God Carries Us in Our Weakness

He said to me: O mortal, stand up on your feet, and I will speak with you. ²And when he spoke to me, a spirit entered into me and set me on my feet; and I heard him speaking to me. ³He said to me, Mortal, I am sending you to the people of Israel, to a nation of rebels who have rebelled against me; they and their ancestors have transgressed against me to this very day. ⁴The descendants are impudent and stubborn. I am sending you to them, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’ ⁵Whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are a rebellious house), they shall know that there has been a prophet among them. (Ezekiel 2: 2-5)

 I doubt anyone here would deny that Ezekiel was a great and powerful prophet. We have to keep in mind that this man of God was given an extremely difficult task to carry out. Understandably, he was fearful and anxious. After all, he was a frail and flawed human being, just like you and me. His human condition did not hinder God's ability to use him as an instrument of grace. The prophet could lay claim to no strength of his own. As we ponder the mission of Ezekiel, we are reminded that prophets do not assume their task on their own. They are called to the ministry by God. It is God who chooses His ministers and it is God who sets them on their feet. The choice of the message, of the prophet, and of the recipients of the message is God’s, and His alone.

By calling the prophets,God showed His need for ordinary people who are willing to acknowledge that they are weak and flawed, so that He can manifest his grandeur and power through them. It was his compassion for the people and his love for God that allowed Ezekiel to support the people who were with him in exile. Pain, suffering and mental anguish are part and parcel of walking the walk of faith. The prophet could not depend upon his own strength and had to rely upon the Spirit that entered into him. Similarly, when we are weak in ourselves, we need to depend on the grace of the Holy Spirit.

Writing to the Church in Corinth, Saint Paul reported that he had asked the Lord to remove a particularly bothersome suffering that he referred to as a “thorn in the flesh.” We have never been told what the thorn was. But we do know the Lord’s response to the apostle’s request, “My grace is sufficient for you for power is made perfect in weakness.” Paul never doubted that the Lord heard his prayer. Neither did he doubt that the Lord answered his plea for help. At the same time, he had to admit that the answer he got was not the answer he had expected or wanted.

We have no record of how long the apostle to the Gentiles wrestled with his disappointment. However, we know that he did come to peace with the Lord's response: “I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me.” I am reminded of the story of Jacob wrestling with God. As he hobbles away on his disjointed hip, he tells everyone he meets that even though he wrestled with God, he lived to talk about it. This encounter with Christ would become the foundation of Paul’s dealing with suffering. This great disciple never hesitated to recount the sufferings he experiences; nor did he hesitate to proclaim the power of Jesus experienced through them – “for when I am weak, then I am strong."

Paul’s message for believers is clear: Disciples of Jesus should not expect to be shielded from suffering. Rather we should expect our weakness to become the occasion for experiencing the power of Jesus at work in us. Because God loves us, he will keep us from being puffed up. Spiritual burdens can be used to cure spiritual pride. When we are tormented with a thorn in the flesh, we should turn our minds and hearts to God in prayer. Prayer is a salve for every sore, a remedy for every malady; and if an answer be not given to the first prayer, nor to the second, we are to continue praying. Even though God does not take away our troubles and temptations, he gives grace to endure whatever comes our way. In times of distress, true to His Word, God will be our strength. We have Christ's word for it. “If you come to me when you are burdened by your daily task, I will give you rest. If you yoke yourself to me, your burden will be easier to carry” (Cf. Mat. 11:28-30).

Throughout His ministry, Jesus revealed the Father’s love for His people. Jesus exercised His power as one who came to serve others and not as one who expected to be served. He came to build up the Kingdom of the Father by ransoming all who were wandering in a valley of darkness. The Word became Flesh, not to destroy the people who opposed Him, but to redeem them by taking their sufferings and death to Himself. By emptying Himself of all the grandeur that is rightly His as the Beloved Son of God, He freely laid down His life for the life of the world. Having been rejected by His own people and followers, He grants forgiveness to all who stand in the shadow of his cross. By accepting death on the Cross, He offered all the children of Adam and Eve the promise of eternal life. Through His victory over death, Christ showed us that to be truly human means to pour ourselves out in the service of our neighbor.

