I know of an active Protestant who was finding the prosperity gospel her denomination preached not lining up with Jesus’ teachings on suffering. She found Jesus telling His followers that following Him would involve self-denial and suffering. Her studies led to two conclusions. First, Jesus, the Son of God, embraced suffering, and because we are to model ourselves after Jesus, we too must embrace suffering. Secondly, the only church that consistently taught this was the Catholic Church. She was so impressed and convinced of the truth she found; she earnestly began her journey that will bring her into the Catholic Church this Easter.

Over the years, I have heard of many different journeys leading to Rome, but never one about becoming Catholic because of our teaching on suffering and its redemptive power.

As we begin the penitential season of Lent and you are looking for something to sink your teeth into, rather than give up chocolate, try pondering suffering. I want to use an excerpt from the book The “Appalling Strangeness of the Mercy of God: The Story of Ruth Pakaluk”, printed by Ignatius Press as a teaser for you. Ruth was a convert, pro-life activist, and mother of seven who died of cancer at the age of forty-one in 1998. She speaks out of her experience.

“Why must we suffer? What does it achieve? The sin of Adam and Eve was putting their will before God’s. This is the essential sin: preferring our will to the will of God. You can understand suffering as the medicine necessary to correct the underlying problem. If a bone breaks and begins to heal crooked, it must be broken again and set again. Similarly, we need to uproot our own will and realign it with God’s. The experience of physical or spiritual suffering patiently endured for the love of God is the most effective way to realign our will correctly. ‘There is no love without renunciation’ (Saint Josemaría Escrivá). The Persons of the Trinity live a life of perfect and complete self-giving. Man, made in God’s image, is called to that same type of relationship. Self-giving did not hurt before the Fall. Now it hurts, but it is still our vocation as persons created in the image of God.

“We need to have faith that God brings good out of evil…. God really does bring the best out of the worst. Joseph was traded into slavery in Egypt, but God selected him as the chief steward of that empire. Moses was abandoned to die as an infant, yet God made him the liberator of Israel. The poor man Lazarus lived in a life of destitution, but God lifted him up to the bosom of Abraham. Similarly, the tortures of the cross gave way to the joy of the Resurrection. Of course, we do not as yet see what we take on faith. But knowing as we do that the Resurrection is a fact, why don’t we trust God more?”

[Continued in our next reflection.]

For Reflection:
Why is suffering oftentimes dodged and not embraced as something that could help me or others? Do I patiently endure my suffering? Do I believe that God can bring good out of evil? Do I trust Him to be able to do this with my suffering?

Prayer:
Jesus, You embraced suffering as the Father’s will and as You freely accepted Your passion and death on the Cross for love of me, please help me to endure and accept all my sufferings for the glory of God and the Salvation of souls. Have mercy on me and on the whole world.

(blogged February 15, 2024)
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