Offering It Up

[NightFisher]

I have a general understanding of redemptive suffering and the beauty behind this belief. My question is this: Can one offer up suffering that has already occurred? I generally hear about people offering up suffering at the moment that it occurs. I do this as well, and it has helped me tremendously with anger and impatience. But I look back at the suffering I had before I joined the Church or knew what redemptive suffering was, and I wonder: Could I offer this up as well? Would it matter? Would it help? I, of course, offer my whole self to the Lord, but can past suffering be redemptive as well, even if you did not offer it up at the time? (This question also applies to happiness, love, etc.; not just suffering.)

 

[littlestsouls2]

Interesting question. The closest answer to that question that I can think of comes from the writings of St. Mechtilde. Obviously this is not dogma, but the Church has given her writings the Imprimatur, so it’s worth considering.

Our Lord to St. Mechtilde: “… Therefore it gives Me real pleasure when men hope great things from Me, and I will always grant them more than they expect… Dost thou not think that I am sufficiently rich to pay all thy debts?”
“Yes, Lord; I trust every thing to Thee.”
“See, then, how I offer to God, My Father, the years of My childhood, to supply for what thou wert unable to do during thy early years; the labours of My youth, for the negligences of thine; My later
years and My Passion, for the faults and omissions of thy whole life. Thus, I wish thy entire life to receive in Me and by Me its supplement and its perfection.” [Rev. Andre Prevot: “The one thing He asks from us for this is that we trust in Him, abandon ourselves to His goodness, and leave the rest to Him.”]

It’s better to be “too confident” than not confident enough!

 

[GLam8833]

Memories affect our behaviours NOW, and so
it is important to offer up our memories to God.
Redemptive memory can bring things up that we
need to deal with IN THE PRESENT, like forgiving
past wrongs, even from people who have passed
on, the benefit is for ourselves too!!!

 

[fred_conty]

I have a general understanding of redemptive suffering and the beauty behind this belief. My question is this: Can one offer up suffering that has already occurred? I generally hear about people offering up suffering at the moment that it occurs. I do this as well, and it has helped me tremendously with anger and impatience. But I look back at the suffering I had before I joined the Church or knew what redemptive suffering was, and I wonder: Could I offer this up as well? Would it matter? Would it help? I, of course, offer my whole self to the Lord, but can past suffering be redemptive as well, even if you did not offer it up at the time? (This question also applies to happiness, love, etc.; not just suffering.)

It is a sign of your love and goodwill and I feel sure it would please him. Just as it pleases him when we tell him how sorry we were for all the things in the past that we did badly, it would please him to tell him in the same way how much we love him and would now offer him all the good things we did in the past.

May divine mercy, peace, and love be yours in ever greater measure.

 

[NightFisher]

Thank you all for your responses!

 

[InNomineDomini]

My question is this: Can one offer up suffering that has already occurred?

The essence of redemptive suffering is to patiently endure suffering, especially when we are in some way unjustly suffering, out of supernatural charity for God.

In one sense, this could not be applied to the past.

For example, let’s say our heat pump breaks down, and we have to endure several days of hot temperature in our home. Well, if you’re like me, you’ll probably do far more whining and complaining than actual patient and loving enduring. It would seem contrary to the essence of redemptive suffering, to then turn around and “offer” this suffering, since it’s not the suffering itself that is of value, but our reaction to it in the moment.

However, if we did patiently and loving endure suffering, then I don’t see why we couldn’t pray that God accept that action of the past as a sacrifice. After all, while we are inside of time, God is not. For Him, that action is just as present now as it was to you back when you were in the midst of that situation.