St. Paul was elated due to an abundance of revelations from Christ. The Lord allowed a thorn in his flesh, an agent of Satan to beat him. (2Cor 12:7)To be elated is to be ecstatically happy. That’s the kind of joy that requires beatings to lessen. I think I want that kind of joy, but then again, maybe I’ll just hold out for heaven. I can only imagine that those revelations caused St. Paul to be so giddy with delight that God needed to take him down a notch.

Why I wonder?

Could it be that those who receive revelations from God, might find it hard to keep their feet on the ground? More precisely, perhaps the more one comprehends the mastery and magnitude of God’s plans, there is a danger of pride. Humility of course, is the answer and it comes in many forms. I’ve found there is nothing quite like pain to do the trick, reminding me of my fragility and need for God.

There have been times in my life when I’ve begged God for relief from physical and mental anguish, or when I didn’t understand why I had to suffer despite being faithful. St. Paul begs the Lord for relief, and God’s answer was simple, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” (2Cor12:9)

Grace is a free and undeserved gift from God. It allows us to respond to God’s call to become His adopted children, and to participate in the life of the Trinity. (See CCC 1996-97) Why would God offer such a beautiful thing to weak sinful people? Because He loves us and wants to spend eternity with us. He is drawn to our weakness knowing we cannot do this on our own, hence this amazing free gift to help us succeed. When we are weak, He is strong. As a mom, the more sad and pathetic a state my kids were in, it was like a magnet. I wanted to help relieve them. There’s nothing like a kid covered in barf, to bring mom to the rescue.

“Therefore, every moment of every day – good or bad – is an opportunity for God to fill us with His grace and allow us to draw into His Trinitarian familial life with our entire selves. What a gift!” Jen Arnold, MA

This is why the Lord tells St. Paul and by extension us, that His grace is sufficient. In every situation, challenging and seemingly impossible, God is present by grace. He is closer to us than the air we breathe, and desires to lavishly pour out His grace upon us .

We mess up, fall into sin and lose grace, yet we should never despair. Remember that grace is a free gift given at our Baptism and through all the Sacraments. Grace is also available through prayer. God is the most generous giver and we should never tire of asking for copious amounts of grace. Jesus has given His Mother the privileged role of helping in the distribution of graces. Go to Mary.

In Paris, on July 17, 1830 , the Blessed Virgin appeared to the novice, Catherine Laboure, pointing to the altar where the tabernacle was saying, “Come to the foot of this altar.  Here, graces will be spread over all who ask for them with confidence and fervor.”  Four months later on November 27th, Mary again appeared with jeweled fingers which emitted rays of light saying, “These rays are a symbol of the graces that I pour out on those who ask them of me.” 

We have to ask. There are several ways I do this for myself and, for others. For instance when we fly and a child is crying and unhappy, I ask for grace to soothe the child and parent. I do this at Mass also. Having been that mom who was already horrified and feeling judged by the actions of my children, I needed grace to find peace within myself. When one of my adult kids is dealing with stress and struggles, I beg for grace and Mary’s mantle to surround them. I also do this frequently for friends and even people I don’t know who seem to need an outpouring of Divine help. Try it yourself. I have seen moods change, and witnessed the calm. I too am rewarded by feeling more at peace and wrapped in her love and tender care.