2 Corinthians 11:31-12:9

October 26, 2008

This reading is famous because St. Paul mentions his “thorn in the flesh.” Some people translate this “thorn” as “stake.” A stake in the flesh would cause incessant pain, wouldn’t it? What was this thorn or stake in the flesh for the Apostle? It was from all the persecutions he suffered. Even people in the Church conspired to oppose his leadership. This thorn never went away.

When this thorn appeared, St. Paul, like all of us, wondered, “why me?” He found the reason: “to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, to keep me from exalting myself.” His thorn was given to lead him to humility. Humility is the highest gift we can seek. Why is this so? It is because pride (the lack of humility) keeps us from loving as we should. Pride is self-centered and demon-like; humility is Christ-like.

St. Paul’s opponents constantly ganged up on him. This thorn hurt deeply. So St. Paul prayed for its removal. But he learned that there was a flaw in his prayer. He should have prayed, “Please, God, take this trouble away... if it be Thy will.” That’s the way we should pray, too, when confronted by our own “thorns in the flesh.” If God chooses to leave that thorn in us, it is for our own good, for our humility, and for our salvation.

In following the path of humility, St. Paul became not just a theological giant, not just a most amazing apostle, but he also became the great exemplar of humility, and through humility he learned how to love. His adversities could have destroyed him. Instead, these “thorns” only served to increase the depth of his humility. The deeper his thorn sank into him, the more he focused on the Lord whom he followed.

At some point Paul was able to say, “Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of God may dwell in me.” Now St. Paul doesn’t want to get rid of his thorn - he wants to keep it! God did not free him from his troubles - He provided the grace for Paul to persevere through his troubles. God knows what we need, even if they are thorns.

The Lord told Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.” These words are for us, too, especially whenever the thorns dig deep, and we begin to doubt. We can be strengthened by these words, for when we are most humbled by our thorns, then we are the strongest, if we will allow God to work in us! In our humility we are instruments for God’s strength, and in our humility, should we persevere, we ill find salvation.

- Father Mark