Offering Up Past Suffering

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Hello,

I converted last Easter season. My question is, "Can I offer up suffering retroactively, i.e. past suffering that was not offered up at the time? "

I wasn’t familiar with the practice then, as I wasn’t Catholic, but I would very much like to now.

Sincerely,

Stephanie
 
Stephanie,

I think you certainly can offer up past suffering in the present. God, afterall, is eternal. He transcends time, he is the past, present and future all at one time.

I have even asked Jesus to go back with me in time to points in my life where I was hurt, or hurt others and I ask him to help me forgive or be forgiven at the very moment in the past that it happened.

This has been instrumental in my own healing and growth in love.

You see, God gives us many, many ways to experience his love and grace.

God Bless you for such a good question.
 
Dear Frank,

Thanks for replying. Your point about God being eternal makes sense. As you said, it would certainly be healing. Does it state anywhere what the Church teaches on this?

Thanks again,

Stephanie
 
Absolutely. God is outside of time.

I offer up frequently all my sufferings, past, current, and future.
 
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sjangelini:
Dear Frank,

Thanks for replying. Your point about God being eternal makes sense. As you said, it would certainly be healing. Does it state anywhere what the Church teaches on this?

Thanks again,

Stephanie
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This is from the Catechism of the church. It discusses how God exists within time…
**600 **To God, all moments of time are present in their immediacy. When therefore he establishes his eternal plan of “predestination”, he includes in it each person’s free response to his grace: “In this city, in fact, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.” For the sake of accomplishing his plan of salvation, God permitted the acts that flowed from their blindness.
 
Frank - Thanks for the research. The passages on predestination were interesting. I’ll have to take a closer look at that and how God interacts both in and outside of time.

Thomas - Thanks to you as well. It’s a bit off topic, but if you don’t mind my asking, does SFO stand for Secular Franciscan Order? Because if so, I would love to discuss that with you, as I feel called to join the SFO. I called 1-800-Francis, but I haven’t heard anything from them yet. Is there a better way to contact them?
 
I don’t really see any reason either why couldn’t offer up past sufferings, but I wanted to be sure.
 
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sjangelini:
Thomas - Thanks to you as well. It’s a bit off topic, but if you don’t mind my asking, does SFO stand for Secular Franciscan Order? Because if so, I would love to discuss that with you, as I feel called to join the SFO. I called 1-800-Francis, but I haven’t heard anything from them yet. Is there a better way to contact them?
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Yes, it does. You can contact you local diocese to see if any local fraternities exist in the area. They should know and have a local contact for you.

Also you can check this page from the National Fraternities website on Regional Fraternities and see if any are close to you. Some local fraternities are listed as well as contacts.
 
Hi all,

How do you offer up your suffering? Can you offer up someone else’s suffering?

Thanks.

Peace,
Gene
 
Thomas - Thanks for the info! I’m glad I ran into to you, digitally speaking. 😉 Right on! 👍

Gene - The way I understand it, you can only offer up your own suffering because you don’t “have” the suffering of others. However, I believe you can offer up your suffering for others.

What does everyone think?
 
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sjangelini:
The way I understand it, you can only offer up your own suffering because you don’t “have” the suffering of others. However, I believe you can offer up your suffering for others.

What does everyone think?
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I suspect that we might be able to offer other’s suffering up, (especially if we share the suffering with them.) Afterall, we offer Jesus’ redemptive suffering to God.

While God loves us each individualy, He also loves groups of people. Perhaps a member of the group can be a “spokesman” to offer all the group’s suffering. But I don’t know this for sure.

I’m certain we can offer up any of our “secondary suffering” that we may experience when someone we love suffers. Mary suffered along with Jesus at the Crucifixion, His suffering caused her suffering.
 
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