Question for Catholics about Redemptive Suffering

[Lenten_ashes]

Protestants who have basically Calvinist understandings of salvation, particularly perseverance of the saints/OSAS (including Baptists, who are the largest group of Protestants in the USA, but not worldwide), would tend towards this sort of thinking. However, Protestants who do not hold to OSAS–and they represent a considerable portion of Protestantism–tend to believe that believers must undergo some form of purgation/sanctification before entering into heaven.

Interesting.

I think C.S. Lewis is the only notable protestant I have seen who openly admitted to believing in some form of purgatory.

I already believed in it as a protestant and received a lot of backlash for it from fellow protestants.

 

[Lenten_ashes]

This belief implies the reality of some form of purgatory or theosis that continues after death, whether or not such Protestants realize it. When pressed, such Protestants might insist such post-death purgation to be instantaneous, but it is a form of purgation nonetheless.

I was part of a very Catholic type Anglican Parish(non OSAS believers), and I already believed in some form or purgation then…and I could not pin the pastor down on this. They cite the “absent from the body, present with the Lord” verse and then talk about how you have a life review with God at the hour of your death, but they wont acknowledge purgation.

I think if they acknowledge purgation then it puts other related issues into question, like why aren’t we praying for the departed if we really believe in this?

 

[Horton]

I have chronic and debilitating conditions. I wake up in pain and go to sleep in pain. I have pain throughout the day. In some strange, sick & twisted way, I like when I’m going to have a procedure done or a surgery so I can be on the good stuff for a few days and not have the daily pain. I have an arthritic condition so all my joints are inflamed most of the time.

Through this I have learned Redemptive Suffering. I absolutely believe that if I could not offer it up and take the pain for those who can’t I would be insane by now. My entry into the Catholic Church came just before I got sick. My faith helped me through all the doctors, especially the ones who told me there was nothing wrong. My faith led me to a doctor that not only believed me but actually had a name for it.

My faith is still with me while we search for an appropriate treatment as the standard treatments will only exacerbate my other medical conditions such as Liver disease and melanoma.

So it is to God I turn, offering up my pain and frustrations, letting him know I can suffer for those that can’t and for His will to be done.

 

[pablope]

This thread is mainly for Catholics but anyone who is familiar is welcome to answer.

Could you please explain in layman’s terms what ‘Redemptive Suffering’ is and why it is important that we Christians offer it up to God? Also, can you provide some real life examples to illustrate it?

I believe that "all things work for good for those who are in Christ Jesus’ and that we are to “take up our cross” and follow Him so perhaps I just misunderstand the meaning of the term, ‘Redemptive Suffering’.

For example, my wife suffers from fibromyalgia and is in a lot of physical pain much of the time, even though she loves and serves Jesus with a fervor at times beyond that of mine. How can she turn that into redemptive suffering’or is that even possible? Your help in understand this is much appreciated. :tiphat:

Hi, Tommy,

I am actually surprised, you are looking at Redemptive suffering.

Exceprts from Scott Hahn’s…catholiceducation.org/en/religion-and-philosophy/apologetics/purgatory-holy-fire.html

From Col 1:24:“I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of His body that is the Church.”

We can’t even imagine what it’s like, but we have been granted the fiery Holy Spirit of love to enable us to do what would otherwise be humanly impossible in this life, to purge ourselves. That is why Paul says in Colossians 1:24 something that used to baffle me, Colossians 1:24, “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake.” Masochist? No. In a sense, he is the opportunist. He is the one who sees the ultimate rewards. “I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of His body that is the Church.”

