While their specific suffering is not necessarily common to all Christians, it is common to many Christians around the world, and the wisdom and hope here speak just as powerfully into every kind of suffering Christians experience. “Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. Similarly, though he does not actively will our sufferings, he can permit them so as to bring about a greater good (see Rom. We should not be ruled by feelings, but by our soul which should be aligned with the Will of God. We were baptised into one body in a single Spirit, Jews as well as Greeks, slaves as well as free men, and we were all given the same Spirit to drink. Read on to explore this topic in its beauty and mystery and difficulty. In the middle of turmoil and all sorts of troubles, we can choose to see the good that God can bring and live in the knowledge that we are not separated from His love. I am a certified catechist throughAquinas College and I am an RCIA and Adult Faith Formation Coordinator at aparish in the South. Suffering may indeed linger and harass us until death comes, but then, for all who hope in God, pain itself will suffer swift extinction. I deserve to suffer for all eternity in Hell for my sins, so I should embrace this. . Join your sufferings during offertory and when the gifts are brought to the altar. Our existence will not end in suffering and death — they are but a gateway to our eternal life of unending joy. In what ways have we wandered from the narrow way that leads to life (Matthew 7:13–14)? Redemptive suffering is a sacrifice of our own free choice, putting aside our human will in order to choose the Will of God, imitating Jesus’ passion and participating in the redemption of the collective Body of Christ. If you are in Christ, and you are suffering more than those around you, you are not as alone as you might feel. The point is how to do the suffering part, not the redemption part. We need only look at her sorrows to see the stark realization of how much she actually suffered. If we want to overcome our suffering, we must follow what Jesus did, which was to forgive and love others despite his circumstance and despite their not having done anything to deserve his love. A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing. Convinced. Unconditional love is what defeats the attempts of Satan to break us down and convince us to sin because of the intense suffering that we are in. He endured to the end in humble obedience to the plan of his Father. Think about how many more now have suffered with Jesus, like you, since he wrote those words. It is those saved sinners who have the duty and call to that same self sacrificial, often times hidden, love from one part of the Body to another. Heaven will establish you, forever free from sin and suffering, in the painless and thrilling presence of God. God wants it to be the fire that proves and builds our faith in him. It is repairing the damage done to the collective Body of Christ through the sinful acts of others. “Keep loving one another earnestly.” The loving charge is a thread through Peter’s letter: “Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart” (1 Peter 1:22). In addition, through his one redemptive Sacrifice of Calvary, Jesus shows how suffering can be redemptive. Suffering has a way of making the difficult circumstances of the present seem ultimate, as if our whole existence is summed up in this awful moment. The Faithful Are NOT To Use the Orans Posture During the Our Father. . It is called complete sanctification. All sacrifices, both big and small, are an act of love for another, where we lay down our life for our friend. Extreme Mercy II Instead of railing against them, and calling your friends to complain and gossip, what if you actually prayed? We love we care for and we shouldn't want it to happen to us. Imagine what waits for you. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! Jesus told His disciples that His suffering was certain: “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life” (Luke 9:22; cf. Part 1: Jesus' View of Suffering (32 min.) Learn how to handle physical, mental, and spiritual suffering, and help you or your loved ones prayerfully process grief and loss (Days 8-11) Turn to the great mercy of God, who brings grace and good even out of our most difficult trials (Day 15) Find hope and consolation—even salvation—in suffering (Day 17) We all focus so much on our own suffering and wanting out of it that we forget that our responses and reactions affect other people. Love God. You may assume you are less able to share and serve, but what if suffering actually made you more able? Jesus suffered to show us, whatever we might suffer, how to suffer well. “Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind” (1 Peter 3:8). All of our resources exist to guide you toward everlasting joy in Jesus Christ. We, the faithful who collectively makeup the Body of Christ, are