Given a choice between pain or pleasure, who would pick pain?  But let’s consider for a moment the potential for suffering to build character and bear fruit for God.

St Paul writes of his pain and of his request to Jesus to remove the source of his suffering:  “To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.” Jesus replied to St. Paul like this “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” St. Paul goes on to say, “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”  2 Corinthians 12: 7-10

So let’s reflect on why is God’s power made perfect in weakness?

Perhaps it is because when we feel strong we may feel no need for God.   The feeling of self-sufficiency, though, is an illusion of people who are misguided in believing they do not need God or perhaps they do not even believe God exists.  Remember the Scripture: “Fools say to themselves, “There is no God.” They are corrupt and commit evil deeds; not one of them practices what is good.” Psalm 14:1

Consider though how we behave when we feel weak, or sick, or broken?

Then we cry out to the Almighty God, “I need You!  Help me!”

And God answers us, for God always answers the cries of His people.  God works through those who trust Him, who acknowledge Him and His greatest works are performed through the most humble.  Consider the Virgin Mary.  God chose a simple, humble lady to be the Mother of His Son.  And so she declared “My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.  From now on all generations will call me blessed.”  Luke 1:46-48

Let us cry out to God in sickness and in health.

Almighty Jesus, Savior of the World, we know we cannot do anything without You.  We acknowledge Your omnipotence and our dependence on Your graces.  We offer you all that we have, our pain and our joy.  In good times and in bad times we offer our lives up to You.  May Your power be made perfect in us sweet Jesus.  Thy will be done!   May we never stop trusting in Your kindness and in Your mercy.  Rid us of our arrogance and give us the grace to trust in You always!  I love You Lord!