Strong

I will willingly boast of my weakness, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I am content with weakness, with mistreatment, with distress, with persecution and difficulties for the sake of Christ; for when I am powerless, it is then that I am strong.---St. Paul (to the Corinthians in his second letter.)

 

Read the words of St. Paul outloud , slowly. Listen to how foreign these words sound in our health, wealth, and success driven culture. If he were alive today and was asked to speak at Joel Olsteen's mega-church and spoke these words, he might not be asked back. These words, read them again, are like some strange language to our modern Christianity. I have seen this lived out though in a nun in Birmingham Alabama named Mother Angelica. She is weakness personified. Her difficulties with her health are chronic , and relentless, yet, she smiles at everyone and Jesus' name is always on her lips. She has reached millions with the good news of God's love. I have seen this in the Franciscan Friars of New York who have given everything so as to associate with the poor and forgotten in those mean streets and alleys. I have seen it in the recently widowed woman who never misses daily Mass and encourages me before I can ever encourage her. Our weaknesses, distresses, persecutions, these are our friends. They allow us to rely on His strength, and then, we become strong. This is a hard teaching.

 

wkm

 

Mother Angelica