called to do the same. We would have mercy on our broken body part, so we must extend this mercy that we would give to ourselves, to others. For as with the human body which is a unity although it has many parts — all the parts of the body, though many, still making up one single body — so it is with Christ. Lent, which dates back to the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D., is a 40-day period dedicated to prayer and fasting. He endures with her by imagining all that is kept in heaven for him. With Jesus as the head and the heart of the Body, through which we are led and given life, the rest of the Body must sacrifice itself, along with the head and heart, in order to aid another part that is hurting. And it will not glorify the God who uses us all the more when we are weak (2 Corinthians 12:9). (1 Peter 1:6–7). Unconditional love is what defeats the attempts of Satan to break us down and convince us to sin because of the intense suffering that we are in. By his wounds you have been healed” (1 Peter 2:21, 24). As Jesus explained it to Mary Magdalene and the disciples, those who are forgiven much, love much. Anticipating heaven doesn’t eliminate pain, but it lessens it and puts it in perspective. It means offering the time we spend in prayer for another, instead of for ourselves, or maybe spending more time in prayer than we typically do in order to offer up the additional prayers for those in need. As you resolve to grow and change this year, remember that good intentions without diligence will fail. The promise of God is perfect union with Him in eternal life. She used her suffering for us. When suffering comes, we often have less strength and energy, but our love for one another does not rest on our strength. The love that Christ had for His mother is beyond anything we can conceptualize. So amidst the sinful people that surrounded him that day, as well as all those who lived both before and after him, Jesus showed us how to make reparation through our suffering for the sins of others. He’s the author of. (32 min.) I pray that I am able to die well. What we will notice is that Jesus didn’t resist the suffering in any way. In fact, we won’t have all the answers. I have always identified as Catholic, but it was themurder of my friend in 2010 that brought a transforming change to my heartand made me a true disciple of Jesus Christ. (Heaven, 460). When we begin to pray for others as if they were part of our own body, something amazing happens to US. In this world you will have trouble. Even in the first century, Peter wrote, “Resist [the devil], firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world” (1 Peter 5:9). Jesus, I offer up my sufferings with your sacrifice on the Cross.” It is an ever weaving thread of Gods love that mends the broken parts, heals the sick parts and restores the damage done to the body, bringing it back to life. We are not meant to be in this alone. (1 Peter 1:3–4). I have overcome the world.” John 16:33. Redemptive suffering is more than just offering a prayer for someone in the midst of our pain. The vast array of human beings who make up the collective Body of Christ are living in many different parts of the world and are in varying degrees of personal relationship with Christ. The hurting body part may be in pain from it’s own doing, just as the executioners of Jesus were intentionally causing pain and suffering to the Body of Christ. suffering for the good. Jesus knew that his passion was in God’s plan, he trusted that God’s plan was better than what his human will was telling him. For example, praying for our neighbor is a smaller sacrifice, but a sacrifice nonetheless. Not to mention what the prayers do for them. This is why we are a COMMUNION OF SAINTS. But did this perfection of Mary mean she didn’t suffer? When suffering falls, leaving you weak and worn out, expect God to use you to care for someone else in some new and more meaningful way. It is God’s plan for preserving us and bringing us safely to glory. A person who is ready to enter into this principle has a heart and mind that is open, ready, and willing to hand over his or her wants and needs into God’s hands without needless worry or … Part 2: Why Does God Allow Suffering? In this same way, those who have been suffered for and prayed for because of their sin, those who have come out on the other side restored back to the Body and saved from their sin, are those who have the capacity of great love for other sinners in the Body who are struggling. “We do not give the subject of evil and suffering the thought it deserves until we ourselves are confronted with tragedy” (How Long O Lord?, 11). But the promise of God is true and it is revealed once and for all through the resurrection of Jesus. One freely flows from the other. Love your neighbor as yourself. But for those with a living hope, suffering is never ultimate. Suffer well, it brings healing. Cavins describes our