June 18, 2011
Saturday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
[B]ut he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness." I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me. Therefore, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and constraints, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9b-10
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. Matthew 6:33-34
Piety
Seek first the Kingdom of God. But where shall we find it?
Study
Will we find the Kingdom in the snarled traffic jam on I-395 yesterday during morning rush hour? That is the price we pay for living in the national capital area. Yet we might find it if we examine how we reacted to the people around us while we were impeded in our path.
Will we find the Kingdom in the plastic pack of the Sunday newspaper filled to the brim with the latest Father's Day sale items? We might find it in what we share with others, not with what we accumulate or over-accumulate for ourselves.
Will we find the Kingdom climbing up the career ladder to a better job, a higher salary, or a more generous benefits package? We might find it in how we treat our co-workers and customers so that they will be satisfied.
Paul tells us today the celebrate our weakness. In that will be our strength. Jesus tells us not to worry about the externals. Not to worry about even the first rung of Maslow's famous hierarchy of need. If the Father knows best about these basic needs, how much more will he understand and provide for the higher needs we have as we seek Him and the Kingdom first before all these others.
In Matthew's Gospel, we encounter his use of the word translated as "righteousness" to be the "saving activity of God." As the notes in the New American Bible explain, "to fulfill all righteousness" then is to submit to the plan of God for the salvation of the human race. For Jesus, this involves Jesus' identification with sinners, not the most powerful. For us, it may be rejecting the trappings of power, wealth and status and serving those around us who have the greatest need.
Action
What thorn have you been given for your side to remind you of your weakness? Rather than pluck it out, use the pain of that gift as a reminder for you to turn to God. Whether that thorn gives you physical pain or emotional pain, use it as the gate through which you will pass on your journey seeking to build the Kingdom where you are. For God's grace is sufficient for us yesterday, today and tomorrow. How shall we help spread that grace to others?
