A Letter from Fr. Paul - Sunday, July 4th

​​I hope everyone has a good and safe celebration of our country’s Independence Day.  Let us pray for our country in a special way, asking God to help us move past senseless division to a cooperation that works for the good of all, especially the most vulnerable.  

I recently read a summary of a study that linked the decline of organized religion with the stability and wealth of countries.  In other words, the longer there was peace and the more the population entered the middle or upper class, the less adherence there is to 
organized religions. 

That came to mind when I read our selection from Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, in which he says, “Power is made perfect in 
weakness.”  Perhaps what he means is this:  when everything is going well and we feel like we are in control, it is easy to forget about God and rely on ourselves.  Religious observance becomes a burden, rather than something that gives us strength and courage. But when we fail, when things are not going well and it is  obvious to us that we are not in control, then it is easier to remember God and rely on Him. That is why Paul can say, “when I am weak, then I am strong.”  

What does this say to us? It is not helpful to beat up on ourselves when we fail.  No one is perfect, we will all fall short.  To give up, to say “I just can’t ‘be perfect,’” is not helpful.  In fact, it can be an excuse.  We need to be like St. Paul and use our failings to remind ourselves that God is the one in control and we need to go to him for help and strength.   That is how we will grow in doing what is right!

So, when we fail or come up short, rather than feel ashamed or beat up on ourselves, we need to use it to remind ourselves that God is the one who is in control and will help us get to where we should be.  God wants nothing more than for us to be all that we can be and will help us get there, if we turn to Him for help.  God bless.

Church sign of the week: Following the path of least resistance makes rivers and men crooked.