Offering suffering up for conversion of sinners

[Vynac]

I am struggling with the concept of offering suffering up to God, redemptive suffering I suppose? I understand it to some degree - I could see how it could be applied to yourself or like towards the healing of another person for example. However I don’t understand how it could be applied towards the conversion of sinners or help with the salvation of another person at all. This also goes for praying the rosary for this purpose. Also victim souls…

How would this even work? I mean ultimately the grace of faith/conversion is a gift from God, and that has to be in conjunction with the other person’s will (because otherwise that would remove the person’s choice / free will). So how does this get applied to someone that ultimately still has to choose themselves whether to accept God and change their lives.

Does God reward these prayers/sufferings by giving others extra grace in the hopes it will help them out and they will seek him & turn away from their sins? Is the overall goal to have everyone (to a degree) mutually participate in the salvation of all?

 

[patricius79]

Does God reward these prayers/sufferings by giving others extra grace in the hopes it will help them out and they will seek him & turn away from their sins? Is the overall goal to have everyone (to a degree) mutually participate in the salvation of all?

Yes. Jesus gave us a new commandment: to love each other as He loves us. We couldn’t do this unless we could suffer for others. St. Paul said “If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation” (2 Cor 1:6).

 

[Vynac]

I understand that. I guess my question is more targeted towards how the suffering of one person can be applied towards the conversion of another person. Even all the suffering Jesus went through didn’t lead everyone to him, so how would our prayers and offered sufferings be any different. Jesus has always wanted everyone to repent and be converted, but can’t force us, so how do our prayers, our sufferings have any impact on the matter?

And I understand how this works if the person sets an example and is present in the sinners life, however that isn’t what I mean. Im talking about personal prayers/devotions/conversations between a person and God where the person is offering something up for the conversion of sinners. I do not understand how this is possible or how it would make any difference.