tendency to suffer all week and then go blank during the Offertory at Mass. Marshall Segal is a writer and managing editor at desiringGod.org. The Author. This is all, all important. According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you. Until we do, we will live in a perpetual state of discord. The proper Catholic response to suffering is to say, “Jesus endured far worse than this, and He didn’t deserve it. When you suffering, offer it up for sinners, giving it a purpose. Peter says we will find strength to persevere in our suffering by watching the armies of saints, across oceans and over centuries, endure the same and worse because God was and is with them. Abandonment, or surrender, is acquired through acts that try one’s patience and foster perseverance. Lent: A Season to Remember How to Suffer Well by Joseph D’Souza - Christian breaking news commentary. He didn’t hold a grudge. If God had stopped the world after the first humans sinned then none of us would be here now or in heaven. Bring Your Suffering to Mass Another tip for suffering well that Cavins offers is to bring your suffering to Mass and lay it at the foot of the Redeemer during the Offertory. 8:35-39). For the majority of us, this does not mean actual martyrdom like Jesus did for us. Before we can truly experience the good God has for us in suffering, … It is our duty to help make reparation for all sinners until they are able to come to their own personal conversion and eternal reward. So the question becomes what did she do with the suffering? If we look back on our lives, we all have been helped by other parts of the Body during times of our own sinfulness. The apostle Peter wrote his first letter to help Christians suffer well, with more than a dozen lessons for the valley. There are many ways that we participate in this, both big and small. Of course not. We all will suffer, some of us more severely than others — but only for now. “Show hospitality to one another without grumbling” (1 Peter 4:7). Think about how many more faithful Christians are suffering throughout the world even today, as you read this — churches suddenly shut down in China, believers beaten and disowned by their own families in Iraq, Christians targeted and killed by terrorists in Kenya. "for it is better to suffer for doing good if suffering should be God's will" (1Pet 3:17) Catholics feel that someone can be inflicted with tremendous suffering, yet have awesome faith and even rejoice in that suffering because of the complete dependency on God that it has facilitated. We may be able to say we are “sorrowful, yet always rejoicing” — because that’s what Christians are supposed to say — but that miracle doesn’t happen in a heart unless God shows us some of the good he does in suffering. When was the last time you prayed for someone who irritated you? Sign up if you would like to receive occasional treats from us. PRAYER. Christ told us; “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. offer offer offer our our our our. Suffering well, like doing anything well, requires careful preparation. We are given the wonderful opportunity to embrace the grace of the Holy Spirit so that we may suffer well through this crisis. Does anyone experience real joy in suffering that does not savor the preciousness of refining? Connect with me on Inst... As Catholics, we believe that suffering unites us closer to Christ. If our own physical body was not functioning, we would make every effort to get it to function, especially through prayer. He hasmade me new and I know God has brought me to where I am. She suffered more than most. In 1997, I moved South where I subsequently met my husband,Jason. The pressure of suffering has revealed that my sin is a greater problem than my trials. Our journey on this earth is short and it does not include the promise of a life free of suffering in this world. Viganò: We’re witnessing ‘general rehearsal for the… Abp. No one falls into the stunning ability to be “sorrowful” and yet, at the same time, “always rejoicing” (2 Corinthians 6:10) without first patiently, even tenaciously, seeking God. so let's open our hearts to the presence of the Holy Spirit right That's invite him into our struggles into our suffering. The nature of suffering is always a difficult topic, especially when we discuss the idea of “embracing suffering” as God’s will, or as pleasing to God. If it does, it is not truly love. Randy Alcorn has known his share of suffering, both personally and most recently in walking his wife through a terrible war with cancer. Note the word must—He must suffer, and He must be killed. How have we slowly begun to compromise with the desires of the flesh? We only need to know a few truly great promises and a few proven paths other faithful sufferers have walked, and crawled, before and beside us. Jesus, the Body of Christ, who is the full revelation of God’s Word, accomplished this in his passion and death. “One