Any help in this is appreciated

[notsmart]

Okay, I am trying to figure out how I am or if I am truly understanding this “joining your suffering with Christ’s”

I think I understand this, in concept but I am struggling with this.

How could I ever think my struggles are that huge? He carried the weight of humanity… I carry many crosses but its small potatoes in light of Jesus.

How can I join my sufferings to the Cross? To Him?

Any help is gladly accepted here.

 

[Trishie]

Our suffering may not seem much compared to Christ’s, nor even to that priest’s suffering when he was tortured and murdered in India as he drove to say Mass this week.

However, all the little duties of our lives that require effort, all the little frustrations, all the little kindnesses we do for others that cost us some self-sacrifice; our efforts to live the gospel, to go to Mass when we feel like remaining in bed…these daily things are not little nothings to God.

To explain: if you were God and you sent your divine Son to teach and redeem humankind…well, why bother to send Him as anything other than a magnificent human personage, an adult ready to acheive His great mission…

But no: God so values the ordinary little aspects of His children’s lives, that He sent His divine Son as a helpless infant, who grew up as a normal child would, eating, going to the restroom, sleeping, schooling in scripture…etc. This childhood is barely recorded in the gospels precisely because it was a day to day human existence…yet this is God the Son I’m speaking of!

People easily overlook this…but thirty years of humble ordinary life on earth by the Son of God tells us in mountain high letters that offering God the small efforts, difficulties, and frustrations of our lives is precious to God, and powerfully valuable if we offer them, along with all that is good and happy in our lives, to God for sake of the others’ souls.

***“If you feel too lazy to pick up a bit of thread, and yet do so for love of Jesus, you acquire more merit than for a much nobler action done in a moment of fervour. Instead of grieving, be glad that, by allowing you to feel your own weakness, our Lord is furnishing you with an opportunity of saving a greater number of souls.” (Saint Therese of Lisieux)

“A spark of pure love is more precious before God, more useful for the soul, and richer in benedictions for the Church than all other works taken together.” (St John of the Cross)

‘Whatever you have done for the least of my little ones, you have done for me.’” Saint Augustine.***

God bless you, Trishie

 

[Trishie]

You could decide on some offering like this to make each day when you wake:

Jesus, I offer You the prayers, works, joys and sufferings of my day, in union with the Holy Mass and all Your sufferings, for the glory of God, for all Your intentions and for the salvation of others.

 

[notsmart]

Trishie, you are so helpful!

However, I guess I am just not understanding how to do this, how do I offer up these things I suffer (assuming I evaluate the cause- if its even worthy to be called suffering!)

I understand what you are saying, but I am having a hard time with the How To, or how do I ask Jesus to take these daily things, to join with his?

I am trying so hard, because I have not been ready to do this in totallity, because I cant remember all the sins and crosses in my life I am still accountable for now.

 

[Trishie]

Trishie, you are so helpful!

However, I guess I am just not understanding how to do this, how do I offer up these things I suffer (assuming I evaluate the cause- if its even worthy to be called suffering!)

I understand what you are saying, but I am having a hard time with the How To, or how do I ask Jesus to take these daily things, to join with his?

I am trying so hard, because I have not been ready to do this in totallity, because I cant remember all the sins and crosses in my life I am still accountable for now.

The little prayer I wrote there is some indication. You don’t need to work out the mechanics of offering your day to God. You give God your day with all its joys and sufferings. That is how you unite your life to Jesus’ life. You don’t have to ‘do it all youself,’ you trust to God to accept your daily offering.

You give someone a gift. You’ve just wrapped it up in your love, and given it. It’s up to them to assemble it or use it.

You don’t need to evaluate whether things are suffering or not, even small things can be difficult. We don’t have to assess what’s proper to give to God in our lives, we don’t want to give Him our sins but we give Him our repentance for sin, remembered or forgotten sin, we simply offer all we are and have to God.
If you have any sin on your mind, forgotten or otherwise, give God your repentance. [When you get to the point when you’re able to receive the Sacraments, you’ll find Confession is very helpful in giving you peace and new life. As I remember you haven’t yet committed to the Church but are still enquiring.]

Please tell us if I’m still not making things clear.

God bless you, love, Trishie

 

[notsmart]

You are very clear (I did not see your second post with that prayer until now, somhow I missed it in posting back)

I understand more about how these things can be good to offer, and how to offer them to him, so that is a huge help.

I guess I just was feeling like I am not able to fully give my sufferings now.

Your point about confession, while I am sure its truly a experience that must be freeing, I am still scared to contemplate it considering I am recounting my whole life now and examining it

I want to be sorry for the sins I have committed, its just that I am reliving them as I do it, which is a small price to pay I guess, but without even having a priest to confess these things to, its downright scary.

 

[Trishie]

Maybe don’t go too deeply into your past sins. Reliving them isn’t necessary in asking God’s forgiveness…and then accepting it!

You know that for something to be a sin you must knowingly and willingly consent to, or do, something which you know and believe to be a sin.

What I mean by that is, if you didn’t know something was a sin in the past but now know it is, you need to take this into consideration when you look back into your life. Does this truth make your past life clearer. The words I highlight are important to know if you want to understand your past sins.

Your past sins, which you repent…for you are sorry about them…are not your main focus here.** What matters most is your life today, and then tomorrow, and then the next**. Yes, say sorry to God who loves you, for every way you offended Him, or hurt others, or didn’t do right by your true self as daughter of God.

Until you are ready for the Sacrament of Confession, after seeking God’s pardon, perhaps it’s wisest to leave more attention to this when you can go to Confession. If you were Catholic I’d say, go now as soon as possible and receive the peace, but now …trust in God and trust in His love and forgiveness, and be at peace.

I hope this is helpful? Love, Trishie

 

[Trishie]

By the way, you’re not baptised, are you, as I recall.

Dear Friend, Baptism will wash away all past sins. Baptism will make your soul as pure and beautiful as an innocent child!

 

[PhilotheaZ]

Baptism will wash away all past sins.

That’s right. Your first confession will take place after Baptism, and only needs to include sins committed since you were baptized.

You may, if you like, confess any sins that still seem to be weighing on your heart at that time, just to give you peace of mind, but you are not obligated to do so. Baptism removes all sin.

 

[PhilotheaZ]

I guess I am just not understanding how to do this, how do I offer up these things I suffer (assuming I evaluate the cause- if its even worthy to be called suffering!)

I understand what you are saying, but I am having a hard time with the How To, or how do I ask Jesus to take these daily things, to join with his?

Just do it simply, many times a day. Examples from my own life:

• When I am doing an unpleasant chore, I mentally say, “Jesus, this is for You.”
• When someone insults me or my faith, if I have the grace not to lash back at them, I can mentally say, “Lord, I offer the hurt I am feeling right now for his conversion.”
• When I am in physical pain, sometimes just mentally picturing Jesus on the cross or at His agony in the garden is a way of joining my suffering with His.

Sufferings don’t have to be huge to be worthy of offering to Jesus. We simply offer Him whatever we have at the moment.

And if we have brought the suffering upon ourselves by our own sinfulness, we can offer the suffering in reparation for our sin.

 

[Belle10]

I just wanted to say that everything in this thread is great. :clapping: Great job encouraging others!