To the Ends of the Earth: Character – Catholic Men’s Devotionals, Week 8 – Frail

Have this mind among yourselves, which was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross.

Philippians 2:5–8

The reality of the Incarnation is beyond our understanding, yet it touches our hearts in a way that nothing else ever could. The idea that God became a human being, subject to our human struggles, is overwhelming. That he walked the dusty roads of Palestine, ate with the outcasts of the world, healed the sick, cast out demons, touched lepers, wept with compassion for our frailties, and ultimately died as a criminal on the cross is a testimony of his great love for us. Those of us who believe see the wonder in this. Yet, for the unbeliever, it is all madness:

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

. . . For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. (1 Cor 1:18, 22–25)

Perhaps this holy truth is hardest to bear for men. The idea of being “frail” is not something we enjoy. We would rather “tough it out” and at least give the appearance that we are strong, capable individuals who know how to take care of things. Yet the cross and salvation have absolutely no meaning in our lives if we are not willing to accept our frailty. Being frail, as far as Christianity goes, means understanding our need for a Savior who came down from heaven to spend time on earth with his creation. It means knowing that we all, like sheep, have gone astray (Is 53:6), bleating meaninglessly in the wilderness of the world, in desperate need of a Shepherd to lead us home.

What does it really mean to be frail, and why is it important for us as Catholic men? This week, we will consider the following ideas:

1.         Being frail means accepting our weaknesses.

We are children of Adam, fallen and incapable of saving ourselves. Original sin has wounded our nature and left us weakened and in need of a Savior.

2.         Being frail means we are not good enough.

No matter how much modern society tells us that we are basically good and can achieve anything we want if we work hard enough, the truth is we do not deserve heaven and cannot do anything to convince God otherwise.

3.         Being frail means all we have comes from God.

Our possessions, strength, intellect, and achievements are all gifts from the Almighty. On our own, we could never acquire any of them. It is only through the goodness of a generous God that we even take our next breath.

4.         Being frail means we can stop worrying.

We can stop trying to make it on our own. We can let go and let God do the heavy lifting in our lives. We can accept the fact that his yoke is easy and his burden light (Mt 11:30), and that he loves us enough to take care of our needs.

5.         Being frail means we become more powerful in our witness.

Like Paul, we can boast in our weakness (2 Cor 12:9) because the power of God turns it into strength. When others see us, they can see the power of God that has transformed our lives.

A Call to Action

As Catholic men, we do not have to be afraid of being frail, for Christ turns our weakness into witness and our stumbling into strength. Be willing to be more open with others, especially other men. Listen and accept the weakness of your brothers even as you accept your own. Reach out with the love that God has shown you in turning your weakness into strength.

You can learn more about the To the Ends of the Earth devotionals HERE