Now beside the cross of Jesus stood His mother, His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. So when Jesus saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then He said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her into his own household.

~John 19: 25-27~

Which, of the Holy Apostles, Would you Choose to Meet?

If you could meet any one of the twelve Holy Apostles, who would you choose? We know that the original twelve walked with Jesus. And it is fair to conclude that each man had a different personality, and, although they all loved Him, saw Our Lord through different eyes. So, each apostle would probably tell you something different about Him; about what He taught them, and, most importantly, about their love for Him and their willingness to be martyred for following and obeying Him.

Although we know little about some, we can get a fair picture of most of the apostles by reading the Gospels and Epistles. Considering this, who would you choose to meet?

And from that hour the disciple took her into his own household.

A wise theologian once told me, “Mathew, Mark, and Luke told the story. John explained it.”

We know that the first three Gospels are synoptic but John’s Gospel is quite different. Theologians and scholars offer much information about the differences in John’s Gospel; events, styles of Jesus’ teachings, etc.

We are told that Saint John lived for about ninety-four years. He was the youngest of the twelve and was probably about eighteen years old at the time of the crucifixion.

It is believed that Mary was about forty-seven when Jesus was crucified and she was about sixty years old when she was assumed into Heaven. Considering these ages, we can conclude that Saint John lived with and cared for Our Lady for about thirteen years, from about eighteen to thirty years of age. These are impressionable years for a young man, especially considering and adding to them, the three years he spent with Our Lord.

Can You Imagine?

Let us now go back to my original question, “If you could meet any one of the twelve Holy Apostles, who would you choose?”

As a woman with a deep devotion to Mary, I would not have to think twice about the answer. Of course, I would want to meet Saint John! Can you imagine the insight he was given to Our Lord by His mother? He lived with her as she grieved for Him. He lived with her sorrowful heart and she probably shared much with him. Can you imagine spending thirteen years of your life, on earth, with the mother of God? Imagine the stories she told, the memories she shared; memories of His childhood, the years between His teaching the elders in the temple (at twelve years old) and beginning His ministry at thirty. We know nothing about these years but Our Lady knew everything, and she most likely shared much with John. 

I don’t know that scholars have attributed this to any of the differences in John’s Gospel but it seems to me that, in living with Mary, Saint John would have come to a spiritual love and a deeper understanding of Jesus, the Godman; an insight only a mother could give. Of course, his Gospel would be different. He prayed with the mother of Our Lord. He comforted her, cared for her, walked with her, and shared with her for thirteen years.

So, yes! If I could spend time with any one of the twelve holy apostles, it would be John the Beloved. 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome[a] it.

~John 1: 1-5

https://www.suscopts.org/mightyarrows/vol7_no2/stjohthebeloved.pdf

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+19&version=NAS

Marilyn Nash for the HolyApostles.com.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/m-nash-b2067b14/

Featured image credit: https://www.oceansbridge.com/shop/art-collections/virgin-mary/the-crucifixion-detail-virgin-mary-st-john-evangelist-and-st

What does it Teach Us about Suffering?

2 Corinthians 12:7-10

Because of the extraordinary greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself!  Concerning this I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might leave me.  And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.  Therefore I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in distresses, in persecutions, in difficulties, in behalf of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong.

What is the thorn in Paul’s side?

Throughout the centuries, theologians have speculated about the thorn in Paul’s side. Some believe that it is enemies of the Christian Church, while others believe it is guilt or depression. Considering Paul’s persecution of the Church, it is reasonable to conclude that, although he knew well Our Lord’s forgiveness, his past would still continue to haunt him. Some suggest that the thorn was sensual temptation and many have concluded that it was a form of physical illness.

There are probably many other theories, but let us ask ourselves if what this thorn is, is actually less significant than why it was given to Paul and, more importantly, what does it teach us.

Humility

Paul wrote, “Because of the extraordinary greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself……”  The expression, Pride comes before a fall, is quite fitting for those of us who have suffered or are suffering. We have all witnessed a person who exalts himself, believing he has achieved all of his accomplishments with help from no one; giving credit to no one other than himself, but we witness that same person when he is suffering and comes to realize that he needs others to help him. Perhaps, Paul, recalling his past, believed that he was given this thorn to keep him from falling into the sin of pride again. And, in sharing this, he is warning us against exalting ourselves.

 “Dear brothers and sisters, I pray God may open your eyes and let you see what hidden treasures he bestows on us in the trials from which the world thinks only to flee. Shame turns into honor when we seek God’s glory. Present affliction becomes the source of heavenly glory.”

~Saint John of Avila~

 My Grace is Sufficient for You

Is His grace sufficient for us?

Concerning this I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might leave me.  And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.”

