Cycle B Ordinary Time Week 14 Sunday

The people of Christ’s native place cannot see how Jesus can have such amazing wisdom and
perform mighty deeds. Because of their lack of faith, they close themselves off to the wonderful
works Jesus could have done for them. Saint Paul, on the other hand, turns to Jesus in humility
because of the thorn in his flesh, even boasting gladly of his weaknesses because he knows that it
is in his weakness that God’s power is known. In this Eucharist we ask for the grace to find our
strength in God whenever we are confronted by our weakness.

The Japanese have an ancient art form called Kintsugi which literally means “golden
patchwork” and it involves restoring broken pieces of pottery—such as cups, bowls, or plates—
by joining them together using precious metals like gold, silver, or bronze as adhesive. Kintsugi
is an art because instead of hiding the flaws of the pottery, the artist highlights the cracks by
sealing them with precious metals. The process results to beautiful works of art where
brokenness is not hidden but showcased for all to see. An artist has put it beautifully: it is the art
of precious scars.
God’s ways are very much like the art of Kintsugi. In his perfect plan, God has chosen to use
broken people to do extraordinary things. He has planned to use pain and suffering for our good,
as the way for us to see his power and glory. In God’s plan, weakness is the way.

God Permits Thorns for a Reason

St. Paul was not perfect; in fact, no saint was perfect. They were all human beings who, just
like us, had their fair share of problems, hardship, suffering, and temptation. They did not
live worry-free lives; in fact, it was their very challenges and failings that God used to make
them into saints.
This is what St. Paul is trying to tell us in today's Second Reading: “That I . . . might not
become too elated, because of the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to
me, an angel of Satan, to beat me, to keep me from being too elated.” Paul states for a fact that
although God has given him extraordinary experiences and mystical revelations, God
has also given him a "thorn in his flesh, an angel of Satan to beat him." And Paul prayed
repeatedly for God to remove this thorn, but God refused, in order "to keep him from being too
elated."
Why would God give Paul a thorn in the flesh to keep him from being happy? Isn’t happiness
his desire for each one of us? Why then does he want Paul not to be too elated? This strange
passage raises two questions.
First, what was this thorn? No one really knows, but scholars have many theories. It may
have been a physical ailment of some kind; or a particular temptation, like lust or greed; or
the discouragement he constantly felt from being rejected by his fellow Jews; or it may also have
been his hot-temperedness, which always seemed to get him into trouble. Whatever it was, Paul
confesses that it was a continual source of pain and irritation to him.
The second and more important question is: why didn't God take this thorn away? When he
begged the Lord to take away this thorn, the Lord himself said: “My grace is sufficient for you,
for power is made perfect in weakness.” And this gives Paul a fresh perspective in life. He
writes: “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.”
Well Content with… What?
Notice that Paul doesn’t just say he was “content” with weaknesses, as in “I’ll endure them
since I can’t do anything about them anyway.” In other translations, it is said that Paul was not
simply content but “well content” with his weaknesses. In fact he adds, he is content with his
weaknesses and suffering, and will even gladly boast of them for “when I am weak, then I am
strong.” In other words, St Paul tells us that the thorn in the flesh is there to
continually remind him of his human weakness, inspiring him to depend more fully and
find strength in God's grace. 

What If…
What if the path to true power doesn’t come through trying harder, but by giving up the
attempt to be powerful? What if God’s power could be shown through our lives in ways we
never thought possible—not by desperately trying harder than ever before to overcome our
weaknesses, but by admitting them, then getting out of God’s way, and allowing Him to
demonstrate His power through our very weaknesses? 
Only in Scripture are we encouraged to embrace our weaknesses and through them experience
a power that we could otherwise not have known. This is why God didn’t remove Paul’s thorn in
the flesh; this is why He perhaps will choose not to remove our weaknesses. Strange as it sounds,
embracing our weakness is the Christian way of life.
Our world tells us, “Embrace your strengths; overcome your weakness.” But today’s scripture
passage instead encourages us to embrace our weaknesses and through them experience a power
that we may otherwise not have known. And this should be a comforting thought for us. It means
that our thorns, whatever they may be, are not signs that God's anger or displeasure, they
are not punishments but signs through which the Lord teaches us, as he taught St
Paul, true wisdom: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in your
weakness.”

In our fallen, broken world, all of us have our own collection of natural weaknesses. We
might be tempted to hate our vulnerabilities or deny our weaknesses, but today’s second reading
encourages the opposite attitude. Paul suggests that it’s in our weaknesses that Christ is most
likely to reveal His power.
We may not like our imperfections and brokenness, but hiding them only denies Jesus’s
power to work within those aspects of ourselves. When we invite Jesus into our lives through our
sinfulness, He gently mends and redeems us, He helps us to become better in ways that our own
effort and strength could never accomplish. It is then that we become Kintsugi—golden
patchworks, precious scars, and beloved dust.
Dear Lord, we beg of you to please give us strength when we are weak, love when we feel
forsaken, courage when we are afraid, wisdom when we are foolish, comfort when we are alone,
hope when we feel rejected, and peace when we are in trouble. Help us remember that it is in all
these weaknesses that we can come to experience not only your might and power, but more
importantly, your great love and tender care for us that will make us whole in our brokenness.
Amen.
We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love is way too much to give us lesser things
'Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise
We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt your goodness, we doubt your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe
Christ enters our lives through our pain and emptiness—he fills what is empty and heals what is
painful. What are our pains—disappointment, weakness, addiction, bad habit, being ill-tempered
—that we wish the Lord to use to display his power and glory.
Diamonds are beautiful and valuable gemstones, but their beginning is common carbon—black,
dirty, and combustible. Through years of intense heat and high pressure, they become pure and
strong. This makes them a good metaphor for spiritual strength; God uses intense outside forces
to rid us of impurities and to perfect His strength in us.

When evil darkens our world, give us light. When despair numbs our souls, give us hope. When we
stumble and fall, lift us up. When doubts assail us, give us faith. When nothing seems sure, give us trust.
When ideals fade, give us vision. When we lose our way, be our guide! That we may find serenity in
Your presence, and purpose in doing Your will.
—John D. Rayner
“With God, you are stronger than your struggles and more fierce than your fears. God provides comfort
and strength to those who trust in Him. Be encouraged, keep standing, and know that everything's going
to be alright.” 
― Germany Kent