"We are heirs of God and fellow-heirs of Christ, provided we share his sufferings so as to share his glory."
Romans 8:17
Showing posts with label suffering. Show all posts
Showing posts with label suffering. Show all posts
To console, because we have been consoled
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, a gentle Father and the God of all consolation, who comforts us in all our sorrows, SO THAT WE CAN OFFER OTHERS, IN THEIR SORROWS, THE CONSOLATION THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED FROM GOD OURSELVES.
"Indeed, as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so, through Christ, does our consolation overflow."
2 Corinthians 1:3-5
CHRIST IS WITH ME IN TRIBULATION
I, Paul, in chains for the name of Christ, wish to re-late to you the trials besetting me daily, in order that you may be inflamed with love for God and join with me in his praises. The prison here is a true image of everlasting hell: to cruel tortures of every kind – shackles, iron chains, manacles – are added hatred, vengeance, calumnies, obscene speech, quarrels, evil acts, swearing, curses, as well as anguish and grief. But the God who once freed the three children from the fiery furnace is with me always; he has de-livered me from these tribulations and made them sweet.
In the midst of these torments, which usually terrify others, I am, by the grace of God, full of joy and gladness, because I am not alone – Christ is with me.
Our Master bears the whole weight of the cross, leaving me only the tiniest, last bit. He is not a mere onlooker in my struggle, but a contestant and the victor and champion in the whole battle. Therefore upon his head is placed the crown of victory, and his members also share in his glory.
How am I to bear with the spectacle, as each day I see emperors, mandarins, and their retinue blaspheming your holy name, O Lord, Behold, the pagans have trodden your cross underfoot! Where is your glory? As I see all this, I would, in the ardent love I have for you, prefer to be torn limb from limb and to die as a witness to your love.
O Lord, show your power, save me, sustain me, that in my infirmity your power may be shown and may be glorified before the nations; grant that I may not grow weak along the way, and so allow your enemies to hold their heads up in pride.
Beloved brothers, as you hear all these things may you give endless thanks in joy to God, from whom every good proceeds; bless the Lord with me, on his lowly servant and from this day all generations will call me blessed, for to confound the noble. Through my mouth he has confused the philosophers who are disciples of the wise of this world.
I write these things to you in order that your faith and mine may be united. In the midst of this storm I cast 1my anchor toward the throne of God, the anchor that is the lively hope in my heart.
Beloved brothers, for your part put on the and take up as my patron Saint Paul has taught us. than, with all your members intact, to be cast away.
Come to my aid with your prayers, that I may have the strength to fight according to the law, and indeed and to fight until the end and so finish the race. We may not again see each other in this life, but we will have the happiness of seeing each other again in the world to come, when, standing at the throne of the spotless Lamb, we will together join in singing his praises and exult for ever in the joy of our triumph. Amen.
--A letter of Saint Paul Le-Bao-Tinh (Vietnamese martyr)
KNOWING JESUS THROUGH THE CROSS AND SUFFERING
Though holy doctors have uncovered many mysteries and wonders, and devout souls have understood them in this earthly condition of ours, yet the greater part still remains to be unfolded by them, and even to be understood by them.
We must then dig deeply in Christ. He is like a rich mine with many pockets containing treasures: however deep we dig we will never find their end or their limit. Indeed, in every pocket new seams of fresh riches are discovered on all sides.
For this reason the apostle Paul said of Christ: In him are hidden all the treasures of the wisdom and knowledge of God. The soul cannot enter into these treasures, nor attain them, unless it first crosses into and enters the thicket of suffering, enduring interior and exterior labours, and unless it first receives from God very many blessings in the intellect and in the senses, and has undergone long spiritual training.
All these are lesser things, disposing the soul for the lofty sanctuary of the knowledge of the mysteries of Christ: this is the highest wisdom attainable in this life.
Would that men might come at last to see that it is quite impossible to reach the thicket of the riches and wisdom of God except by first entering the thicket of much suffering, in such a way that the soul finds there its consolation and desire. The soul that longs for divine wisdom chooses first, and in truth, to enter the thicket of the cross.
Saint Paul therefore urges the Ephesians not to grow weary in the midst of tribulations, but to be steadfast and rooted and grounded in love, so that they may know with all the saints the breadth, the length, the height and the depth – to know what is beyond knowledge, the love of Christ, so as to be filled with all the fullness of God.
The gate that gives entry into these riches of his wisdom is the cross; because it is a narrow gate, while many seek the joys that can be gained through it, it is given to few to desire to pass through it.
--St John of the Cross
God whispers to us in our pleasures, he speaks to us in our conscience, and he shouts to us in our pain. Pain is God's megaphone. And unlike the ripples that are made in a pond, the ripple of pain, instead of going out to distant shores, narrow and narrow and comes to a central point where there is less of the outside of the circle and more of the center. Not the ego, but the real person and the real self. And one begins to find oneself alone with God. That is what happens in pain.
(Archbishop Fulton Sheen)
By 1660 it had become impossible for him [St Vincent de Paul] to say Mass and he had to content himself with hearing Mass. Soon the pain increased and his slightest movement caused him fearful pain. Then he could be heard to sigh "Oh my Saviour! My good Saviour!" [p. 46]
(St Vincent de Paul. From Jacques Delarue, The Holiness of Vincent de Paul, Geoffrey Chapman Ltd, London 1960, 132 pp)
The everlasting God has
in His wisdom foreseen
from eternity the cross
that He now presents to you
as a gift from His inmost heart.
This cross He now sends you
He has considered with His all-knowing eyes,
understood with His divine mind,
tested with His wise justice,
warmed with loving arms
and weighed with His own hands
to see that it be not one inch too large
and not one ounce too heavy for you.
