Friday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time
We are mortal beings. We have bodies that die, no matter what we do or don’t do; we know that our bodies are limited and will eventually stop working. And I think I am not alone in some days appreciating my God-given body when it is working well and I am feeling fine and in tune with our Creator, and other days not-so-much. I find some comfort in knowing that St. Paul struggled at times with his “mortal body” as we read today in his letter to the Romans (7:18-25a) with some intensity, “Miserable one that I am! Who will deliver me from this mortal body?”
In this passage Paul is referring to the struggles that we face as human beings with mortal bodies, the temptations of our bodies over our spirit. I’ve often quoted (or paraphrased) this familiar verse, “The willing is ready at hand, but doing the good is not. For I do not do the good I want, but I do the evil I do not want.” Why is it so hard to do the right thing?! Which reminds me of another often quoted verse of Jesus addressing Peter in the garden of Gethsemane, “the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41) These later named saints were human and struggled with living their faith in their mortal bodies, just like us.
Whether it’s struggles with substance abuse or dependence, unhealthy eating, sexual temptations, or choosing our own physical comfort over that of others, there are myriad ways in which we might relate to St. Paul’s frustrations with “this mortal body.” And yet the book of Genesis tells us that we are made in the image and likeness of God, both male and female created in God’s image. So how can we glorify God with these bodies and the conflicting needs and desires we are challenged with?
St. Paul’s words immediately following his complaint and seeming cry of despair may provide some guidance: “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” What if we begin by thanking God for our amazing bodies even with the challenges and suffering they bear and sometimes bring? Then, asking for the wisdom and guidance to treat our bodies and others’ with the care and respect they deserve as God’s creation and temples of the Holy Spirit.
Lastly, let us remember that we are not alone. We can call upon the communion of saints, Peter and Paul and the countless others who have gone before us in this struggle to live out our faith in these mortal bodies, through Jesus Christ.
“Lord, teach me your statutes...I am yours; save me.” (Psalm 119)
~Eileen Miller