Offering it up...

[erik_none]

Can someone shed some light on what this means? Do I need to see it as I can offer up any sufferings to unite with Christ for any intention? Even something as pious as “I’m going through a rough financial patch?” Or anything to that degree where the suffering is something that is not physical or to an overwhelming degree? I have seen prayers about offering up sufferings for the reparations to the Immaculate Heart of Mary; What kind of sins are there to the Blessed Mother?

 

[Vic_Taltrees_UK]

In my opinion:

• yes it can be any qualm, quandary, obstacle or pain, around anything, big or small
• we just don’t see what immense grace we are participating in, as regards God’s grace towards people we don’t even know, including those who may have, against their better nature and unbeknownst, shown disrespect to Him or things of Him. He doesn’t set out to clobber them, but to call us to stand in the breach.

Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, with the renewing of your mind, which is your acceptable service - Rom 12, beginning (roughly phrased).

When we lift up our struggles, we lift up others’ also.

Some people make this sort of stuff more Marian than others, at their own discretion.

 

[erik_none]

In my opinion:

• yes it can be any qualm, quandary, obstacle or pain, around anything, big or small
• we just don’t see what immense grace we are participating in, as regards God’s grace towards people we don’t even know, including those who may have, against their better nature and unbeknownst, shown disrespect to Him or things of Him. He doesn’t set out to clobber them, but to call us to stand in the breach.

Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, with the renewing of your mind, which is your acceptable service - Rom 12, beginning (roughly phrased).

When we lift up our struggles, we lift up others’ also.

Some people make this sort of stuff more Marian than others, at their own discretion.

I see. So, per your opinion, if I were to stub my toe, my usual reaction (which is a fault I must break) is to use the Lord’s name in vain. If I were to offer the pain of said stubbed toe in a quick prayer, God would, per His will, use that suffering and turn it to grace for someone else?

 

[Doc_Thunder]

I had trouble grasping this for a long time.

The idea of unity with Christ helped me understand it. When, by an act of will, in prayer, we unite ourselves and our sufferings to Christ, those sufferings become his sufferings. As his sufferings they are perfected and elevated by his divinity and joined to his sufferings. In this way our sufferings, slight though they may be, gain redemptive and reparative value that they would not otherwise possess.

The unity with Christ that I am referring to is the type we have as part of the body of Christ. It is what he is talking about when he tells the disciples to “abide” in him (Jn 6:55-56, Jn 15:4). It is not a type of pantheistic, “all is God”, type of union.

I am neither an apologist, nor a theologian, so, if there is anything imprecise or inaccurate about my explanation I hope someone with a more thorough grounding in these matters will correct me.

First post.

 

[erik_none]

I had trouble grasping this for a long time.

The idea of unity with Christ helped me understand it. When, by an act of will, in prayer, we unite ourselves and our sufferings to Christ, those sufferings become his sufferings. As his sufferings they are perfected and elevated by his divinity and joined to his sufferings. In this way our sufferings, slight though they may be, gain redemptive and reparative value that they would not otherwise possess.

The unity with Christ that I am referring to is the type we have as part of the body of Christ. It is what he is talking about when he tells the disciples to “abide” in him (Jn 6:55-56, Jn 15:4). It is not a type of pantheistic, “all is God”, type of union.

I am neither an apologist, nor a theologian, so, if there is anything imprecise or inaccurate about my explanation I hope someone with a more thorough grounding in these matters will correct me.

First post.

Thank you for your response. That makes sense to me.

 

[fred_conty]

Can someone shed some light on what this means? Do I need to see it as I can offer up any sufferings to unite with Christ for any intention? Even something as pious as “I’m going through a rough financial patch?” Or anything to that degree where the suffering is something that is not physical or to an overwhelming degree? I have seen prayers about offering up sufferings for the reparations to the Immaculate Heart of Mary; What kind of sins are there to the Blessed Mother?

You may and should offer all prayers, works, joys,sufferings, and everything between, even the most common things, to the Sacred Heart and Immaculated Heart of Mary each and every morning. As a child of God these intentions are most pleasing. God doesn’t see external appearances as important as man does, but he rather looks at the heart. This in the book of Samuel.

As far as the sins against Mary, here is something from another thread.

whitelilyoftrinity.com/saints_quotes_mary.html

After Lucia had been praying, Our Lord revealed the reason of the 5 Saturdays of reparation: "My daughter, the reason is simple: there are 5 types of offenses and blasphemies launched against the Immaculate Heart of Mary:

1 Blasphemies against its Immaculate Conception.

2 Against its virginity.

3 Against its Divine Maternity, at the same time refusing to receive it like Mother of mankind.

4 Against those that publicly try to instill in the hearts of children, the indifference, the scorn and even hatred towards the Immaculate Mother.

5 Against those that scorn Her in her sacred images."

In the 4th commandment, it says to honor our father and mother. How much more with our spiritual father and spiritual mother!

 

[erik_none]

You may and should offer all prayers, works, joys,sufferings, and everything between, even the most common things, to the Sacred Heart and Immaculated Heart of Mary each and every morning. As a child of God these intentions are most pleasing. God doesn’t see external appearances as important as man does, but he rather looks at the heart. This in the book of Samuel.

As far as the sins against Mary, here is something from another thread.

whitelilyoftrinity.com/saints_quotes_mary.html

Perfect. Thank you!

 

[Ad_Orientem]

You can also offer up in advance all you will suffer that day. If you google “morning offering” you’ll find prayers to that effect.