Today, Fr. John Baptist Kwan celebrated the 11 a.m. mass with us. He informed us that Fr. Lejeune had returned to his home town in France and would return in mid-September. We wished him bon voyage. Fr. Kwan also thanked us for making the celebration on June 27 a huge success. It would be an unforgettable piece of memory for each and every one of us. The Year of the Priests had officially started. Fr. Kwan urged us to pray for the well-being of all the clergies in the hierarchy and for more young people generously responding to God's call. Then, he turned to the readings today.
Paul was known to be very demanding. But I am not sure whether we can label him a perfectionist. Before his conversion, he was a Pharisee trained under the famous Rabbi Gamaliel (Acts 22:3). He persecuted the Christians because they worshipped more than one God. After his conversion, he tried to convince his fellow Jews that Jesus was the Messiah. Failing that, Paul turned to the Gentiles and was beheaded as a martyr for the sake of Jesus. He left behind a corpus of epistles dating before the composition of the gospels. It is no exaggeration to call him a co-founder of Christianity. In the second reading today, we learn of the famous phrase "a thorn in the flesh".
And to keep me from being too elated by the abundance of revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to harass me, to keep me from being too elated (2 Corinthians 12:7).
Many explanations have been offered but none is satisfactory. Some suggested that it was a temptation to disbelief. Others suggested a physical illness, such as poor eyesight or speech disability, that hindered his ministry. Yet others referred to his hot temper, his personality that also hampered his missionary work. Some suggested that it was a rival who opposed him and caused him many troubles. One prolific Episcopal bishop even proposed homosexuality! All in all, none of the theories is conclusive and we have to wait until the end and ask Paul what he meant.
Fr. Kwan preferred looking at it as a perfectionist tendency in Paul. But Paul knew himself well. Therefore, he accepted his imperfection and after begging Jesus to remove it to no avail, he embraced it so as to keep himself humble. So, one thing is sure. Whatever this thorn in the flesh may be, it prevented Paul from being arrogant. Paul was able to draw strength out of this particular weakness. The grace of Christ shines through our weaknesses.
Three times I besought the Lord about this, that it should leave me;
but he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." I will all the more gladly boast of my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities; for when I am weak, then I am strong (2 Corinthians 12:8-10).
Fr. Kwan invited us to ponder on our own weaknesses. Pray over them so that the power of Christ may strengthen us. We shall overcome.
Then he turned to the story of Jesus returning to Nazareth. Despite his earlier successes in Judea, Jesus did not a welcome as expected because his own countrymen had a preconception of what he was and therefore what he would be.
Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him (Mark 6:3).
Immediately, Fr. Kwan brought forth people's reaction to the proposed relocation of Zheng Sheng College in Mui Wo. People in Mui Wo had a prejudice against these young addicts undergoing rehabilitation. It was unfair to them because they were denied the opportunity to reform and transform. One particular graduate managed to obtain enough qualification to enter the university this year in the Advanced Level Examination. This is proof enough of the contribution of this college to reform and transform young addicts.
People in Mui Wo demanded instead the reopening of the secondary school for their children. Two years ago, the school was closed down because parents in Mui Wo preferred sending their children to the Central and Western District on the Island. They thought that their children deserved better choices. Now, in order to block the relocation of the rehabilitation college to their neighbourhood, they reversed their earlier position. It is contradictory and hypocritical. Fr. Kwan reminded that when we criticized the villages in Mui Wo, we should first examine our own conscience to see if we also fall into this hypocritical trap. Do we also harbour a prejudice against them? If Zheng Sheng relocated among us, would we welcome them?
In the end, Fr. Kwan did not touch on the question of the brothers and sisters of Jesus. A lot of scholars have debated on this topic. We should know more about the issue and form our own opinion. But in the end, remember the teaching of the Catholic Church.
Dear Lord, I am worse off then St. Paul. I am not brave enough to confront my own weaknesses. I pray that I may be able to humbly admit them and embrace them so that Your strength may empower me to serve You. Amen.
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