Now does he mean that Christ died a little too quickly? He needed a few more hours? No. It means that Christ’s suffering and death must be reproduced and filled up in the Church and if some are slacking off, that means others must become more like victim-souls, willing to bear a greater burden, willing to shoulder with love, as Galatians 5 speaks about the love, “Love bears one another’s burdens.” We do that just as 1st John 5 speaks about how we can pray for others and get them back on track after their venial sins have been committed. So likewise we can suffer on behalf of others. That’s what fathers and mothers do all the time. And God calls us to do that in the supernatural family, as well, on behalf of our brothers and sisters and our spiritual children, as well. That’s what Paul takes for granted when he makes such an outlandish statement. Outlandish only for those who do not recognize the essential need for suffering.
…Christ has paid once and for all for our sin. His death is the ultimate satisfaction and price for our redemption, but His life and His death must be lived out in us. That’s why we need to pick up our cross, and we need to imitate Christ. Did you catch that? We don’t suffer because Christ’s sufferings weren’t enough. We suffer because Christ’s life must be reproduced in us. It is finished. It is accomplished, but now it must be applied. The work of the third person of the Holy Spirit is New Testament history, is personal history.

Here are some more reflections on Redemptive suffering:

calledtocommunion.com/2009/08/a-catholic-reflection-on-the-meaning-of-suffering/

jeffcavins.com/home/2006/10/19/the-meaning-of-suffering.html

 

[pablope]

This thread is mainly for Catholics but anyone who is familiar is welcome to answer.

Could you please explain in layman’s terms what ‘Redemptive Suffering’ is and why it is important that we Christians offer it up to God? Also, can you provide some real life examples to illustrate it?

I believe that "all things work for good for those who are in Christ Jesus’ and that we are to “take up our cross” and follow Him so perhaps I just misunderstand the meaning of the term, ‘Redemptive Suffering’.

For example, my wife suffers from fibromyalgia and is in a lot of physical pain much of the time, even though she loves and serves Jesus with a fervor at times beyond that of mine. How can she turn that into redemptive suffering’or is that even possible? Your help in understand this is much appreciated. :tiphat:

I would like to introduce the word…“Victim Souls”…which is connected to Redemptive Suffering, if you want to explore this futher…

osv.com/todaysissues/article/tabid/599/artmid/13753/articleid/10338/what-is-a-victim-soul.aspx

littlestsouls.wordpress.com/2013/05/22/what-we-can-learn-from-victim-souls/

 

[DCNBILL]

I believe you are right in your understanding of the beliefs of many non-catholics. It is so easy for us all to lump generalizations about Catholic -Protestant differences into statements that do not give generosity to the opposite viewpoint from our own.

I see salvation as both a one time event and a process. When Catholics say it is a process i do not think they mean they start out with nothing and eventually become good enough to merit salvation, but that it takes maintaining or a "working out " to be effective. There is a starting point somewhere. In my own personal experience I do not know of many Protestants who believe in OSAS.

Thnink of the thief on the cross, his salvation was a one time event. If after asking Jesus to save him he would have been released and set free, he would not have a licence to go back to his old ways and resume his lifestyle with the assurance that he is forever saved. Instead I believe it would have been a process for him to start his life over with putting on the “new man”.

A friend of mine put it like this, salvation is akin to a gift given to us using this analogy. You are given a ticket to Disney World, you can;

A - Put it on the shelf and say what a nice gift I have.

or

B- Get in the car and drive to Disney World, get in line, get on the tram or the ferry, use your ticket to get into the park get in other lines and enjoy the rides. :bounce:

Salvation is a gift freely given and then freely received and used.

 

[Bob_Crowley]

Sort of private revelation, but one time I was complaining loud and clear to God about what I perceived as unfairness. In fact, I think the circumstances were unfair, but the reply I got back either as a written text in some book, or a leaflet, or a voice (I can’t remember which) was -

“Your suffering heals others!”

This was not what I wanted to hear of course - I wanted a an apology from God in triplicate, with a bonus thrown in (a new and different job probably, since my biggest bugbear is the lack of a formal vocation), but God didn’t oblige. So I was left with my complaint.

