Sunday Vigil

Reading of the Word of God

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

Whoever lives and believes in me
will never die.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

2 Corinthians 12,1-10

I am boasting because I have to. Not that it does any good, but I will move on to visions and revelations from the Lord. I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago -- still in the body? I do not know; or out of the body? I do not know: God knows -- was caught up right into the third heaven. And I know that this man -- still in the body? or outside the body? I do not know, God knows- was caught up into Paradise and heard words said that cannot and may not be spoken by any human being. On behalf of someone like that I am willing to boast, but I am not going to boast on my own behalf except of my weaknesses; and then, if I do choose to boast I shall not be talking like a fool because I shall be speaking the truth. But I will not go on in case anybody should rate me higher than he sees and hears me to be, because of the exceptional greatness of the revelations. Wherefore, so that I should not get above myself, I was given a thorn in the flesh, a messenger from Satan to batter me and prevent me from getting above myself. About this, I have three times pleaded with the Lord that it might leave me; but he has answered me, 'My grace is enough for you: for power is at full stretch in weakness.' It is, then, about my weaknesses that I am happiest of all to boast, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me; and that is why I am glad of weaknesses, insults, constraints, persecutions and distress for Christ's sake. For it is when I am weak that I am strong.

 

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

If you believe, you will see the glory of God,
thus says the Lord.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

This is a crucial passage of the letter. Paul reveals the spiritual experience of a vision without delineating the content that he has not even fully understood. It is strange that the apostle does not speak in the first person anymore, but of "a person in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven-whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows" (v.2). In this mysterious encounter he was almost dispossessed of himself: it is not the carnal I who speaks but "a man in Christ." That encounter changed him deeply so that he says on another occasion: "It is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me" (Gal 2:20). The Christian is on the path of the identification in Christ. It is a path of spiritual growth that continues for our entire life till its fulfilment. A full and saved life is nothing other than communion with Christ. At this point the apostle splits his defence. He boasts about the man who allowed himself to be seized by Christ, "but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses" (v.5). The Apostle then reveals to the Corinthians a personal experience of weakness that was quite weakening him: the "thorn" in the "flesh."
We do not know exactly what the apostle refers to, but the consequences must have been so hard that three times he asked the Lord to be freed of it. Paul, however, received God's answer that allowed him to build his life not on his own wisdom and strength, but on the power that comes from the Lord: "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made "perfect in weakness" (v.9). The apostle discovered that, precisely in the weakness of his life in service of the Gospel, the strength of the Lord was manifested. This is a great spiritual and pastoral lesson sadly, often rejected. So many times, in our lives weakness and difficulty become a reason to withdraw from the Gospel or constitute a justification for not being committed. But it is precisely in weakness that the disciple discovers the extraordinary strength of the Lord and of his grace.