Having come to the Light, we have reason to be confident in the abundant mercy of God. In our lowliness we can look up into the heavens and wait for a word from the Lord. The Psalmist put it quite beautifully. “As the eyes of servants are focused on the hands of the master, and as the eyes of a servant-girl are fixed on the hand of her mistress, so our eyes are waiting for the Lord to have mercy on us” (Ps. 123:2). We stretch out our hands, expecting a blessing from His outstretched hand. Let us humbly acknowledge our weaknesses and limitations, realizing that it is upon the downtrodden that God breathes out His Spirit. Having been brought to the fullness of life in Christ, let us strive to establish relationships with all people under the mastery and guidance of justice and love. As we enter into communion with the Living Word, let us allow Him to “set us on our feet.” Let us do for others what God has done for us.

Footprints in the Sand Poem

Footprints in the Sand - by Mary Stevenson

He whispered, "My precious child, I love you and will never leave you Never, ever, during your trials and testings. When you saw only one set of footprints, It was then that I carried you."

--Father Jerome Machar, OSCO

Life Pledge, Patrick Joseph Wheeler, CFP

The Confraternity of Penitents rejoices at the Life Pledge of Patrick Joseph Wheeler, June 20, 2015. CFP Visitor Father Jacob Meyer received Patrick's pledge to live the CFP Rule and Constitutions for Life. We reproduce Father Jacob's homily here along with photos of Patrick's pledging and celebration thereafter. Thanks be to God for the grace of Patrick's pledge.

Patrick Wheeler answers "present" at the beginning of the Pledging Ceremony

Therefore, that I might not become too elated,
a thorn in the flesh was given to me, an angel of Satan,
to beat me, to keep me from being too elated.
Three times I begged the Lord about this, that it might leave me,
but he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you,
for power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12: 7-9)

R. (9a) Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
The angel of the LORD encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
Taste and see how good the LORD is;
blessed the man who takes refuge in him.
R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
Fear the LORD, you his holy ones,
for nought is lacking to those who fear him.
The great grow poor and hungry;
but those who seek the LORD want for no good thing.
R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
Come, children, hear me;
I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
Which of you desires life,
and takes delight in prosperous days?
R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord. (PS 34:8-9, 10-11, 12-13)

 

Patrick making his pledge and Father Jacob receiving it. Witnesses Madeline Pecora Nugent, CFP (left) and Lucy Fernandez, CFP (right)

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus Christ became poor although he was rich,
so that by his poverty you might become rich.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. (2 Cor. 8:9)

Jesus said to his disciples:
“No one can serve two masters.
He will either hate one and love the other,
or be devoted to one and despise the other.
You cannot serve God and mammon.

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life,
what you will eat or drink,
or about your body, what you will wear.
Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
Look at the birds in the sky;
they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns,
yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
Are not you more important than they?
Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span?
Why are you anxious about clothes?
Learn from the way the wild flowers grow.
They do not work or spin.
But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor
was clothed like one of them.
If God so clothes the grass of the field,
which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow,
will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith?
So do not worry and say, ‘What are we to eat?’
or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear?’
All these things the pagans seek.
Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
But seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness,
and all these things will be given you besides.
Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself.
Sufficient for a day is its own evil.” (Mt 6: 24-34)

The signing of Patrick's life pledge

My joy could not be more for you this day, Patrick, and not only for you and the Confraternity of Penitents but, indeed, for the Church. And is it not the providence of God that we have this beautiful ceremony on the day when we we have these glorious readings for Franciscans? I mean, really? Do I have to preach? 

The first reading is about the thorn in the side. And no, Franciscans are not the thorn in the side of the Church, although sometimes they might think they are. That thorn in the side is our desires, our inordinate passions, our concupiscence. This beautiful life of self-denial, this beautiful life of living the way of St. Francis, is the remedy to the thorn. When the Lord says “My grace is sufficient for you,” what does he mean? He means that through this beautiful life of sacrifice and of penance, the grace that you receive is the very remedy for the thorn. And it is the remedy for sin itself. For it is in denying yourself that the Lord gives you the grace to master yourself, to master your passions, and so become as God has created you to be. That is ultimately what this is about.

