Thorn In The Flesh

Here's to share an interesting article taken from: 

http://www.chastitysf.com/q_thorn.htm

What was Saint Paul’s “thorn in the flesh”? 

(2 Corinthians 12:7) 

Well, no one really knows. Scholars have speculated that it might refer to a physical disability. Others say it might have been some sort of temptation; liberals, especially, are tempted to snicker that it was a sexual temptation. All of these speculations miss the point because they miss the psychological meaning of the matter. To get to that psychological meaning, let’s look first at the practical meaning of a “thorn in the flesh.”

The Practical Meaning of a “Thorn in the Flesh”

When you’re out walking on a hike, or working in a garden, and you touch a thorny bush, like a thistle, a small piece of a pricker can break off in your skin. This embedded thorn will cause pain even after the contact with the bush is long past. The only way to heal the pain is to find the pricker and extract it from the wound.

The Psychological Meaning of a “Thorn in the Flesh”

Now, the psychological meaning of a “thorn in the flesh” follows from the idea of an embedded thorn that will cause pain even after the contact with the thorn bush is long past. Psychologically, a “thorn in the flesh” is a memory of something you have done that continues to cause you emotional pain even though the event itself is long past.

Saint Paul’s “Thorn in the Flesh”

In Saint Paul’s case, only one thing (that is, that is publicly known about him) fits this description: his murder of Christians before his conversion. Psychologically, in all of his missionary work, Saint Paul may have struggled with the guilt of having been a far worse sinner than anyone he tried to convert. Despite all the graces he received, he would have known in his heart how thoroughly wretched he was because of his past pride. Compared to those “good” men who were rising to leadership in the Church, he would have carried a deep guilt that made him feel inferior.

His guilt, however, did not cripple him. In fact, it strengthened him. It was the reason that God told him, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). In other words, Saint Paul’s thorn in the flesh made him humble, and humility, as every saint knows (beginning with the Blessed Virgin herself) is the absolute key to sainthood.

Your “Thorn in the Flesh”

So, what is your thorn in the flesh? It is some emotional trauma from your past. You might even be aware of it, at least intellectually. You might even think that you are over it. But you are self-deceived. Yes, you are self-deceived—and the continued emotional pain from your embedded thorn proves it. Your addiction to smoking is not the thorn; the destructive self-hatred of smoking is a symptom of the thorn’s continued presence within your flesh.

Confession will be of no use to you as long as you fail to confess the real sin. Endeavor, therefore, to scrutinize your life and find the real emotional trauma that you have been hiding from yourself all your life. Most likely you will find that, just like Saint Paul, your self-deception is all a matter of intellectualism and pride—especially the pride of wanting revenge on those who hurt you.

And don’t be deceived. You will tell yourself that because you attend daily Mass, pray your Rosary, and go to Confession regularly, you have progressed spiritually beyond the desire for revenge. But you aren’t as advanced spiritually as you think, and you aren’t past revenge, because even self-destruction is a cunning, unconscious way to hurt those who hurt you. By throwing your disability in their faces, you get the satisfaction of saying, “Look at what you made me do to myself!”

Endeavor, therefore, to find the real sins of pride that you think are not there, and then, like Saint Paul, you will have found the humility that can make you a saint.

The Kingdom of God is Among You

What is defined as the "kingdom of God"?


According to Jesus, the coming of the kingdom of God cannot be observed, and no one will announce, "Look, here it is", or, "There it is." For behold, the kingdom of God is among you (Luke 17: 20-21).


So that would imply that the kingdom of God isn't something tangible. It is among us - or perhaps, within us.


The Catholic Encyclopedia explains that in the mouth of Christ the "kingdom" means not so much a goal to be attained or a place — though those meanings are by no means excluded; cf. Matthew 5:3; 11:2, etc. — it is rather a tone of mind (Luke 17:20-21). It stands for an influence which must permeate men's minds if they would be one with Him and attain to His ideals; cf. Luke 9:55.


In other words, the kingdom of God is the ruling of God in our hearts; it means those principles which separate us off from the kingdom of the world and the devil; it means the benign sway of grace; it means the Church as that Divine institution whereby we may make sure of attaining the spirit of Christ and so win that ultimate kingdom of God where He reigns without end in "the holy city, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God" (Revelation 21:2).
(Ref: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08646a.htm).


So how is the kingdom of God 'among us'?


Fr. Raul C. de los Santos (in 365 days with the Lord) posed some good questions to reflect on:


Are we a poor substitute of God's warm hand?


Do we miss God's presence in our families and in moment of silence and kindness?


Do we not see God's hand in sparks of inspiration and movements of grace?


Have we been callous to God's invitation to pray and be still?


Fr. Raul also pointed out that one of the 1st lessons we learn in religion is that God is everywhere. Thus, he invites us to pray "Forgive us Lord, when we seek you elsewhere except in our hearts and in the hearts of people. Amen."

If You Can't Beat 'Em, Join 'Em

Yesterday, my churchmate, E, shared with me his experience as a Sunday School teacher.


Grade 1 Class
One Sunday, E had to stand in for a Grade 1 class without prior notice because both teachers were on emergency leave. He was appalled at the news as he had no preparation, nor has he taught such a young class before and he had doubts about his patience. The stories he had heard from the other teachers about the Grade 1 class, did not make him feel any better. Anyhow, he told God, "If this is what you want me to do, I'll do it. But please help me."