As my old pastor put it, when Paul and Silas were thrown into prison in stocks after being beaten, they praised God despite their suffering. The rest is history - the earthquake unlocked all the prison doors, and the warden and his family were all converted. And then the town authorities had to back pedal when they found out Paul was a Roman citizen.

But if all they’d done was to put in a complaints form in triplicate, and negotiate a huge fee for a media story reporting their unjust plight, it would have done precious little for God’s kingdom.

I suppose that in a way we cannot see, our suffering offered up to God as redemptive suffering somehow* heals others.*

Whether it helps others in Purgatory, or other people suffering on earth, or makes the Gospel more fruitful, I don’t know. I think I read somewhere that Billy Graham once claimed that the prayers of an ill (maybe disabled) bedridden girl in England paved the way for one of his campaigns there. Her prayers were one thing - but it would seem when allied to her suffering, the effect was multiplied.

Her suffering was added to that of Christ on the cross, and that of all the other saints who have done God’s will down the ages.

The Church is Christ’s body, and is therefore called to suffer with Him, in Him, and for Him.

Whether we like it or not is another story.

It’s tied in with Paul’s injunction to “Praise God always, in all circumstance, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” Suffering and praise combined can have a powerful effect.

Personally though I find it easier to tell God when I think I’ve been hard done by.

 

[pablope]

This thread is mainly for Catholics but anyone who is familiar is welcome to answer.

Could you please explain in layman’s terms what ‘Redemptive Suffering’ is and why it is important that we Christians offer it up to God? Also, can you provide some real life examples to illustrate it?

I believe that "all things work for good for those who are in Christ Jesus’ and that we are to “take up our cross” and follow Him so perhaps I just misunderstand the meaning of the term, ‘Redemptive Suffering’.

For example, my wife suffers from fibromyalgia and is in a lot of physical pain much of the time, even though she loves and serves Jesus with a fervor at times beyond that of mine. How can she turn that into redemptive suffering’or is that even possible? Your help in understand this is much appreciated. :tiphat:

I forgot to share you this…what is perfect joy?

St. Francis’ reply…swordofthespirit.net/bulwark/july2011p13.htm

“And if later, suffering intensely from hunger and the painful cold, with night falling, we still knock and call, and crying loudly beg them to open for us and let us come in for the love of God, and he grows still more angry and says: ‘Those fellows are bold and shameless ruffians. I’ll give them what they deserve!’ And he comes out with a knotty club, and grasping us by the cowl throws us onto the ground, rolling us in the mud and snow, and beats us with that club so much that he covers our bodies with wounds – if we endure all those evils and insults and blows with joy and patience, reflecting that we must accept and bear the sufferings of the Blessed Christ patiently for love of him, oh, Brother Leo, write: that is perfect joy!

 

[DaveBj]

Interesting.

I think C.S. Lewis is the only notable protestant I have seen who openly admitted to believing in some form of purgatory.

I already believed in it as a protestant and received a lot of backlash for it from fellow protestants.

I once heard Kenneth Copeland (of all people!) once express support for the existence of a kind of purgatory. Putting it as well as I can in his style of speaking, “You’re not gonna just waltz into the Throne Room spoutin’ all that doubt’n’unbelief [he says that like it’s one word] that you’ve been sayin’ all these years! Uh-uh! You’re gonna go to school!”

Obviously, his view is somewhat different from the Catholic view: school, where we’re taught what we failed to learn in our earthly lives, vs. purgatory, where we’re cleansed from the attachment to the creature that we didn’t manage to rid ourselves of in our earthly lives. Still, and to cite an austenism, when I heard him say that, I was excessively diverted.

 

[ffg]

Considering it is impossible to go through life without at least the smallest inconvenience at some point, everyone is affected by suffering in some way in life. Every single person.

That’s the foundation - suffering is.

I think of the term ‘redemptive suffering’ as something that explains that a person can react to the pains that come upon them in a similar way as Christ did to His suffering.