Patrick, this pledge that you make is a particular way of life that helps you become who God created you to be. You said, before we walked in here, that you really thought that God has been calling you to this, and we agree! We think God has been calling you to this because in this life, not only will you grow in holiness, but the Church will also resound because the more people who live this way of life, the more people who live the life of penance, the life of prayer, the life of sacrifice, the greater conduit they become for grace to flow into the Church so souls can be saved. Most especially yours, right? But then also, other souls of the Church. 

Madeline clothes Patrick in his crucifix pendant.

And then of course we come the Gospel verse, that beautiful verse in between the two alleluia’s. “Jesus Christ became poor although he was rich so that by his poverty, we might become rich.” In fact, that is the mystery of the Franciscan life. It is a giving up of everything the world supposedly has to offer that we gain more than the world could ever offer. Because it is just in giving up everything that the world offers that we gain the greatest experience of the Lord and Savior, this is how we gain trust in God and not only trust in God but also the ability to live out that life in freedom and to show the world what it is that Christ beckons them to. Out of the worldliness, out of the cares, so that we might live the Gospel, so that we might have no more worries. The world has so many worries. 

One thing that I love about the Confraternity of Penitents is the uniform. You know--the uniform! The dress restrictions, right? I just think they are a great idea! As someone who wears a uniform, I know what a blessing that is! When you wake up in the morning, there is no anxiety! What should I wear? Is this appropriate? Whatever it is, there is no question. For me it is even simpler. Black or black. That’s it. I know you have a couple of variations. But regardless, it is beautiful. When we get rid of the things of the world, we do not have to worry as the world worries. And that is my prayer for you, Patrick, that as you continue to deepen your life in this beautiful pledge, and this beautiful way of life of the Confraternity of Penitents, that the worries of the world pass away and the worries of God become your worries. That is the goal. Take on the worries of God.

And what is the worry of God? God thirst for souls. He thirsts for you and for every single person on this earth. He cares not for food or for drink or for clothing. He cares for the hearts of men. And my wish for you is that your hope might be his hope, hopefully through your sacrifices and offering those for the sake of the whole world, that many more hearts might be his, that many more hearts might come to know him, love him and serve him. For that is what truly satisfies the heart, the love of God. That is the only thing that will bring happiness to the heart. 

Patrick receives the cord of life pledging.

And so the readings could not be more perfect except for this, and this puts the cherry on top. Today is Saturday and today is a day dedicated to the Blessed Mother. And that makes today so perfect. Francis knew this charism of poverty so well, but Francis himself would say that he only falls in the shadow of the Blessed Mother, following after her. And though I ask you to follow after her on this day of the Blessed Mother, I ask you to do it every day. When I thought of this beautiful pledging ceremony, I thought of seven ways that the Blessed Mother can teach you what it is to live the Rule of the Confraternity. 

The first is something that you have already done. You have received the call. The Angel Gabriel came to her and she did not shy away or run away. She listened. I think that is the first thing that you can learn from the Blessed Mother. The angel of God will come to you in many different forms, many different disguises, but however he comes, you must listen. Continuously listen to the word of God especially in Holy Scripture. The tradition of the Church says that is what Our Lady was doing when the angel came to her. She was studying the word of God. And so I hope that you study the word of God often so you, like her, might be ready to receive the call to do whatever it is he asks of you in your life. 

The second thing is obedience to the Holy Spirit. The Blessed Mother is the spouse of the Spirit. When called upon by the Holy Spirit to take on this great task of bearing Christ to the world, she obeyed. I hope that you have that obedience as well, that you might bear Christ to the world and that her words might be yours, “Let it be done unto me according to Thy word.” May you not only meditate on the word of God but may you, more and more each day, seek to practice it, to bring the word of God into the world. 

