Readings: DT 30:15-20; PS 1:1-2, 3, 4 AND 6; LK 9:22-25
Suffering is a part of life. My Mom often said, when struggling with some, to offer it up. I don’t think I truly knew what that meant until just recently.
For much of the past year, I have been dealing with a progressively worsening condition. I ended up having surgery a couple months ago. Immediately after surgery, the pain was actually significantly worse, worse than I had anticipated. For several days, even with pain meds, was almost unbearable. Over time, things started to improve, but not as quickly as I expected. At times I was almost wondering if the surgery really didn’t help.
Then one day, I don’t remember exactly when, or even were, my eyes were opened. When my daughter-in-law was undergoing cancer treatment, I prayed many times, “Lord, I am willing to suffer if it lessens her suffering.” Or when my wife was hurting from some of her conditions, I also prayed the same way. I had actually asked for this suffering. We hear St. Paul write about willing to suffer for Christ. Suddenly, the pain I had been experience, became more bearable. If my pain in some manner was helping reduce or remove others suffering, I could endure it. And as my “attitude” toward the pain changed, I noticed the pain also changed.
In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus says:
If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. What profit is there for one to gain the whole world yet lose or forfeit himself?
Jesus was willing to suffer, because it reduced our suffering. Jesus carrying the cross, enduring the pain, and able to find some joy in the suffering, and even dying on the cross, is what was required to open the gates of Heaven for us. He willingly did these things because he loved us. I am willing to suffer to reduce the pain and suffering of my family members, because I love them. By giving some meaning to my suffering, it suddenly because more bearable, it lessoned my suffering. By carrying my cross with a purpose, it becomes lighter.
I think that is the lesson Jesus was trying to teach in this Gospel passage.
If you are suffering, if you are in pain, ask God to give your suffering purpose, meaning. And once you are able to stop looking at yourself and what you are enduring, and know that in some way, you are releasing someone else of their suffering, you will find your life better. Simply by helping Jesus carry his cross.
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