August 9, 2008
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A Reflection on Redemptive Suffering
Now I am no theologian nor am I very learned. I often where my children got their intelligence because I’m not all that smart and my husband says he is just an ordinary man. Anyway, I was talking with a friend the other day. Now, she is a christian but not a Catholic christian. She also likes to challenge me on the teachings and practices of the Catholic Church. She will admit that she is not very knowledgeable about the Church but she likes to ask questions anyway. So be it. I think that God introduced us to strengthen my faith and my knowledge of it.
Anyway, she was asking about the Catholic practice of offering up our sufferings to Christ. I think I explained it pretty well to her because she said she understood when the conversation was over but she was nonetheless convinced that it is a waste of time and totally unnecessary. My prayer is that the Holy Spirit fill in where I was lacking in my explanation and help her come to a better understanding sometime down the line.
While I was at Mass this afternoon it suddenly occurred to me that I had neglected one of the most important reasons for redemptive suffering. We are all called to imitate Christ. To be and to act as He did in order to become more sanctified ourselves. Then the question occurred to me, didn’t He give us an example of redemptive suffering? The ultimate example when He died on the cross and offered all of that to His father. Can we do no less? Granted, whatever we suffer here on earth is nothing compared to what Our Lord suffered during his passion and death on the cross. All the more reason to be able to offer the little we may have to suffer back to Him. Didn’t he suffer without complaint? Without protest of his innocence? Should we not do the same?
Next time my friend and I talk I will have to remember these thoughts, with the help of the Holy Spirit, so that I can share them with her. Perhaps this reflection was the prompting of the Holy Spirit for just that purpose. I know that I don’t think on my feet very well, unless it is a smart comment.
Comments (1)
Wonderful thoughts here. Redemptive suffering is something I had never heard about until I became Catholic at 32. It’s a great concept and really helps through tough times. I’ve shared it with a few Protestant friends; I hope they understood and can apply it to their lives as well.
I like the idea of dedicating our suffering as an act of prayer for something or someone. I might as well do EVERYTHING for Jesus, suffering included.