A THORN WAS GIVEN ME…

2 Corinthians 12:1-10

1 I must boast; there is nothing to be gained by it, but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven–whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows.
3 And I know that this man was caught up into Paradise–whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows–4 and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter.
5 On behalf of this man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses. 6 Though if I wish to boast, I shall not be a fool, for I shall be speaking the truth. But I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me.
7 And to keep me from being too elated by the abundance of revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to harass me, to keep me from being too elated. 

8 Three times I besought the Lord about this, that it should leave me; 9 but he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” I will all the more gladly boast of my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities; for when I am weak, then I am strong.

Matthew 6:24-34

24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. 25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 
27 And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his span of life?
28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin;
29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O men of little faith?
31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
32 For the Gentiles seek all these things; and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well.34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day’s own trouble be sufficient for the day.  

MEDITATION


St PAUL EPISTLE address a psychological area of our human existence that we use as an antidote to that which we perceive or know that we lack. Rather than boasting about supernatural phenomena that was revealed to him, Paul tells the story of a man who was taken up to heaven in a supernatural way to inform his readers that life is worth living in Christ.

Being boastful about our material, financial and social status is often used as a counter measure for our self deprecating disposition which could be an indication that we suffer from an interior emptiness in search of inner fulfillment and a desire to experience inner peace. Paul teaches that we need to recognize, appropriate and accept painful and material deficiencies in our lives to remind ourselves that we are imperfect and still on the journey toward our salvation. Knowing Christ in itself is certainly not a ‘fiat a compli’ of our faith journey.

St MATTHEW’S gospel account example the existence and way of life of the fauna and flora to awaken us to the reality that we unnecessarily make our lives too complicated and painful. On the one hand we use our temporal existence to search for meaning in our lives and on another level we appeal to God to satisfy our existence and material needs. 
Panic attacks, worrying and anxiety are considered medical “disorders” that we in the main bring upon ourselves, because we either over promise and under deliver or we have raised the bar too high based on self expectations that is a figment of our imagination of what we want others to think of us! Our penchant to live a boastful life is more about our attempt to please our neighbors at our personal medical expense. St Augustine a former heathen who lived for the world and all it’s trappings met his nemesis when he was confronted by Christ. Upon his conversion, he famously wrote his confessions where he said: “our hearts will not rest untill it finds it’s rest in God!” Being prayerfull, humble with a charitable heart is a work of grace and a spiritual thorn in the flesh that keeps us on the straight and narrow. A mantra worth meditating upon: ‘In Christ I worry that I do not worry!’ 

LET US PRAY:Psalms 34:8-13

8 O taste and see that the LORD is good! Happy is the man who takes refuge in him! 9 O fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him have no want!
10 The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing. 11 Come, O sons, listen to me, I will teach you the fear of the LORD. 12 What man is there who desires life, and covets many days, that he may enjoy good? 13 Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit.

Author. Henry R SYLVESTER Note: The daily scripture readings are taken from the Roman Missal which the Catholic Church use in the daily Celebration of the Holy Eucharist throughout the world.Some weekly readings may differ because of the celebration of local feast days.

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