Paul pleaded with God to take this thorn from him but God said, “No.  My grace is enough for you.”  When we reflect upon it, we come to understand that God’s grace goes far beyond sufficient. It is abounding. God’s grace overflows. It is pure love. It is a divine love not comprehensible to our human minds.

When we are suffering, it is difficult to find comfort in God’s response to Paul but given the choice, we would not trade His grace for relief from our pain.  

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.  ~Psalm 34:18~

 “If only mortals would learn how great it is to possess divine grace, how beautiful, how noble, how precious. How many riches it hides within itself, how many joys and delights! No one would complain about his cross or about troubles that may happen to him, if he would come to know the scales on which they are weighed when they are distributed to men.”

~Saint Rose of Lima~

 Power is Perfected in Weakness

“…for power is perfected in weakness,” God tells Paul that through his suffering, he becomes strong. When we look back at our lives and recall the sufferings we have endured, we often can see the lessons we learned from our trials. I truly believe that, although we do not understand His reasons at the time, we must come to accept that our sufferings are redemptive and, in that redemption, lies the lessons and the light. Paul knew this and he wanted us to know it.   

So that the Power of Christ May Dwell in Me

Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.  We see that Paul, struggling with the thorn in his side, chose not to complain but rather to boast about his suffering. And he tells us what some of these sufferings are when he writes, “Therefore I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in distresses, in persecutions, in difficulties, in behalf of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” 

“The road is narrow. He who wishes to travel it more easily must cast off all things and use the cross as his cane. In other words, he must be truly resolved to suffer willingly for the love of God in all things.”

~Saint John of the Cross~

 So, we thank Saint Paul for this lesson. There is so much suffering in our world today. Homelessness, poverty, sickness, and grief are only a few in the litany. Each day we witness broken heartedness and sufferings on some level and we question why. I question why but I know it is not for me to question God. I know that I must recall what He told Paul. “My grace is sufficient for you.”

“Without the burden of afflictions, it is impossible to reach the height of grace.  The gift of grace increases as the struggle increases.”

~Saint Rose of Lima~

“If only mortals would learn how great it is to possess divine grace, how beautiful, how noble, how precious. How many riches it hides within itself, how many joys and delights! No one would complain about his cross or about troubles that may happen to him if he would come to know the scales on which they are weighed when they are distributed to men.”

~Saint Rose of Lima~

https://www.catholicgallery.org/quotes/saints-quotes-on-suffering/

https://www.blueletterbible.org/faq/thorn.cfm

 Marilyn Nash for www.holyart.com.

The bible has the most exciting books. According to numerous findings, no book has sold ever sold copies than the bible. And one of the reasons why the bible is an impressive book is because it has inspirational characters. Here are ten inspirational characters from the Holy Bible.

1. Abraham

If you are looking for someone to inspire you on faith, you need to read about Abraham. Abraham was one-hundred years old and Sarah ninety years old when God promised them a son. Even though they were old, they had faith in God that they will have many descendants.

2. Mosses

One inspirational character in the bible is Mosses. He was a man of patience because he led a hopeless generation of Israelites for many years in the wilderness. Even though they could complain and wish they were in Egypt, he patiently waited for the Lord.

3. Elijah

He was a bold and a brave prophet. He stood against the worship of false idols. He was not afraid of the king or the consequences of not worshiping other gods. He did exactly what the Lord wanted him to do.

4. Job

Many times we undergo through challenges and hardships in life. But no one has ever come across to what Job went through. Job lost cattle, servants, and children all in one day. However, he remained strong and had faith in God. Even when his wife suggested that he stop trusting in God, he continued to be strong.

5. Daniel

Another brave man of God was Daniel. He refused to defile himself with the food from the king. Instead, he asked for vegetables and water. He did not fear any man or even death.

6. Paul

Before he became Paul, Saul was a persecutor of Christians. He had many Christians killed for several years. However, God chooses him to be influential and one of the most celebrated authors of the bible.

7. Noah

When God told Noah to build an ark, he did exactly what he was told. But do you know Noah was over 500-years old? Even though his sons helped him, it took more than 50-years to build the entire ark. Besides, they needed to have food, animals and other necessities in the ark.

8. Shadrach, Meshach, & Abednego

The three men refused to worship an idol knowing they would be thrown into a hot furnace. But that did not stop them from believing and trusting in God. It is a great inspirational story.

9. David

If you are searching for someone who loved God with all his heart, it is David. He always wanted to do what is right before God. He sang for God and always sought out for help and guidance from God.

10. Jesus

One of the most inspiring stories you will read in the bible is about Jesus Christ. He came to the earth as an ordinary man to save the world. Even though he is the King of kings, he had to undergo suffering, pain, and death so that we could be forgiven our sins.