Patrick receives an embrace of welcome from all life pledged members present at the pledging Mass.

Thirdly, you might not be surprised if I point this out, but her poverty of life. She left all. She left all. She embraced not only poverty in physical things but most especially poverty in those emotional things. She gave up her good name. She gave up her credibility in the eyes of the world. She gave up caring about what people might think of her, all for the sake of God. For when she received our Lord, she did so in a precarious situation. How many people do you think believed her? “I’m pregnant, but it’s by the Holy Spirit.” “Mmm hmm, Mary.” Do you think she was free from judging eyes, from gossiping lips? In this life, you will be judged as well. You will look different. You will act different. You will live different in because you have accepted Jesus Christ radically into your life. Poverty of life. Not just poverty from material things but poverty in the way you live, and your life is not your own. So live it well, knowing that if you bear Christ, you will have a beautiful relationship with Christ. Fear not. Trudge out into the world . No gossiping lips will harm you. No judgmental stares will distract you for Christ is in your midst.

Number four. The Blessed Mother teaches us to avoid all evil. When the Holy Family fled into Egypt, what were they fleeing? Herod, right? They were fleeing from persecution. They were fleeing from evil. They were fleeing in the sense that they wanted Christ to dwell in their life. Guard your life, Patrick, so that the Lord might grow. This day the Lord is going to come into your life in a very special way and so you must guard this life. You must make sure that you flee from the world, in a sense. Do not allow the allurements of the world or the dangers to come in and to tarnish this way of life. Pray to St. Joseph who protected the Holy Family. May he protect this beautiful life of a pledged member of the Confraternity. 

Patrick with his mother, brother, and Fr. Jacob following his life pledge.

Patrick cuts his cake as the celebration begins!

Number five. Intercede for those who are in danger. In this life you will encounter those who do not realize the beauty of your life and do not realize that they themselves need to live this life, and do not realize that they need to draw away from the world. And so intercede for them just like the Blessed Mother did at Cana. The bride and groom were most especially in need of joy  which wine symbolizes in the Gospel. Be like the Blessed Mother and go to Christ our Savior and intercede for the world. This pledge is not just for yourself. It is for the Church, for all of the people of the world. Intercede for them. Offer up your sacrifices so that the world might have joy, which consists in drawing away from the world towards Christ. 

Number six. Suffer for the sake of the world as Our Lady did at the base of the cross. How often you suffer in this life! You will suffer because of poverty. You will suffer because of want. You will suffer because of so many things, but in your recognition that God is more important, you take the sufferings and turn them into joy. May you offer those sufferings up so that the world might know the joy of the Gospel. 

At the Confraternity of Penitents Headquarters, Confraternity members and friends celebrate a breakfast brunch buffet with Patrick and his family.

And last. Remember that all of these events in the Blessed Mother’s life led to her coronation in heaven. Remember that this life that you lead ultimately has a promise. And the promise of eternal happiness with the Lord is for ever. St. Paul says, “So run the race so as to win the crown.” So follow after the Blessed Mother and long for a crown like hers, a crown of humility and majesty, a crown of sorrow but of joy, a crown that brings you closer to our Lord and Savior. May this day be a day of joy for us all. May Mary, the Mother of us all, intercede for you today, Patrick, as you take on this beautiful life for yourself and for the Church. 

--Father Jacob Meyer, Visitor, Confraternity of Penitents

Saint Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs of Japan, and Pope Francis' response to 12 year old's question about suffering

The third-century writer, Tertullian wrote: “The blood of martyrs is the seed of Christians.” The feast of Saint Paul Miki and Companions reminds us that the Gospel needs to be proclaimed even in the face of persecution. Believers need to be will to present themselves to God as whole-burnt sacrifices, a sweet fragrance before the divine majesty. The city that had been the target of the second atomic bomb on August 9, 1945 was also the place where Paul Miki and his companions were crucified. As they hung upon their crosses, the Martyrs sang hymns of praise to God. They offered themselves for the glory of God and allowed their lives to be crushed out, just as the sacred elements placed upon the altar are made by the crushing of grapes and the grinding of wheat. 

