Suffering Is A Mystery, A Sacred Offering

FATHER JOHN CATOIR, CNS

Published: September 9, 2004

“Life is a sequence of words, but we cannot see the finished sentence until the last word is said” (Gabriel Marcel).

Suffering is the most difficult thing to understand. When dark hours come, we all need reasons to hope for better days. But such hope is possible.

Never feel abandoned or inadequate. Jesus assures us that all things are possible through his Holy Spirit. Even the most humble soul will receive the power and wisdom needed to endure when he or she turns to the Holy Spirit.

Jesus said, “Learn me, for I am meek and humble of heart.” He teaches us the one thing that is necessary if we are to persevere with courage; namely, to surrender.

Jesus didn’t blame Judas, or Pilate, or Caiphas, or the Jews for his fate; rather, he saw Calvary as coming mysteriously from the hand of God. “Shall I not drink the cup my Father has appointed for me?” He surrendered to the Father’s will.

“It is hard for us to see any divine purpose in the trials of life, in sickness, in bereavement, in financial loss, in cancerous bodies and leprous limbs. That is why our blessed Lord had to take suffering upon himself in order to show us that it is the Father’s cup” (Archbishop Fulton Sheen, “Our Grounds for Hope,” Resurrection Press, NJ).

My mother suffered from rheumatoid arthritis for many years before her death, and when the pain was at its worst she found it exceedingly difficult to pray. The pain was too great to think straight. But down deep she clung to God, asked the Holy Spirit for strength. She knew that the suffering and death of Jesus was in some way the price he paid for our redemption. She tried to identify with his acceptance of the cross.

How do you understand this mystery of Christ suffering as a form of atonement for your sins? It isn’t easy to grasp.

For a moment, suppose you committed a serious sin such as murder. To deliberately kill another human being, unjustly and with full consent of the will, is mortally sinful. There is a kind of death of the spirit that follows such an evil deed. How then does God in his mercy respond to such an act? If you have genuine sorrow and repent, Christ will say: “You have sentenced yourself to death, and have incurred a spiritual debt beyond your ability to pay. But I accept your sorrow, and I shall pay your penalty and set you free.”

The dark night of the soul is ended. You must now forgive yourself. Your guilt has served its purpose as a prelude to your purification. If you saw the movie “The Passion of the Christ,” you have an idea of the price Jesus paid for your forgiveness.

When you unite with Christ on the cross and accept your suffering as coming from the Father for some greater purpose, as Jesus did, your suffering becomes a sacred, sacrificial offering. This very act of accepting your cross may be the reason you were born, and the most profound purpose and meaning of your life.

St. Paul understood this mystery. Here are his words: “He said unto me, my grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (2 Cor 12:9).