Cosmos-Liturgy-Sex

These two “comedians” skewered Mother Theresa for her profession of the Christian message on suffering because they are of the world and to the world, suffering is a scandal. It is the reason the Greeks and the Jews could not accept the Cross. However, there is untold suffering going on now in our country as there as been in South East Asia since the tsunami, in the Mideast for almost a century now, and in various parts of Africa for almost the same length of time. Suffering is the lot of our fallen race. We scream back at our Creator for His not stopping it and those of us who believe cannot help but wonder why.   

Suffering is an indication that things are not as they should be. It is our lot because we are east of Eden. We are not where we should be. Christ demonstrated par excellence the meaning of suffering. It is the result of man’s sinfulness. But God did not leave us alone in it. He joined us in His suffering on the Cross and He gave us the capacity to participate in His work. Our task is to join our sufferings to the sufferings of the Cross in order to undue it’s cause . . . that is to make reparations for the effects of sin.

When suffering cannot be avoided, we must embrace it . . . as Jesus told His disciples, we must take our crosses up and follow Him. St Paul tells us that suffering doesn’t separate us from Christ:

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, “For thy sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us (Rom 8:35-37)

In fact not only does it not separate us, he tells us we must suffer to be joined to and glorified with Christ:

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the spirit of sonship. When we cry, “Abba! Father!” it is the Spirit himself bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us (Rom 8:14-18).

St Paul actually tells us that we should take joy in our suffering if offered in union with Christ for the sake of His Church:

More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us. (Rom 5:3-5)

and

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, . . . (Col 1:24).

It may seem a little difficult to understand what St Paul means by “what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions,” especially if we interpret it as suggesting that he suffered less than was necessary. But that is not what St Paul means; we know from Hebrews that Christ’s Sacrifice was perfect, once for all time. He is saying that the suffering that Christ suffered for us, we His Mystical Body (also known as the Church) also have to share in. He suffered for our sake, not so we wouldn’t have to suffer — but the suffering we experience can be joined with His suffering on the cross and it can be made an offering pleasing to God. BUT it can only be pleasing to God if we do it as part of Christ’s Body — the Church. For some this is a hard concept because it would seem that there is nothing we can do to add to Christ’s completed work on the cross; and it is true that we do not add anything. However, the following anecdotal story might show how we can be co-workers with Christ in the work of redemption (cf. 1 Cor. 3:7-10). A former Presbyterian minister (anyone recognize who this is?) tells of how he came to this realization one day when he was jogging around the perimeter of his parish trying to get into shape. He saw a young father trying to mow the lawn and his 4 year old son was trying to help with his plastic lawn mower. The next time around he saw that the son must have been getting in the way because he was sitting off to the side, obviously disappointed. The third lap around he saw that the father had now picked up his son, and now there was a look of joy on the little boy’s face, who was holding the handle bars of the lawnmower, as he and his father mowed the lawn. The son fancied himself a co-worker with his father, and in a real sense, he was. He did not add anything to the father’s work, but the father out of love for his son, raised his son’s dignity and allowed him to participate with him in his work. This is what St. Paul is referring to here; God does not need our work, but He graciously raises our dignity by joining our suffering to His, when we are joined to His Mystical Body, He allows it to be applied in the work of Redemption.

When you are suffering watching the suffering that is going on right now . . . perhaps you even suffer because a loved one is in the after effects of the storm, do not waste it. Offer it up for those who do not know to. Offer it up for those who have died. Offer it up for the reparations for the sins that plague us so, here east of Eden.