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.
