St. John Nepomucene

God wishes to carry you to the finish line.

God wishes to carry you to the finish line.  We hear in our second reading from St. Paul, that he was given a thorn in the flesh.  Three times, he begged to be relieved of it.  But eventually he heard the Lord say, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.”  What was the thorn in the flesh for St. Paul?  Some say epilepsy.  Some say failing eyesight.  Some say not being considered an original apostle, since he met the Lord much later on the road to Damascus after the Cross and Resurrection.

St. Paul was the great missionary to the Gentiles, the non-Jews.  He travelled the world over, encountered great suffering, established Christian communities and eventually died a martyr’s death.  But he had the thorn in the flesh, possibly as an invitation that he needed to voice his dependence on God and on others.

St. Paul hears the words, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”  Who knows where you are today?  What is the thorn in the flesh?  It could be a physical malady.  It could be an addiction.  It could be a mental illness.  It could be a relational problem with spouse, family, friends, co-workers or classmates.  Who knows, if we are honest maybe each of us have some thorn in the flesh that we pray goes away.  But it does not go away.  Maybe, like St. Paul we are called to hear the words, “My grace is sufficient for you.”

Paul’s experience convinces me, most of all, that our weaknesses become strengths if they remind us of our dependence on God and one another.

I came across the story of Ricky Hoyt.  Ricky Hoyt has been disabled from birth and yet in 1989 he and his father participated in a national Ironman competition.  A typical Ironman Triathlon consists of a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike ride and a marathon 26.2 mile run, raced in that order without a break.  It is grueling beyond belief.

Now Ricky who could not even walk due to the fact that he was born with cerebral palsy dreamed of completing this Ironman Triathlon.  He completed it in 1989.  And guess how he did it?  He finished the race just one second before his 49 year old father, the man who swam through 2.4 miles of ocean pulling Ricky behind him in a rubber raft, then pedaled an oversized 58 pound bike for

112 miles with Ricky sitting in a basket on the front and then pushed Ricky in a special cart for the 26.2 mile running marathon.   It is a true story that happened in 1989.  Ricky with cerebral palsy finished the Ironman Triathlon.   He finished it because of the love and strength of his father.

So what does this mean?  Is there  a loving Father who is towing your raft?  Who is pedaling your bike?   Who is pushing your cart? 

Well, 2000 years ago the Father sent His Son to carry you.  Three iron nails were used on that Cross.  Its Way was more grueling.  Its pain was more severe…and you were carried.

As one song puts it:

 “If He carried the weight of the world on His shoulders, I am sure my brother and sister, He can carry you.”

 He carried you when He carried the Cross, for St. Paul and for you.  Bring that thorn in the flesh to Him.  You may find it is but a sliver of the Wood of that Cross He carried for you.  You may find that He is giving you the strength to carry your cross.  You may discover that He is carrying it with you.  You may find with His help, you will do what you need to do to reach the finish line.

 As St. Paul states, with His help, “I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me.”

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