Are we "Suffering Servants"? If not, why not?

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Today’s Mass Readings speak to us of Jesus the Suffering Servant and He tells us in the Gospel as He told the disciples James and John:

“…whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

The First Reading is from the Prophet Isaiah who was inspired to fortell the Suffering Servant Jesus, and help us “ see” by faith and “hear” with the ears of our hearts, God’s Plan for us in Jesus. If we are to follow Him, then by His Grace, we too can give our lives as a ransom for many. It is not so much what we do but the love with which we do anything. St. Therese learned from Jesus through Mary how to be His little handmaid. (Some translations render “handmaid” as slave-girl”)

The Second Reading from Hebrews is an encouragement in Paul’s words:

…we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God,let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin. So let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help. ( words in bold are my emphasis)

The Responsorial Psalm emphasizes our need to seek His Mercy and Love for us: "Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in You…

…Our soul waits for the LORD, Who is our help and our shield. May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us who have put our hope in You.”

The Alleluia Verse:

The Son of Man came to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.

As we participate in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, let us listen with the ears of our hearts and do the Truth we hear. At the Consecration let us stand with Mary on Calvary and offer ourselves with Jesus to the Father by the power of the Holy Spirit, as Mary did. By God’s Grace, may we become “suffering servants” truly like Jesus through Mary.

 

[Rutherford2]

The more we suffer the more we become like Christ. So yes, we are and even if we aren’t, we should, for Christ sake.

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear Rutherford 2,

Thanks for your reply – Yes, if we who were baptized into Christ are not suffering as the Lord suffered for us with love, than we need to seek His grace. Without Him we can do nothing. Mother Teresa’s words on Suffering are very beautiful to me:

I wonder what the world would be like if there were not innocent people making reparation for us all…? Today the passion of Christ is being relived in the lives of those who suffer. To accept that suffering is a gift of God.

Suffering is not a punishment. God does not punish. Suffering is a gift though like all gifts, it depends on how we receive it. And that is why we need a pure heart to see the hand of God in our suffering, to feel the hand of God, to recognize the gift of God in our suffering. ( words in bold - emphasis is mine)

Suffering is not a punishment. Jesus does not punish. Suffering is a sign: a sign that we have come so close to Jesus on the cross, that He can kiss us, and show us that He is in love with us, by giving us an opportunity to share in His passion.

Suffering is not a punishment, not a fruit of sin, it is a gift of God. He allows us to share in His suffering and to make up for the sins of the world.” – Mother Teresa of Calcutta

 

[adgloriam]

Thank you @MariaChristi this post was very important to me.

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear RandomAlias and adgloriam,

Thanks for stopping by to read this thread and for “liking” the words of St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta! Ah, the wisdom of the saints – how blessed we are, in reading what they wrote .
Each Saint is a unique reflection of Jesus, “The Suffering Servant”.

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear adgloriam,

So happy to read your comment. Can you explain why the post was very important to you? Your experience may help the rest of us.

I’ve been pondering the need for the Church to offer Reparation for our sins and the sins of the world. Today’s Mass readings were important for me to ponder even more , how much God has loved us – sending His Son to suffer for us – and how unwilling we can be so often to suffer for love of Him in return.

By God’s Grace, may we continue praying for His Grace, that we may learn form Him as Mary our Mother and all the saints have learned especially in their willingness to accept suffering for Love of Him. Mother Teresa’s words helped me a lot to understand more deeply the gift of suffering is.

 

[adgloriam]

Can you explain why the post was very important to you? Your experience may help the rest of us.

Because perhaps I lay too much guilt and weight on my shoulders and fail to see that some sufferings were sent not only as temporal reparation I owed but for some reason I fail to understand.

Suffering is not a punishment. Jesus does not punish. Suffering is a sign: a sign that we have come so close to Jesus on the cross, that He can kiss us, and show us that He is in love with us, by giving us an opportunity to share in His passion.

Because indeed when I have grown closer to Jesus sometimes an inexplicable suffering that defied all sense and logic came with it.

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear adgloriam,

Thanks so much for your reply. Today, God willing, I want to begin a new thread on the “mystery of suffering with joy”. I call suffering a “mystery” because we so often do not understand this gift, and yet as you have experienced we can learn more deeply this gift God gives, the more we draw closer to Jesus through Mary!

I add Mary’s name for Mary is the Mother and Icon of the Church. When Jesus told John, (and us):

Behold your Mother!

He showed us how a simple human person, open completely to God’s Grace, can unite with Him in His Suffering, and experience the fruits of the Holy Spirit in abundance: love, joy, peace, patience…

God’s gifts to us are many, for He works ALL things unto good in our lives. (cf Rom 8:28)

 

[bobperk]

Suffering obviously takes on different forms for a Catholic depending on where one lives. Someone born in an impoverished country may suffer from lack of access to food, government corruption, constant war or violence, lack of education, lack of access to medical care, etc. Those of us in the West face different temptations and sufferings.

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear bobperk,

Thanks for your reply. Sorry It has taken me this long to respond to you, but yesterday turned out to be a busier day than my husband and I anticipated. So I simply ran out of time to work on the computer. I had written to adgloriam in my response to her that I wanted to begin a new thread, but didn’t get to do that either! God willing I hope to begin that new thread today.

Yes, it is true that we may all suffer in different ways, but whatever suffering is permitted by God – He assures us, in His Holy Word (cf Romans 8:28):

God works ALL Things unto good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

No matter where we live, we will be tempted by the world, the flesh, and the devil. Only by God’s Grace, we are enabled to resist temptations and look to God to help us in every time of suffering and/or temptation.

Mother Teresa’s words which I posted on this thread have been very helpful to me and I hope will be helpful to all those who read her words and ponder them. Mother Teresa worked among the poorest of the poor, all over the world, always with the Love of Christ. I believe St. Mother Teresa, by God’s Grace was able to “see” with the eyes of faith how suffering is a gift from God.