Weakness is Strength

French spiritual writer Henri Nouwen once wrote in a letter to a group of high school students in the Archdiocese of Baltimore that worldly success comes from strength, but spiritual success comes from weakness. In the picture to the left is a man from Assisi who probably experiences this truth. He has chosen poverty as a way of life in order to point to the joy of the Resurrection that comes from and transcends the cross. His picture was made into a gigantic billboard that stands on the wall of the central piazza of Assisi to be seen by every visitor.


And like him, I guess that I too have experienced a good bit of weakness lately. After almost two months of studying Italian- my language skills have shown to be very weak. I also am weak in the great distance between me and family; the distance between me and friends; the distance between me and very real supports in my life. Being in community with over 200 other men who are so gifted and talented in their daily habitual lives of faith has also made me aware of my weakness and many rooms for growth. I also carry the weaknesses of past experiences, as we all do.

Another area of weakness has come to the surface as well. Every year here at the NAC there is a flag football game on the weekend of Thanksgiving called the Spaghetti Bowl. In this game the new men (60 of us) challenge the old men (almost 200) to the Roman version of the Turkey Bowl. And for some reason these guys, my classmates, asked me to be their coach. Sure, I coached rugby for a while and coached a little bit of volleyball, but I have not played football on a team since the 7th grade- and while I'm a huge Ravens fan, I haven't had the chance to sit in on any of the coaches' meetings or hear the rationale behind calling plays.

So I decided to do what any honest weak person would do- I went out and got some help. I put together a group of assistant coaches who know a ton more football than I do- and these guys are top notch! Not to mention the great athletes that are in our class! We had our first coaches' meeting today, and I am very excited to see how this team is going to unfold. And as we set out on this task our primary goal is 100% participation- that every single new man will in some way contribute and take part in this game, this team, this community.

And as I was praying earlier today I realized that this is how it happens. This is how weakness yields great success, how weakness transcends to strength and victory. The man that I mentioned earlier who begs on the streets of Assisi lives off of the generosity of others. And for all of us that same dependency is a reality. The more we invite others into our weakness, the more we are able to grow in real solidarity. This football team has a much better chance of shocking the NAC community by defeating the old men now because of these guys who have agreed to contribute their skills, experience, and ideas.

And if I am going to be honest, I have a much better chance of being a good man of faith thanks to the countless prayers and support of others. I cannot express how humbling and exhilarating it is to hear, see, and experience the reality that people are praying for me. Hearing or reading that I am the recipient of a Mass intention or knowing that someone is praying for me has literally been life changing. And although I am close to and very aware of those weaknesses that I had mentioned earlier, my experience of them has been one of peace and joy. I believe that is due to the prayers of family, friends, fellow parishioners at St. Stephen, the rugby team at Loyola College, the teachers and students at John Carroll, my brother seminarians and priests, parishioners at St. Gregory the Great, St. Augustine, and St. James who are praying for me.

A little while ago the Rugby Team at Loyola College went on their annual team retreat. Unfortunately I wasn't able to make it. But from what I hear- it was a great success. There's another great example of a group of people coming together for and with one another; another example of community being formed. The more they support one another without hesitation in their weaknesses the more they will succeed both on and off of the field.