"My Spirit is Strong, But My Flesh Is Weak,"

Well, like any other teenage male, I struggle with certain "temptations". And I have been struggling with them for quite a while.  It is a "thorn in my side" as I like to call it. But unlike St. Paul, God didn’t give me the same response to my prayers. It is purely my own impurity that causes me to fall into temptation.

When I was younger, and first discovered such "pleasures" I thought they were pretty great. And I continued to indulge in them.  It was like I got on a train. A train that was leading me farther and farther from Christ. Once I realized that it was a sin, and that I should stop, it was too late, and I couldn’t. I was addicted. 

So I turned to the only thing that promised to bring me back to Christ, The Sacraments. I started to go to Confession, and confessed it over and over again. In 2 Corinthians, when Paul mentions his "thorn" he also says "For when I am weak, then I am strong." Just lately have I realized truly what this means.

I realized that in the sacrament of Reconciliation, we go to the priest when we are at our weakest, When we are sad, shameful, and desperate. But when the priest, acting in persona Christi- as the person of Christ-absolves us in the name of our God, he gives us strength. The strength to carry our cross.

He also gives us Grace. "For only my grace is sufficient for you."

I realize now, after reading over what I had just typed, God has answered my prayers in the same way that He answered Paul's, I just hadn't realized it. Wow. 

 "Therefore, that I might not become too elated, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, an angel of Satan, to beat me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I begged the Lord about this, that it might leave me, but he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness." I will rather boast most gladly of my weakness, in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me." ------ 2 Corinthians  12:7-9 

Pax Christi.