Therefore lest I be puffed-up-with-pride,
a thorn in the flesh was given to me,
…. a messenger sent by (of) Satan
…. so that I might be tormented,
so that I would not be puffed-up-with-pride.
Concerning this
three times I pleaded with the Lord,
that it might withdraw from me.
Yet he said to me:
‘Sufficient for you (is) my grace,
for (my) power, in weakness, is made perfect.
Therefore
I will most gladly boast
all the more
about (in) my weaknesses,
so that the power of Christ
might rest upon me.
Therefore
I am content
in weakness
in insults
in hardships
in persecutions
and in difficulties
for the sake of Christ.
For when I am weak,
then I am strong.

Keep us, O Lord, while we tarry on this earth,
in a serious seeking after thee,
and in an affectionate walking with thee,
every day of our lives;
that when thou comest,
we may be found not hiding our talent,
nor yet asleep with our lamp unfurnished,
but waiting and longing for our Lord,
our glorious King, for ever and ever.

Richard Baxter (1615-1691)

It is necessary to boast,
it is not better…
but I will move onto visions and revelations of the Lord.

I know a man- in-Christ
fourteen years ago
-whether in the body I do not know –
– whether out of the body I do not know-
God knows…
this man was taken up to the third heaven
and this man
– whether in the body
or out of the body
I do not know
God knows
was taken up into paradise
and he heard unutterable utterances
which it is not permitted for a person to say.
About such a person I will boast
but I will not boast
except of my weaknesses
For if I might want to boast
I will not be a fool
– for I would be telling the truth
But I will refrain
lest some one credits me
with something
beyond what they see in me
or hear from me,
(on account) of the extraordinary revelations.

Be thou a bright flame before me,
Be thou a guiding star above me
Be thou a smooth path below me
Be thou a kindly shepherd behind me
Today – tonight -forever
Amen.

St Columba

If it is necessary to boast,
I will boast about my weaknesses.

The God and Father of the Lord Jesus knows
who is blessed forever
that I am not lying.

In Damascus,
a governor,
for the King Aretas
was guarding the city, Damascus
to arrest me.
and though a window
in a basket
I was let down
through the wall
and I escaped from his hands.

O Love, O God who created me, in your love recreate me.
O Love, who redeemed me,
fill up in me whatever part of your love
has fallen into neglect within me.
O Love, O God, who first loved me,
grant that with my whole heart,
and with my whole soul,
and with my whole strength,
I may love you.

Gertrude the Great

But in whatever anyone dares (to boast about)…
I am speaking in foolishness
… I too dare:
Are they Hebrews?
So am I too.
Are they Israelites?
So am I too.
Are they descendants of Abraham?
So am I too

Are they servants of Christ?
– I am speaking as a madman –
I am more:
with more works,
more imprisonments
more beatings
many times facing death.
(That is …) from the Jews
Five times I received the forty lashes less one.
Three times I was beaten with a rod.
Once I was stoned
Three times I was shipwrecked
I have spent a night and day on the open sea.

On journeys many times
in danger from rivers
in dangers from bandits
in dangers from my own people
in dangers from gentiles
in dangers in the city
in dangers in the desert
in dangers on the sea
in dangers from false brothers
in toil and hardships
with many sleepless nights
in hunger and thirst
often without food
cold and naked
not to mention other things…
the burden on me
every day
my concern for all the churches.
Who is weak – am I not weak?
Who is made to stumble – and I do not burn with anger?
If it is necessary to boast, I will boast about my weaknesses…

Teach us, good Lord,
to serve thee as thou deservest;
to give and not to count the cost;
to fight and not to heed the wounds;
to toil and not to seek for rest;
to labour and not to ask for any reward,
save that of knowing that we do thy will,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen

St Ignatius

Again I say
let no one consider me to be a foolish person,
but if not
at least
accept me as a fool,
so that I also may boast a little.
What I will say,
I say –
– not according to the Lord
– but as if foolishly
with this boastful confidence.
Since many boast according to the flesh
I too will boast.
For you gladly put up with fools,
– being wise.
For you,
gladly put up (with it)
if someone enslaves you,
if someone exploits you
if someone ensnares you
If someone puts on airs
if someone strikes you on the face.
To our shame, I say
that we were too weak for that!

Grant, Lord,
that we may hold to you without parting,
worship you without wearying,
serve you without failing;
faithfully seek you,
happily find you,
and forever possess you,
the only God,blessed now and for ever.
Amen

St Anselm

But what I am doing
also I will (continue to) do,
so that I may cut off the opportunity
of those who want an opportunity
that they might be found
– in what they boast about –
to be as we are.

For such are false apostles
deceitful workers
disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.

And no wonder!
For Satan disguises himself
as an angel of light.

Therefore it is no great thing
if his servants also disguise themselves
as servants of righteousness.

(Their) end will be according to their works.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is discord, union;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy,
For your mercy and for your truth’s sake. Amen

Or did I ‘commit a sin’ humbling myself,
so that you might be exalted? –
because I preached the gospel of God, gratis?
I plundered other churches
taking support (from them)
for ministry to you,
and being with you,
and being in need
I was not a burden on anyone –
the brothers who came from Macedonia
supplied my needs,
and
in every way
I have kept and will keep myself
from being a burden to you.
As the truth of Christ is in me:
this boasting of mine will be not silenced
in the regions of Achaia.

Why? because I do not love you? God knows (I do).

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is discord, union;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy,
For your mercy and for your truth’s sake. Amen

I wish you to be patient with me in a little bit of foolishness,
indeed be patient with me!
For I am jealous with a jealousy (like) God’s
For I gave you in marriage to one husband-
to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.
But I fear that
as the snake deceived Eve
with his cunning,
your minds may be lead astray
from a sincere and pure devotion
that is to Christ.

For if one come who preaches another Christ
whom we did not preach
or you receive another Spirit
which you had not received
or another gospel
which you had not accepted,
– you bear it well enough

For I reckon (myself)
in no way inferior
to those super apostles

So if (I am) an amateur in speaking
(I am) not in knowledge,
but in all ways
we have made that clear
in everything
to you.

O Lord Jesus Christ,
stay beside me to defend me,
within me to guide me,
before me to lead me,
and above me to bless me,
that with you and in you,
I may live, and move and have my being,
for ever and ever.
Amen.

(unknown)

Look at what is in front of you:
If anyone has confidence
in themselves
to be (especially) Christ’s
Let them reckon again
– For themselves, that
as they themselves are Christ’s
So also are we.

For even if I boast too much
About our authority
which the Lord gave
-For building up
-And not for your tearing down
I will not be ashamed.

I don’t want appear to frighten you
Through my letters
For on the one hand
(my) letters
– someone will say
Are weighty and strong
But on the other hand
– (my) bodily presence is weak
And (my) speech amounts to nothing.

Let such a person reckon this:
What we are in word in letters in absence
Such a person (we will be) in works, present.

Take from us,
O God, all pride and vanity,
all boasting and self-assertion,
and give us the true courage that shows itself in gentleness,
the true wisdom that shows itself in simplicity,
and the true power that shows itself in modesty.

Charles Kingsley