Memorial of St. Anthony of Padua, Priest and Doctor of the Church
Seeing the suffering in the world, and maybe our own suffering or that of our loved ones, it can be tempting to be driven to despair. Today’s reading from Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians could be addressed to us here and now as encouragement. This coming from an early disciple of Jesus who suffered much more than most of us presumably ever will.
Verses 8-10 particularly stand out to me: “We are afflicted in every way, but not constrained; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the Body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our body.” Continuing on, Paul tells us, “For we who live are constantly being given up to death for the sake of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh.” (vs 11)
Our faith tells us that we need not fear death or affliction, not that we won’t be spared these things, but that we are one with Jesus in our suffering and dying, and that, as Paul also reminds us, “the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus….” (vs 14)
NOT constrained, NOT driven to despair, NOT abandoned, NOT destroyed, as we allow the life of Jesus to be manifest in our own “mortal flesh.”
As we continue on in our week, let us pray for one another to manifest the life of Jesus in our bodies, in our very lives, bringing hope where there is despair, joy where there is sadness, new life where there is only death, “...so that the grace bestowed in abundance on more and more people may cause the thanksgiving to overflow for the glory of God.” (vs 15) May God be praised.
—Eileen Miller