Faith that Comes from the Power of God

Very often our spiritual lives are caught up in a never ending struggle to do better. I really have to pray more or do more is the mantra of the day. St. Paul was a hard worker and he was not afraid to let people know it. But on this Labor Day it would be good to reflect upon his words in the first reading. In doing God's will he comes to the Corinthians in weakness with fear and trembling. In other words he humbly comes to do God's Will. He resolves to know nothing but Christ Crucified. Again he is placing all his trust in Jesus Crucified. As he goes about his daily labor and doing God's Will, St Paul continually says "Jesus I Trust in You". He is not worried about doing more or doing better. He lives in the Mercy that has been poured out from the wounded side of Christ Crucified. He trusts in that Divine Mercy that he knows and has experienced in the very depths of his soul. What happens when St. Paul humbly goes about his daily labor in confident trust is that God manifests His Spirit and Power. But Paul is only imitating Christ. The Gospel tells us what happens in our lives when God manifests His Power and Spirit. Glad tidings to the poor, liberty to captives, recovery of sight to the blind, and the oppressed go free, all are a consequence of humble service and simple trust in Divine Mercy. It is the proclamation of Jesus and it is the lived experience of Paul. We too can enter into it in the same humble way if we can live our days Trusting in Jesus. Not relying on our human wisdom but on the power of God. Then we like the Corinthians will come to a deep faith and a deep healing of our wounded souls, and we will find joy and peace and beauty even in our most mundane of Daily Labors for like Paul we will live in the Loving Mercy of God.