Meet it head on and trust there is a great(er) purpose that may be hard to see while going through the pain.

Take care,

Mike

 

[kdbueno]

The calvary is a supreme hope of Christians.

 

[Tommy999]

Considering it is impossible to go through life without at least the smallest inconvenience at some point, everyone is affected by suffering in some way in life. Every single person.

That’s the foundation - suffering is.

I think of the term ‘redemptive suffering’ as something that explains that a person can react to the pains that come upon them in a similar way as Christ did to His suffering.

Meet it head on and trust there is a great(er) purpose that may be hard to see while going through the pain.

Take care,

Mike

Thanks, Mike. Very helpful.

To everyone:
Thanks for the replies and links. I had mainly asked the question for two reasons:

1. I had heard the term ‘Redemptive Suffering’ but was unfamiliar with it.
2. My wife suffers a great deal of physical pain and has depression at times from it and I like the fact that it can be viewed as something more than just meaningless suffering – knowing there can be a more profound meaning and benefit to her and others if it is viewed from the standpoint of redemptive suffering.

Another example of redemptive suffering I heard the other day made even more sense to me.

On Oklahoma Catholic Broadcasting show the other day, the priest (I believe it was Fr Don Wolf) on his show ‘Living Catholic’ recalled how he once went to be with a parishioner who was terminally ill and was near death but the parishioner was still in fine spirits and was happy in spite of it.

He told Father Don Wolf how he was grateful for his illness, which didn’t make much sense to me when I first heard it. After all, why would anybody be grateful for a terminal illness?

However, he went on to explain that he was grateful because it helped draw him much closer to Christ through the illness than he was before he got sick and that he probably wouldn’t have drawn that close to God otherwise. To me, that was a fine example of redemptive suffering at work in the man’s life. He could’ve become bitter but he allowed God to work through it all.

Follow up question:
I wonder when should we accept the pain and suffering as redemptive versus viewing it as something to pray to be healed from? For example, did Apostle Paul ask for his thorn in the flesh to be removed from him?

Surely, a battered spouse shouldn’t allow herself and her kids to remain in an abusive situation and call it redemptive suffering, should she?

I was just thinking out loud here.

 

[mattp0625]

This thread is mainly for Catholics but anyone who is familiar is welcome to answer.

I have grown to learn and appreciate many Catholic beliefs since I joined CAF. However, one that I still have trouble fully comprehending is ‘Redemptive Suffering’. I don’t necessarily disagree with it – I just don’t fully understand what it is and why Jesus’ redemptive suffering on the cross for mankind was/is not sufficient. However, it is very possible I misunderstand the term and I want to understand it.

Could you please explain in layman’s terms what ‘Redemptive Suffering’ is and why it is important that we Christians offer it up to God? Also, can you provide some real life examples to illustrate it?

I believe that "all things work for good for those who are in Christ Jesus’ and that we are to “take up our cross” and follow Him so perhaps I just misunderstand the meaning of the term, ‘Redemptive Suffering’.

For example, my wife suffers from fibromyalgia and is in a lot of physical pain much of the time, even though she loves and serves Jesus with a fervor at times beyond that of mine. How can she turn that into redemptive suffering’or is that even possible? Your help in understand this is much appreciated. :tiphat:

I posted this in the apologetics forum:

Oh, and suffering doesn’t mean you hurt yourself. Everyone suffers in some capacity, but redemptive suffering means you unite it (eg. In prayer ) to Jesus and his suffering on the cross.

Essentially, you say - Jesus I accept your will for me, and whatever I am suffering I will accept as you accepted your suffering. Please take my suffering and use it as a penance for others, as you did for us on the cross.

This doesn’t mean you can’t pray for help, but you accept God’s wil either way and use suffering to help the soul of others.

Paul indicated that God can use us as his instruments. 2 Timothy 2 and Acts 9 reflect this.