Saint Paul Miki and Companions

Suspended between heaven and earth, Paul Miki preached the gospel of Jesus Christ. “The sentence of judgment says these men came to Japan from the Philippines, but I did not come from any other country. I am a true Japanese. The only reason for my being killed is that I have taught the doctrine of Christ. I certainly did teach the doctrine of Christ. I thank God it is for this reason I die. I believe that I am telling only the truth before I die. I know you believe me and I want to say to you all once again: Ask Christ to help you to become happy. I obey Christ. After Christ’s example I forgive my persecutors. I do not hate them. I ask God to have pity on all, and I hope my blood will fall on my fellow men as a fruitful rain.” 

The Disciples of Christ must be willing to follow the Master, walking in His footsteps and laying down their lives for the sake of the Kingdom. By emptying Himself, Jesus purchased for Himself a peculiar people of  priests for His Father. They were to be zealous in performing good works and supportive of one another in the bonds of love. When love is genuine, it is active and life-giving. Love shows itself in praying with and for one another. Whatever the disciple is as to this life, he considers the favor and service of God as the one thing needful. This he desires, prays for and seeks after, and in it he rejoices even when subjected to cruel torture. 

Pope Francis embracing a 12 year old girl in Manila. She had asked why so many bad things happen to others, especially the children, and could not get her words out until she broke down, weeping. The Pope embraced her and comforted her in silence.

The crucifixion of the martyrs and the nuclear holocaust of Nagasaki have led many to wonder why God allowed these things to happen. Of course, the same "why" can be asked regarding any difficult circumstance that we see as being contrary to God's loving providence. This question found its way into the deepest recesses of our hearts when Pope Francis embraced a 12 year old girl in Manila. Having traveled through the dark valley they were in, he was sympathetic to her question and simply embraced her in silence.   While the question has no answer, it does evoke a response of compassion. "Faith is not a light which scatters all our darkness, but a lamp which guides our steps in the night and suffices for the journey. To those who suffer, God does not provide arguments which explain everything; rather, his response is that of an accompanying presence, a history of goodness which touches every story of suffering and opens up a ray of light." ("Lumen Fidei," June 29, 2013). 

 

Let us join in mind and heart with all who suffer as we gather around the Table of the Lord.

 

--Father Jerome Machar, OSCO 

Pope Francis' response to the child's question:

Background information:

Glyzelle Palomar, a one-time homeless child taken in by a church charity, made her emotional plea during ceremonies at a Catholic university in Manila, ahead of a mass by the pope to millions of faithful.

"Many children are abandoned by their parents. Many children get involved in drugs and prostitution," Palomar told the pope as she stood on stage alongside a 14-year-old boy who also used to be homeless.

"Why does God allow these things to happen to us? The children are not guilty of anything."
Palomar broke down and wept profusely, prompting the 78-year-old pontiff with a man-of-the-people reputation to take her into his arms and hug her for a few seconds.

The Pope's reply:

To Jun and Leandro Santos II and to Rikki, thank you very much. There’s only a very small representation of girls among you. Too little. Women have much to tell us in today’s society. Sometimes we are too “machistas” and we don’t allow enough space to women. But women can see things from a different angle to us, with a different eye. Women are able to pose questions we men are unable to understand. Look out for this fact: she is the only one who has put a question for which there is no answer. She couldn’t put it into words but expressed it with tears. So when the next pope comes to Manila, please let there be more girls.

