July 5, 2015 — Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Ez 2: 2-5; Ps 123: 1-4; 2 Cor 12: 7-10; Mk 6: 1-6
St. Paul declares in his letter to the Corinthians, the Second Reading, “For when I am weak, then I am strong.” Certainly anyone who knows much about St. Paul would not view him as a weak man. This is a man who, through his strong faith, put his life in jeopardy constantly. He endured imprisonment and shipwrecks. Yet, he admits to having weaknesses.
There is something humiliating in admitting one’s weaknesses. Humility is an important trait in living a life of stewardship. Being able to recognize and admit our shortcomings is essential for us to have the strength Paul demonstrates. That is his point in today’s reading, and it contains an important message for each of us.
The reason St. Paul finds strength in his limitations is because he is aware that the Lord will provide the power needed in the midst of those deficiencies. Paul’s life is God-centered. Living life that way is exactly the way one can best follow stewardship as a way of life. Paul prefaces his statement about being weak and strong by writing the message he has been given by the Lord, who said to him: “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” May we pray for the strength of God’s presence, and may we be willing to seek humility to truly find our strengths.