Of course, this will sound strange to one who accepts sola fide or once saved always saved,

 

[KathleenGee]

Sr Faustina’s diary, Tommy, may be a providential read for you Divine Mercy…this is the year of Divine Mercy.

She says we will not realize how much value our sufferings are valued when they are united to the Cross until we are in heaven.

It is good to ask Our Lord to remove from us all sickness, misfortune, infertility and to live life in abundance in Christ.

But we have sufferings nevertheless, no matter how much – good reason – we cannot find healing, relationships do not heal when we want, misunderstandings, misfortunes…

When we have exhausted all help in relieving us of some suffering in our present day, we must accept it as Christ’s cross for us…which united with the Crucified Lord, St. Catherine of Siena saying it is the only bridge to the Heavenly Father.

Redemptive suffering is the only means good can come into an evil world.

Your wife, if she cannot find medical relief, should offer up her suffering for the conversion of sinners and perseverance of the just.

Christ died and resurrected once— in human time. And before He died, it was said He raises all things up to Himself…meaning all of God’s creation…united to Him on the Cross.

But His mission is for all people and all time. So He perpetually continues to minister to us from heaven in His Word and Sacraments all the graces of His life and resurrection. We unite ourselves and our crosses with Him to break the power of evil that holds in bondage that of God’s creation.

And in time as we grow spiritually, our sufferings and endurance in living through the crucified Lord can turn the darkness around us into His light!

 

[Michael1966]

Hi Tommy.

I probably look at this from a different angle from most. I tend to see that through suffering we learn what causes suffering and that we are then in a better position to reduce suffering. In this way we can slowly ‘redeem’ the world from a ‘fallen’ state.

 

[josh987654321]

I hope you don’t mind if I share the following which I believe may help.

"It is in My Passion that you must seek light and strength." (Diary, 654)
Jesus to Catalina:

The Passion - loveandmercy.org/Eng-TP-Reg.pdf
(Roman Catholic Imprimatur)

**Contemplate My wounds and see if there is anyone who has suffered as much as I, to show their love…

Contemplate for a moment these bloodstained hands and feet… This naked body, covered with wounds, with urine, and blood. Dirty… This head punctured by sharp thorns, soaked in sweat, full of dust, and covered in Blood…

Contemplate your Jesus, hanging on the Cross, without being able to make the slightest movement… naked, without fame, without honor, without liberty…

Contemplate Me in the image of the Christ that weeps and bleeds. There and in this way the world has Me.**

http://s24.postimg.org/s91lh9u91/Crucifixion.jpg
Jesus to Catalina:

From Sinai to Calvary - loveandmercy.org/Eng-FSC-Reg.pdf
(Roman Catholic Imprimatur)

**4) "…In this profound pain which causes My sight to grow darker to the point that I can no longer see clearly those beings which I love and who remain at the foot of My agony, I know that Love has conquered, that it will conquer forever.

1. “It is precisely because of that boundless love which, in the midst of My unfathomable suffering, I did not lose confidence in My Father. But rather, I was being overcome by immense joy in knowing that I was fulfilling His Will and, thus, demonstrating My Love for Him and for all mankind.”
2. “…you can see and understand with greater ease, why human suffering makes sense when it is endured for love’s sake, desiring to fulfill the Divine Will. And it is that the greatest pain, as intense as it may be, does not diminish the joy in the heart of those who sweeten themselves with the greatest Love.”**

Jesus to Catalina:

I Have Given My Life for You - loveandmercy.org/Eng-IHG-Reg.pdf
(Roman Catholic Imprimatur)
**
10) I assure you that those who meditate on My sorrowful Passion will derive many Graces, because it is a treasure chest of infinitely enormous benefits.

