Have you ever been so flabbergasted in ministry you just want to blow off some steam? Have you ever needed to "speak with absolute foolishness" (2 Cor 11:21) to get the point across about Jesus and His Resurrection? "Now I am really talking like a fool" (2 Cor 11:23). St. Paul must have discerned that deploying such "foolish" speech might be the way to combat false apostles (see 2 Cor 11:13).

St. Paul was inspired to give us his laundry list of sufferings, proving his sincerity as a true apostle. Yet his real boasting was in the Lord (see 2 Cor 12:9). Paul told the fledgling church in Corinth: "we have always acted from God-given holiness and candor; this has been prompted, not by debased human wisdom, but by God's goodness" (2 Cor 1:12).

From the world's perspective, St. Aloysius Gonzaga was also a fool. He was born into nobility and grew up in royal courts. After an emotional tug-of-war with his father, he was permitted to renounce his hereditary right to succession and join the Jesuits. Aloysius further proved his righteous foolishness as he contracted the plague while tending the sick. "Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his faithful ones" (Ps 116:15).

How will Paul and Aloysius inspire you to be a fool for Christ? (see 1 Cor 4:10) "Remember, where your treasure is, there your heart is also" (Mt 6:21).

Rescript:  †Most Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Auxiliary Bishop, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, January 18, 2013

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