11th Week, Ordinary Time, Saturday, June 18
2 Cor 12:1-10 / Matthew 6:24-34
God's grace is enough; When I am weak, then I am strong.
"As children bring their broken toys, with tears for us to mend, I brought my broken dreams to God, because he was my friend.
But then, instead of leaving him at peace to work alone, I hung around and tried to help, with ways that were my own. At last I snatched them back and cried, 'How can you be so slow?' 'My child,' he said, 'what could I do? You never did let go.'’ Anonymous
True spiritual strength lies not in holding on to things but in letting go of them. Only by "letting go and letting God" can we open ourselves to a greater power. A lamp that won't allow itself to be plugged into a socket will never become a light. The great paradox of Christianity is, indeed, that we are strongest when we are weakest.
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How hard do we find it to "let go and let God"? Lord, give us the courage to give you free rein in our lives.
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Paul continues with his irony. When God gives a task, he gives what is needed to do it. Every man grows with his job. To whom God gives an extraordinary vocation, to him he gives extraordinary graces. We do not know when Paul had these visions. Fourteen years before Paul would have been in Antioch. James, the brother of John, became the first martyr of the apostles. Peter was in prison. We do not know whether there was any connection. But God gave Paul the strength for his work by a deeper insight into the mystery of God. To remain humble in this revelation, God has given him also a thorn in the flesh, a constant irritating suffering. We do not know what this suffering was. Why should we? Guesses serve no purpose. All that we can do in such a suffering, be it physical or mental, is: Accept it. That is the price we have to pay for sharing in the redemption.
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Paul speaks of the extraordinary graces and experiences he had been given by God.
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Too often we worry much more than we should and about things that, after all, don’t matter much. Are not our fears and worries mostly about things and events of the future, and do they not usually prove groundless? We are in God’s hands. He who cares for the birds in the sky cares for us and knows what we need. Let’s be concerned, then, about making his kingdom a reality now; this is all that matters.
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"Seven reasons to stop worrying and lead a happy life", could well be the title of a best - seller written for today. The seven reasons of Jesus are timeless:
1. Put yourself into the hands of God: He is all knowing, all mighty, and infinitely good. "Your heavenly Father knows" (verse 32).
2. Work hard but do not store up treasures: "Watch the birds of the sky". Just look at a sparrow. It works harder for its food than man has to.
3. Worries never solve any problem: You cannot add a bit to the span of your life by worrying (verse 2).
4. Look at the lilies: The beauty for one day. God had not to work harder to make his creature beautiful, neither have we to make everything perfect, what we do anyhow.
5. Seek first the kingdom: "First", he says, not "only". First thing must come first. The rest will be added (verse 32).
6. Live just for the day: God for tomorrow and its needs, I do not care. The worst worries are those of evils that never come.
7. Happiness has to come from within: Not from food or clothes. God, the source of all joy, is in my heart.
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Prayer
Lord God, our Father, you care about the birds in the sky and let them find food in due time. You clothe the flowers in the field with colours and fragrance. So, why should we worry? We thank you for the gift of life, for loving us and caring for us free of charge. Keep us firmly in your hand on account of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