He has blessed it with His holy Name,
anointed it with His consolation,
taken one last glance at you
and your courage,
and then sent it to you from heaven,
a special greeting from God to you,
an alms of the all-merciful love of God.
(St Francis de Sales)
Mary, my Mother, help me to understand each day that if I want to belong more to Jesus, and if I want to receive from Him the joy that the world will never be capable of giving, I need to embrace my daily Cross.
Help me to see the heavenly treasure behind every disappointment; help me to detect the divine gift behind every pain; teach me to welcome the glory behind every sorrow.
12 March 2008
Nunc gaudeo in passionibus pro vobis et adimpleo,
ea quae desunt passionum Christi in carne mea pro corpore eius,
quod est ecclesia...
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...
(Colossians 1:24)
Earthly suffering, when accepted with love, is like a bitter kernel containing the seed of new life, the treasure of divine glory to be given man in eternity. ... Those who suffer in union with Him already experience in this life a joy that can seem humanly inexplicable.
Heaven in fact begins on earth, beatitude is anticipated in the Beatitudes. 'In holy people,' Saint Thomas Aquinas said, 'there is a beginning of future happiness.' (STh I-II q69 a2)
(Pope John Paul II, Address on the Mystery of the Church, 1994)
10 Quóniam probásti nos, Deus; *
igne nos examinásti, sicut examinátur argéntum.
11 Induxísti nos in láqueum, *
posuísti tribulatiónes in dorso nostro.
12 Imposuísti hómines super cápita nostra,
transívimus per ignem et aquam, *
et eduxísti nos in refrigérium.
10 For you have tested us, O Lord,
you have tried us by fire, as silver is tried.
11 You led us into the trap,
heaped tribulations upon us.
12 You set other men to rule over us –
but we passed through fire and water,
and you led us out to our rest.
(Psalm 66:10-12)
Suffering, pain--failure--is but a kiss of Jesus, a sign that you have come so close to Jesus on the Cross that He can kiss you.--So my child be happy.... Do not be discouraged...so smile back... For you it is a most beautiful chance of becoming fully and totally all for Jesus.
---
Your parents must have kissed you as a real sign of love. If I am the spouse of Jesus crucified, He has to kiss me. Naturally, the nails will hurt me. If I come close to the crown of thorns it will hurt me.
(Blessed Mother Teresa, Come Be My Light, p 282)
Sorrow, suffering, Eileen, is but a kiss of Jesus--a sign that you have come close to Jesus so that He can kiss you.--I think this is the most beautiful definition of suffering.--So let us be happy when Jesus stoops down to kiss us.--I hope we are close enough that he can do it.
(Blessed Mother Teresa, Letter to Eileen Egan, Come Be My Light, p 281)
(Letter of Mother Teresa to a sister who was sick.)
My dearest Child,
Thanks for the lovely consoling letter of the 14th. Keep looking at the Sacred Heart.--Why worry if it be TB or not?--You are His and it is His gift to you, His spouse. Was it not Mother who taught you to say for the profession "I desire to become the Spouse of Jesus Crucified?"--It is not Jesus glorified or in the crib, but on the Cross--alone--naked--bleeding--suffering--dying on the Cross. So if you are the first one in the Society whom He chooses to be alone on the bed of the Cross, why my child, we must thank God for all--for this His special love for you, for me and the Society. You are but a child still, and life is beautiful--but the way He has chosen for you is the true way.--So smile--smile at the Hand that strikes you--kiss the Hand that is nailing you to the Cross.--I don't believe just as you that you have TB--but let them do all that they want with you.--Be like a little lamb--smile at everyone. Don't worry, I shall beg the money and will come to see you as soon as I hear more definite news from Sister.
"Let them look up and see only Jesus." I have promised our Lady 25,000 Memorares for your cure and we shall say it within these 9 days. Please thank M. Rose for her kindness to you. I am very happy with whatever God does with you all--you are all His.
Love Jesus and keep a smiling heart for Him.--All these disturbing thoughts come from the devil--ignore them all. God bless you my child.
Mother
(Blessed Mother Teresa, Come Be My Light, pp 156-157)
Of [my] free choice My God and out of love for You--
I desire to remain and do what ever be Your Holy Will in my regard. ...
Even if I suffer more than now--I still want to do Your Holy Will.--
This is the dark night of the birth of the Society.--
My God give me courage now--this moment--to persevere in following your call.
...
Today--my God--what tortures of loneliness.--
I wonder how long will my heart suffer this. ...
My God, give me courage now to fight self and the tempter.
Let me not draw back from the sacrifice I have made of my free choice and conviction.--
Immaculate Heart of my Mother, have pity on thy poor child.
For love of thee I want to live and die an M.C.
...
The more the work is spreading the more clear it becomes [it is] His Will.
Soon it will be one year [since she had left Loreto]--
though there has been plenty of suffering and tears,
there has not been one moment of regret. I am happy to do God's will.
(Blessed Mother Teresa, Come Be My Light, p 134-136)
O Jesus, only love of my heart,
I wish to suffer what I suffer
and all Thou wilt have me suffer,
for Thy pure love
not because of the merits I may acquire,
nor for the rewards Thou hast promised me
but only to please Thee,
to praise Thee,
to bless Thee as well in sorrow as in joy.
(Blessed Mother Teresa, Come Be My Light, p 124)
I am so afraid Jesus--I am so terribly afraid--let me not be deceived.--I am so afraid.--This fear shows me how much I love myself.--I am afraid of the suffering that will come--through leading that Indian life--clothing like them, eating like them, sleeping like them--living with them and never having anything my way. How much comfort has taken possession of my heart.
(Blessed Mother Teresa, Come Be My Light, p 97)
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