Strength in Weakness

8 Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! Without us you have become kings! And would that you did reign, so that we might share the rule with you! 9 For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death, because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. 10 We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute. 11 To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless, 12 and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; 13 when slandered, we entreat. We have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things.
1 Corinthians 4:8-13
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Strength in Weakness
St. Paul here addresses the Corinthians' arrogance, contrasting their perceived strength with the reality of apostolic life, one marked by suffering and humility. This highlights that true strength is found not in worldly status but in the cross of Christ. We understand that through the sacraments, God bestows His grace upon us in our weakness. In Baptism, we are united with Christ’s death and resurrection, sharing in His victory over sin and death. In the Sacrament of the Altar, we receive Christ’s true body and blood, given and shed for the forgiveness of our sins. These gifts, rooted in the cross, remind us that our true strength lies in Christ alone. As we bear our crosses in this life, we do so knowing that in our weakness, God’s power is made perfect. Let us cling to His promises, finding strength in His grace.