of the major causes of devastating grief and confusion among Christians is that our expectations are false,” writes Don Carson. Jesus tells us and showed us that this is the greatest act of love, to lay down our lives for our friends. I believe that God allows me to suffer in order to help me be more Christ-like. But Christ knew the true state of my heart—selfish, prideful, self-exalting, irritable, impatient, entitled, and rebellious—even before my life began; and He still chose to love me, die for me, forgive me, and offer me new life in Him at His expense. When You Suffer: Biblical Keys for Hope and Understanding by Jeff Cavins – Practical and Biblical guide that answers the question, “How do I suffer well?” The Catholic Guide to Loneliness by Kevin Vost – A theologically sound explanation of how to change one’s sense of … He sacrificed his very life, although he could have stopped the whole thing, in order to forgive and heal instead of cutting off all the people who had turned away from him and choose to give in to their own will instead of choosing to follow the Will of God. Mary exemplified this. But we don’t have to wait until eternity to bring the Kingdom of God here. Part 2: How to Suffer Well – Virtue (32 min.) Think of others and offer your suffering up for them. An inspiring example of suffering well . So was Eve. As Christians, our hope lies in what is to come, our eternity. Lent: A season to remember how to suffer well By Joseph D'Souza, CP Op-Ed Contributor On Wednesday, Feb. 26 — Ash Wednesday — many members of the global church will enter the Lenten season. But by answering this question with logic and love (as well as with scientific, peer-reviewed evidence for the existence of life after death), we can not only answer this question truthfully and satisfactorily, but also teach our fellow Christians how to suffer well, in preparation for … We’re on a mission to change that. Suffering can sever us from thoughts of heaven, making today feel ultimate, and suffering can isolate us from one another, leaving us feeling more and more alone. I pray for myself, that I also realize the good God is doing now. When I am suffering, I thank God. “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:6–7). We now have three children. suffering. Eve didn’t, she had never seen it. Suffering happens to all of us—but suffering … Just read the story of Job.

Lent is a 40-day period dedicated to prayer and fasting. Instead of withdrawing from one another, however, Peter encourages precisely what suffering people might be prone to neglect: “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly” (1 Peter 4:8). yeah the fourth point, then it's kind of the more spiritual dimension of of realizing realizing realizing that that that we we we we can can can can. If we picture all of us as part of this Body, we would stop slinging poison arrows at one another, and we would start trying to heal the broken part. “Well, I guess I need to get with it and do something great.” No, that’s not my point. Jesus isn't just someonewe should just know about, He is someone we should KNOW, personally. Even and especially if you didn’t feel like it. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. Suffering in some form or other is the lot of every human, saint as well as sinner. Participate during Mass. But since our attitude toward them can make them profitable or unprofitable (even increase our misery), it is important to see them in the light of the Gospel, in the light of God’s providence. Likewise, our own acts of self-sacrifice love, despite the deservedness of the other, is what makes reparation for their sinful presence within the Body of Christ. But I think reflecting on her title of “Our Lady of Sorrows” can encourage us to suffer well, especially during this Lenten season. “After you have suffered a little while,” Peter says, “the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you” (1 Peter 5:10–11). None of the sufferings of this world are greater than God’s love for us (Rom. Just look at the numerous stories of God’s people in scripture. In the Garden, Jesus asked God to remove the suffering, a request of his human will, but only if it meant God’s Will would still be done. He takes our suffering and offers it up to the Father. Lean into the people God has given you, and all the more when you feel weak, fragile, and beaten down. My name is Susan Skinner. The apostle Paul blesses the “God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (2 Corinthians 1:3–4). From that love we want to know them and see them as part of the Mystical Body of Christ. If we want to suffer well, we need to learn where to stand, and where to look, when our storms come — and we do well to learn before they come. Heaven will restore all you have lost, and more — never to be lost again. His blood bought you a family, more than can be counted, bound together by a love that cannot be measured. "Q&A: We must teach young people the value of suffering." I thank Him for making me more Christ-like. The devil will try to tell me that God doesn’t care about me, but I know that all of my suffering has a purpose. Heaven will finally and fully confirm what God has only started in you and through you here on earth. My friend's name wasVeronica, and so my blog is named Veil of Veronica. . 