Six years ago, I was privileged to be a pilgrim and pray with Archbishop Carlson as he received the Pallium as our new Archbishop. I had been to Rome several times before, but this time, something really struck me as we visited the many Churches and learned more about our beautiful faith.
I couldn’t help but notice the prominence of St. Paul in the sacred art of so many churches. Even those dedicated to other saints seemed to celebrate the life and influence of this great apostle who spread the gospel to the gentiles, including the people of Rome. St. Paul is depicted as the great apostle of strength and courage, who, along with Peter, helped spread the gospel to every corner of the earth. One of the most remarkable images of Paul can be found in the Basilica dedicated to him outside the walls of Rome. As you walk into the courtyard of this magnificent church, you see a large statue of Paul, holding a sword in his right hand and a book of the scriptures in his left hand. His head is covered in a hood, his eyes are looking down, and his expression is serious, almost to the point of being severe. This statue conveys the strength and inner resolve of Paul that enabled him to endure shipwrecks, stonings, persecutions, and so many other sufferings for the sake of Christ. And while this statue depicts the strength and power of Paul, we hear about another side of him in today’s second reading.
The Apostle Paul, like us all, knew weakness. He had what he called a thorn in the flesh - some believe that he had severe headaches, others, a battle with impurity, but whatever it was, we don’t know for sure. Three times, he tells us, he prayed that this weakness, this affliction might be removed, that he might be cured. On the third occasion when Paul prayed God answered him and said -"My grace is sufficient for you - for my power is made perfect in weakness."
Paul's response to this statement is a most beautiful one. He said
“I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses,in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me.
Therefore, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and constraints, for the sake of Christ;
for when I am weak, then I am strong.”
To the world this is nonsense. Power and strength are worshipped by most people, and weakness is despised above all things. The world teaches us to conceal our vulnerability, lest we be hurt, and it teaches us to hide our weakness, lest we be taken advantage of. The world teaches us to camouflage our inadequacies with self-confidence, self reliance and self assurance, so that we can build a heaven for ourselves here on earth. The world teaches us that we can help ourselves, that we can do what we need to do on our own, and that all the answers we need we can find in ourselves.
But this is simply not true. It is the “wisdom” of the serpent who tempted Adam and Eve, it is not the wisdom of God.
Friends - our weaknesses, our hardships, and our tribulations are not themselves a blessing, they are real problems for us, and they can create problems for how we get along with others. When we acknowledge our weaknesses and our needs, and turn to God and ask for his help, instead of relying on our own wisdom & strength to save us, then something profound happens. We discover that God's grace is sufficient for us, and that his power is made perfect in our weakness, and almost always in ways we do not expect.
If we are honest, we are weak in many many ways, ways that all too often we are afraid to admit, because we fear that we will be mocked, rejected, or taken advantage of.
But that is not what has to happen, nor normally is it what really happens. Rather what occurs is that God's power comes to us and helps us in the way that we need help.
Our weakness may remain, as Paul's thorn remained, but God's power fills it and turns it to strength for us; strength for us to do what we as human beings and as followers of Christ are meant to do and in fact need to do, if we are to inherit the joy, the love, and indeed the very life, that God wants to bestow upon us.
The road to holiness is not travelled by exercising our own human powers, but rather by acknowledging our human weaknesses, and then, in that weakness, allowing God to exercise his power in us. Until we admit our weakness, until we stop being afraid of it, until we stop denying it, we can't find the help we need.
With this in mind, how much of our weakness do we try and hide from God? How much of our weakness do we keep locked up inside us, because we think that there is no help for us, or because we think other things are more important? The only way to become truly strong is to acknowledge that weakness openly and without excuses and turn it over to God. He will fill it then with his strength and wisdom and courage. He will transform that weakness into something unexpectedly beautiful and life-giving.
I would like to conclude with a poem that sums up of St. Paul’s message today - it was written over one hundred fifty years ago by a soldier and he came to understand his own limitations and the infinite power of God working through his imperfect prayer:
I asked for health that I might do greater things,
I was given infirmity that I do might do better things...
I asked for riches that I might be happy,
I was given poverty that I might be wise...
I asked for power that I might have the praise of men,
I was given weakness that I might feel the need of God....
I asked for all things that I might enjoy life,
I was given life that I might enjoy all things...
I got nothing that I asked for but everything that I hoped for.
Almost despite myself my unspoken prayers were answered.
I am among all men most richly blessed.
May God help us all to see our weakness so that the grace of Jesus Christ will fill us. May we acknowledge our weakness to God freely and joyfully. Then and only then will we be truly strong for him, every day and in every circumstance!