As he was walked towards the class, a brilliant idea came to his mind - he would pretend to be a student, just to observe their reaction. When he arrived at the class, he knocked on the door and one of the students opened it. Inside, he saw some kids at each other, others were running around while the rest were just talking. They all stopped what they were doing and looked at E. A few kids asked him, "Who are you?" E replied, "I'm E and I'm a new Grade 1 student".


One student exclaimed, "Huh? Why are you so big sized?", while another said, "You look too old to be in Grade 1". Before E could reply, another boy asked, "Are you a stupid or a slow learner?". Finally E answered, "I have never attended Sunday School before, so they asked me to come to this class. So what happens in this class?"


One of the boys replied with enthusiasm, "When the teacher is around we pray, when the teacher is not around, we play!". So E asked them to teach him what prayers that he should know. They also shared what they enjoyed playing while the teacher was not around.


Finally, one kid pointed out, "But, you're an adult. So you must be a teacher!". Well, that was the end of the act. Nevertheless, it was great to see how the kids opened up and shared with him, despite it being his first time there. As the saying goes, "If you can't beat them, join them".



Grade 10 Class

The lesson for the day is about the Mass. E could see that his students weren't looking forward to the topic. So he thought of an idea to encourage participation - he posed this question to them, "Why do we not want to go for mass?". Suddenly, the students came alive and responded actively. Some answered, "Because it is so boring". Some said, "Because the music sucks". And the list went on and on.


Finally, E concluded, "Since there are heaps of reasons to not go for mass, then perhaps we shouldn't bother to go at all, from next week onwards." A few students happily agreed. However, there some who were uncomfortable with the idea and said that there are surely some reasons to go for mass.


So E posed this next question to them, "So now, tell me the reason why you think OTHERS go for mass". Without the personal attack towards them, the students felt comfortable enough to participate in answering. Instead of throwing the answers and expecting them to swallow it, the students came up with some pretty convincing answers themselves. At the end of the day, its how you approach them. As the saying goes once again, "If you can't beat them, join them".

Parable of the Bamboo

As I pondered upon the meaning of humility earlier today, I came across this story which describes it...

Once upon a time there was a beautiful garden.

There in the cool of the day the Master of the garden would walk. Of all the denizens of the garden, the most beloved was a gracious and noble Bamboo.

Year after year, Bamboo grew yet more noble and gracious, conscious of his Master’s love and watchful delight, but he was always modest and gentle.

Often, when Wind came to revel in the garden, Bamboo would cast aside his grave stateliness, to dance and play merrily, tossing and swaying and leaping and bowing in joyous abandon, leading the garden in the Great Dance which most delighted the Master's heart.

One day, the Master drew near to contemplate His Bamboo with eyes of curious expectancy. Bamboo, in a passion of adoration, bowed his great head to the ground in loving greeting.

The Master spoke, “Bamboo, I wish to use you.”

Bamboo flung his head to the sky in utter delight. The day had come, the day for which he had been made, the day to which he had been growing hour by hour, the day in which he would find his completion and his destiny. His voice became low. “Master, I am ready. Use me as You will.”

“Bamboo,” the Master's voice was grave, “I will have to take you and cut you down.”

A trembling of great horror shook Bamboo. “Cut me down? Oh, not that! Use me for Your joy, Master, but please do not cut me down.”

“Beloved Bamboo,” the Master's voice grew even graver, “If I do not cut you down, I cannot use you.”

The garden grew still. Wind held his breath. Bamboo slowly bent his proud and glorious head, and he whispered, “Master, if you can't use me unless you cut me down, then, do Your will and cut.”

“Bamboo, beloved Bamboo, I will have to cut your leaves and branches as well.”

“Master, spare me. Cut me down and lay my beauty in the dust, but would You also take from me my leaves and branches?”

“If I do not cut them away, I cannot use you.” Sun had hid his face. Listening Butterfly glided fearfully away. Bamboo shivered in terrible expectancy, whispering low, “Master cut away.”

“I'll have to cleave you in two and cut out your heart, for if not, I can't use you.” Bamboo bowed to the ground in sorrow. “Master, then cut and cleave.”

The Master of the Garden took Bamboo and cut him down and hacked off his branches and stripped him of his leaves and clove him in two and cut out his heart. Lifting him gently, the Master carried him where there was a spring of fresh, sparkling water in the midst of His dry fields.

Then, putting one end of broken Bamboo in the spring, and the other end into the water channel in His field, the Master laid down gently His beloved Bamboo. The spring sang welcome, and the clear, sparkling water raced joyously down the channel of Bamboo's torn body into the waiting fields. Then the rice was planted, and the days went by, and the shoots grew, and the harvest came.

In that day, Bamboo, once so glorious in his stately beauty, was yet glorious in his brokenness and humility. For in his beauty he became a channel of abundant life to his Master's world.

 

(Taken from Surprised by Truth -  His Open Arms Welcomed Me by Patrick Madrid)

-An ancient Chinese parable which paints a vivid picture of what it means to surrender oneself to Christ-

“Verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it stays alone: but if it die, it brings forth much fruit.” (John 12:24)