Weakness And Aid

Δὸς ἡμῖν βοήθειαν ἐκ θλίψεως. Μὴ ἀπὸ ἰσχύος ζητήσωμεν τὴν βοθήειαν· μὴ ἀπο εὐπαθείας σαρκός· ἀπὸ μηδενὸς τῶν παρὰ ἀνθρώποις νενομισμνων περιφανῶν ἀξιώσωμεν τυχεῖν τῆς ἀντιλήψεως. Οὐκ ἐν περιβολῇ χρημάτων, οὐκ ἐν δυνάμεως ὅγκῳ, οὐκ ἐν ὑπψώματι δόξης τὸ κρατεῖν περιγίνεται, ἀλλ' ἐκ τῆς καθ' ὑπερβολὴν θλίψεως χαρίζεται Κύριος τοῖς ἐκζητοῦσιν αὐτὸν τὴν βοήθειαν. Τοιοῦτος ἧν καὶ  ὁ Παῠλος, καυχήματα ἑαυτοῦ τὰς θλίψεις ποιούμενος. Διὰ τοῦτο ἠδύνατο λέγειν· 'Ὅταν ἀσθενῶ, τότε δυνατός εἰμι.' Ἅγιος Βασίλειος ὁ Μέγας, Ὁμιλία Ἐις Τους Ψαλμούς, Ψαλμός NΘ' Source: Migne PG 29.468c

'Give us help in trials.' 1 It is not on account of strength that we seek aid. We do not expect such a request from a healthy body, nor from men deemed prosperous. Victory comes not from an abundance of wealth, nor from excess of power, nor is it found in the heights of glory, but to those who are overcome by trouble and who ask for it, the Lord gives aid. So it was with Paul who cried out in the midst of troubles, and because of which he was then able to say, 'When I am weak, then I am strong.' 2 Saint Basil of Caesarea, Homilies on the Psalms, from Psalm 59 1 Ps 59.13 2 2 Cor 12.10