12:12-26; Matt. He was wounded to heal you. Regular, disciplined Bible intake is not optional for God’s people. You’re not only surrounded by endless testimonies of faithful sufferers, but you are loved, and cared for, by a God whose Son suffered to have you. In order to understand HOW to do this we must look to Jesus’ passion, where he laid down his life for us. I pray for good lives for my kids—not so much pleasure but deepness of being that comes from education and faith. I now make it my mission tospread His Love and Good News everywhere I go. We are one body in Christ. What has subtly displaced him as our refuge? You may feel more vulnerable in suffering, but isolation, as safe as it may seem, is not self-protection. Rather it is a setting aside of the happenings of our own life, in order to offer support, through prayer and sacrifice, for another, in order to build the collective Body of Christ. I pray for those I love to see the good God is doing after I die. Our Saints showed us what this looks like. Father Peter John Cameron, O.P. You see, the world’s first reaction to suffering is to run away from it or fix it. If we want to overcome our suffering, we must follow what Jesus did, which was to forgive and love others despite his circumstance and despite their not having done anything to deserve his love. You may have the impulse to get away and focus on your own grief and healing, but God comforts us, strengthens us, heals us, and makes us whole, not off in a corner by ourselves, but as a part of a body. I pray that they are also able to suffer well. This small sacrifice to pray for our neighbor is no small thing at all. Before Peter sympathizes with their suffering — and he does sympathize with their suffering (1 Peter 1:6) — he draws them heavenward. I am nothingwithout him. His tears drenched your suffering with meaning, and hope, and even joy. Father Peter John Cameron, O.P. But Jesus shows us that even in this situation he chose to forgive, to exemplify self sacrificing love in order to shower his Divine Mercy out upon them in the hope of their healing and restoration. Most people in the world have no experience of lasting joy in their lives. Instead, suffer well, as Christ did. Mary lived this. I remember the announcement from The Village Church that Teaching Pastor Matt Chandler had suffered a seizure and was in the hospital. Turn to the great mercy of God, who brings grace and good even out of our most difficult trials (Day 15) Find hope and consolation—even salvation—in suffering (Day 17) Learn practical tips about how to suffer well through the example of the saints. To participate in the redemption of the Body through our own self sacrificial love for others. That is the topic at hand in a recent Visitation Spirit chat room conversation. The Mystical Body of Christ will heal when we understand and want the salvation of other people. And the biggest difference between Eve and Mary is that Mary actually knew what evil was. Meditate on the Passion of Christ. He looked at them through the eyes of Divine Mercy. It does not always mean we endure physical pain in order to participate in redemptive suffering, though that is certainly one way we can. Satan wants suffering to hang like a fog over our fight for holiness, cloaking temptation and hiding our transgressions, even from ourselves. The shadows of suffering light the long road of sanctification like nothing else. Part 1: How to Suffer Well – Prayer (39 min.) Episode Five: How To Suffer Well (71 min.) People tend to think that holiness means you don’t suffer. Not in the sense that we want to control them, which comes from a spirit of control, but because we love them. Important Catholic Christian Documentary Films on DVD. Reprinted with permission of the Denver Catholic. His human will wanted to avoid the suffering, but he ultimately chose to submit to the Will of God and was obedient to that over and above his own will. As it turns out, Matt had suffered the seizure due to having a tumor on his brain. Suffering strips away other blessings to help us see what, if anything, is holding us back from God. 17:25). Praying for others usually takes us away from our own plans, our own prayers for ourselves, our own agendas. Avoid illegitimate suffering (suffering you bring on yourself). Suffering is part of this world. is the Director of Formation for Hard as Nails Ministries and the founding editor-in-chief of Magnificat. For now, let’s focus on three paths to strength, stability, and hope in 1 Peter.

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