I thank you Jun for talking about your experience so bravely. As I said, the heart of your question has no reply. Only when we too can cry about the things you said can we come close to answering that question. Why do children suffer so much? Why do children suffer? When the heart is able to ask itself and weep, then we can understand something. There is a worldly compassion which is useless. You expressed something like this. It’s a compassion that makes us put our hands in our pockets and give something to the poor. But if Christ had had that kind of compassion he would have greeted a couple of people, given them something, and walked on. But it was only when he was able to cry that he understood something of our lives. Dear young boys and girls, today’s world doesn’t know how to cry. The emarginated people, those left to one side, are crying. Those who are discarded are crying. But we don’t understand much about these people in need. Certain realities of life we only see through eyes cleansed by our tears. I invite each one here to ask yourself: have I learned how to weep? Have I learned how to weep for the emarginated or for a street child who has a drug problem or for an abused child? Unfortunately there are those who cry because they want something else.
This is the first thing I want to say: let us learn how to weep as she has shown us today and let us not forget this lesson. The great question of why so many children suffer, she did this in tears. The response that we can make today is: let us really learn how to weep.

In the Gospel, Jesus cried for his dead friend, he cried in his heart for the family who lost its child, for the poor widow who had to bury her son. He was moved to tears and compassion when he saw the crowds without a pastor. If you don’t learn how to cry, you cannot be a good Christian. This is a challenge. When they posed this question to us, why children suffer, why this or that tragedy occurs in life – our response must be either silence or a word that is born of our tears. Be courageous, don’t be afraid to cry.

God's Grace Comes on the World through Suffering

As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. ³⁵When it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, ‘This is a deserted place, and the hour is now very late; ³⁶send them away so that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy something for themselves to eat.’ ³⁷But he answered them, ‘You give them something to eat.’ They said to him, ‘Are we to go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread, and give it to them to eat?’ ³⁸And he said to them, ‘How many loaves have you? Go and see.’ When they had found out, they said, ‘Five, and two fish.’ ³⁹Then he ordered them to get all the people to sit down in groups on the green grass. ⁴⁰So they sat down in groups of hundreds and of fifties. ⁴¹Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and he divided the two fish among them all. ⁴²And all ate and were filled; ⁴³and they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. ⁴⁴Those who had eaten the loaves numbered five thousand men. (Mark 6: 34-44)

I cannot imagine anything more unsatisfying than bread and fish. But these people were satisfied by the bread and fish that they received. 

The message of this Gospel passage is that we need to take what we have and then know and trust that what we have is enough to satisfy God’s people. We think of the banquets served by wealthy kings or government leaders or people who live in huge mansions. Those banquets may fill us up, but the Lord satisfies us with as little as loaves and fishes as long as bring it to him first. What God gives us may not be satisfying in the eyes of the world, but it is satisfying in the eyes of God because it is given in his grace. There is not only enough for ourselves, but God gives us enough to feed the people of God and to satisfy the deepest longings of one’s heart with Christ. 

Caring for others is our job. Jesus said, “You give them something to eat.” Now I am not good at guarding my expressions. People say that you can read me like a book. So you can imagine what my eyes would have been like, what my facial expression would have been like, if I heard Jesus say to me, in front of all of these hungry people, “You give them something to eat.” How was I going to feed them? 

Nevertheless, God wants us to feed others and not look for Him to do everything. It is our job, our task to feed others and not wait for God to rend open the sky and come down and do it for us. It is our job. “You give them something to eat.” God provides us with the means to feed others. 

Think about the penitential lifestyle you are living. Just by living the way you do, the world takes notice and grace is given. Or maybe your penances are so hidden that most people have no clue that you are doing them. But God knows the voluntary penances you are undertaking out of love for Him.

The world need deeply needs grace, and how do we get grace? Through suffering. People are longing for fullness, but they do not understand the value of suffering. Suffering seems to the world to be as unappetizing as bread and fish, but that is suffering in a worldly view. Maybe the crowd did not even understand what had happened or how the bread and fish were multiplied. The world may not know about your penances, but does it matter? You should still rejoice because grace is coming to the world through those penances, through what the world would consider sufferings like fasting and abstinence and all those prayers and that weeding out of your clothing. Little penances that bring grace into this world. God will satisfy His people through this grace.” You give them something to eat” means to offer up your penances for the world so that they will not only help you to grow in grace but so that they will also bring God’s grace down upon others. It is God’s grace that satisfies more than any bread or fish or any other food.

--Father Jacob Meyer, CFP Visitor