But we hold this
treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing power may be of God and not
from us.[1]
Numerous are the times that I read a
passage without it impacting me. As I
read this verse, it caused me to reflect:
We hold a treasure in our bodies.
What treasure? The power of
God. It is not a boastful power, i.e. “I
have God’s power in me; I can do anything.”
No, it is the power of God that we can love God and neighbor as the Son
of God did. 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.[2] Herein St. Paul tells us that that the
bishops of the Church are living the life of Christ, with God giving them the
extraordinary power to bear persecution for the sake of love of their fellow
human being.
They are not doing this in order to
“get to heaven” or to procure a reward for themselves—although that will be the
outcome; they do this out of love. They
do this to show the love of God. 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.[3] To emphasize this, he continues: So death is at work in us, but life in you.[4] This is what Jesus, the Son of God,
did. Death was at work in Him, but life
in us.
This treasure, this surpassing power,
is our faith, the same faith that is in Jesus.
Although we call it “our faith,” it is not from us, but of God. This surpassing power enables us to love as
God loves. Since, then, we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is
written, “I believed, therefore I spoke,” we too believe and therefore speak,
knowing that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus
and place us with you in his presence.[5]
This is accepting the forgiveness of sins
that Christ offers: Faith to fulfill the purpose that God created us for. This purpose we see fulfilled in Jesus. Jesus is the perfect human being. He is the example we follow, crying out to
the mercy of God when we falter, imploring for the aid to be conformed to His
image. We want to be conformed to His
image, living a life of love, goodness, and justice, living a life for others. Everything
indeed is for you, so that the grace bestowed in abundance on more and more
people may cause the thanksgiving to overflow for the glory of God.[6]
We are born again while in our earthly
bodies. We are not born again so we can
be sinners on earth and saints in heaven.
We are born again of the nature of God in order that we may, now, begin
to grow into the image of the Son of
the God. This growing is our being
conformed into His image. It is for this
purpose that we go to Mass and receive the Eucharist. Therefore,
we are not discouraged; rather, although our outer self is wasting away, our
inner self is being renewed day by day. For this momentary light affliction is
producing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look
not to what is seen but to what is unseen; for what is seen is transitory, but
what is unseen is eternal.[7]
St. Paul did not tell these things to the
Corinthians in order that he would be “somebody” in their eyes. He did not say these things so that they
would be proud of him. No, he said these
things in order that they might imitate him.
By imitating him, they would be imitating Christ, which would cause them
to be examples for others, drawing others to the love of God. This is our faith, the surpassing power that
is of God and not from us. St. Catherine
of Siena tells us that the Lord related to her: “…Pure love cannot be returned
directly to Me because I have loved you without being Myself loved, and without
any consideration of Myself whatsoever, for I loved you without being loved by
you--before you existed; it was, indeed, love that moved Me to create you to My
own image and similitude. This love you
cannot repay to Me, but you can pay it to My rational creature, loving your
neighbor without being loved by him and without consideration of your own
advantage, whether spiritual or temporal, but loving him solely for the praise
and glory of My Name, because he has been loved by Me. ‘Thus will you fulfill the commandment of the
law to love Me above everything and your neighbor as yourselves’.”[8] This is the treasure in earthen vessels.
[1] New American Bible,
Revised Edition., (Washington, DC: The United States Conference of Catholic
Bishops, 2011), 2 Co 4:7.
[3] Ibid.,
2 Co 4:11.
[4] Ibid.,
2 Co 4:12.
[5] Ibid.,
2 Co 4:13–14.
[6] Ibid.,
2 Co 4:15.
[7] Ibid.,
2 Co 4:16–18.
[8] Catherine of Siena, Saint. The Dialogue of Saint
Catherine of Siena (Kindle Locations 2216-2223). Kindle Edition.
No comments:
Post a Comment