknesses. He was always aware that he once persecuted Christians. But that fault enabled him to experience God’s forgiveness. St. Paul says that when he is weak, then he is strong. He knows that God will still work through him, showing God’s power to heal the sick and draw converts to Christ, in spite of Paul’s weaknesses. Paul did what he could to encourage others to follow Jesus, but he knew the results of his preaching and healing were up to God. When you think that you would fail at spreading the faith, remember Paul and give your weaknesses to God.
Then see what he can do!
Tom Schmidt
