Fr. Lawrence Jagdfeld, O.F.M., Administrator
Both readings for today's liturgy reference the same image of God, our Rock. For CUSANS, this image is more than apt. People who have to deal with chronic illness or disability on a daily basis know that we are utterly dependent upon God. Nothing shakes our confidence more than illness or disability. Most people can weather the economic storms that life throws at them or even the trauma of natural disaster. Frequently one hears news reports of people who have endured a fire in their homes. "We may have lost all of our possessions, but we are all safe. That's what really matters." Physical illness is, on the other hand, something that often shakes our confidence to the core.
American culture is fascinated with the rugged individual. Even though we have progressed to the point of being able to walk on the moon, our collective memories still champion men like Daniel Boone, Sam Houston, and Lewis and Clarke. Our American mythology is similarly inclined with tales of Paul Bunyan and Pecos Bill and John Henry. Even our superheroes tend to be solitary figures shrouded in darkness when they are not fighting the evils of the world. Men and women who have overcome in the struggle for survival pique and fire our imaginations. Their foundation lies in their strength of will and their courage. For the young, the strong, the physically able, the image of God as a rock of refuge is not so automatic.
It is important to remember that God chooses the weak and makes them strong. God is the source of strength of those who believe. The people of Israel knew that lesson well as evidenced by how frequently God is called a rock, a fortress, a rampart, a defense.