our weakness

⁹And he said to me: “My grace is sufficient for you. For virtue is perfected in weakness.” And so, willingly shall I glory in my weaknesses, so that the virtue of Christ may live within me.

¹⁸The just cried out, and the Lord heard them, and he freed them from all their tribulations. ¹⁹The Lord is near to those who are troubled in heart, and he will save the humble in spirit. ²⁰Many are the afflictions of the just, but from them all the Lord will free them. ²¹The Lord preserves all of their bones, not one of them shall be broken.

¹⁹And may my God fulfill all your desires, according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

¹⁹Do not defend yourselves, dearest ones. Instead, step aside from wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is mine. I shall give retribution, says the Lord.”

⁹The heart is depraved above all things, and it is unsearchable, who can know it?

²⁶And similarly, the Spirit also helps our weakness. For we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself asks on our behalf with ineffable sighing.

¹⁸Fear is not in love. Instead, perfect love casts out fear, for fear pertains to punishment. And whoever fears is not perfected in love.

⁴Delight in the Lord, and he will grant to you the petitions of your heart.

¹³Everything is possible in him who has strengthened me.

¹Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, who are not walking according to the flesh.

¹⁰I am the Lord, who examines the heart and tests the temperament, who gives to each one according to his way and according to the fruit of his own decisions.

¹Then, seeing the crowds, he ascended the mountain, and when he had sat down, his disciples drew near to him, ²and opening his mouth, he taught them, saying: ³“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ⁴Blessed are the meek, for they shall possess the earth. ⁵Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be consoled. ⁶Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they shall be satisfied.

¹Now he also told them a parable, that we should continually pray and not cease,

¹⁰Because of this, I am pleased in my infirmity: in reproaches, in difficulties, in persecutions, in distresses, for the sake of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am powerful.

¹⁹Or do you not know that your bodies are the Temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? ²⁰For you have been bought at a great price. Glorify and carry God in your body.

⁷For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of virtue, and of love, and of self-restraint.

²³For all have sinned and all are in need of the glory of God.