1. If you keep Me company while meditating on My Passion, I will make smooth your hardships, because as I have said, I always repay love with Love.**

“And I saw the river over which every soul must pass to reach the kingdom of Heaven. And the name of that river was suffering… And I saw the boat which carries souls across the river. And the name of that boat was Love.” - St John of the Cross

Jesus to St Fauatina
"There is but one price at which souls are brought, and that is suffering united to My suffering on the cross. Pure love understands these words; carnal love will never understand them." (Diary, 324)
Jesus to Catalina:

From Sinai to Calvary - loveandmercy.org/Eng-FSC-Reg.pdf
(Roman Catholic Imprimatur)

Jesus said: **“Contemplate this scene, My beloved, and learn that My own cannot march through life without a cross. 4) “Go and tell the world what you are learning and, if they want to silence you, shout even louder. Do this for the sake of the power of the love that unites you to Me, which is as united as these two pieces of wood that form an instrument of salvation for all of humanity.

1. “Tell the consecrated souls that the cross that they wear, is not only to adorn their chests or identify them superficially with Me. First they must gird themselves with the cross and learn to “make themselves comfortable” on it instead of running away from it. Tell them they cannot long for Tabor, if they have not first passed through Golgotha. It is here on the Cross where they will learn charity, humility, poverty of spirit and temperance in all acts of their lives. 6) “Assure them that I give proof and testimony that, the devil can be easily defeated from the experience of the cross. Contemplate Me: I am a true Man, in whom the flesh manifests its limitations, and true God, in demonstrating the relentless force of Agape Love.
2. “Pray for those who do not know of sufferings, for it is certain that they are not among My own…Observe these two condemned ones who flank Me and meditate on the ways that men carry their crosses. 8) “Some carry it with rage, with bitterness, amidst much grief. He who carries a cross in similar circumstances and with those sentiments, carries for sure a cross, which has no sense because instead of drawing him closer, it pushes him away from Me. Usually that is the cross of those who refuse to understand the meaning of suffering, which takes on supernatural dimensions. That is the cross of the thief at My left, it is the cross which will always be heavy and will never be able to redeem.
3. “Dismas, on My right, accepts his cross with resignation and even with dignity; he assumes it at first because he has no other recourse. But suddenly, when he recognizes Me and knows that I Am the Son of God, he accepts that cross, acknowledging himself as a sinner, and asking that through it, Mercy remembers him. 10) “Finally, you have Me here in front of you, embracing My redeeming Cross to teach all of you to carry yours. I invite you to be co-redeemers with Me, making reparation for your own sins and those of all mankind. Know that this way of carrying the cross is reflected in your conduct, when before you are difficulties and pains and through them you draw closer to Me and you profit from them to give testimony before men. When you embrace your cross, you can feel that the only thing you desire is strength, because the thirst for souls consumes you." **

Please continue to next post -

 

[josh987654321]

Jesus to Catalina:

The Passion - loveandmercy.org/Eng-TP-Reg.pdf
(Roman Catholic Imprimatur)

**17) My children, there are no glorious crosses on earth; they are all wrapped in mystery, in darkness, in exasperation: in mystery, because you do not understand it; in darkness, because they blind the mind; and in exasperation, because they strike blows in precisely those places where one does not wish to be struck.

1. …I tell you that not only did I carry the wooden cross that led Me to Glory, but, above all, that invisible but permanent Cross that was formed by the crosses of your sins. Yes, and of your sufferings. Everything that you suffer was the object of My sorrows, for I not only suffered to give you Redemption, but also for what you should suffer now. Look at the love that unites Me to you; in it have the confirmation of My Holy Will and unite yourselves to Me by observing how I behaved in the midst of unlimited bitterness.
2. I have taken as a symbol a piece of wood, a cross. I have carried it with great love, for the good of all. I have suffered real affliction so that all could rejoice in Me. But today, how many believe in the One who truly did love you and does love you? Contemplate Me in the image of the Christ that weeps and bleeds. There and in this way the world has Me.**

Jesus to Catalina:

Divine Providence - loveandmercy.org/Eng-DP-Reg.pdf
(Roman Catholic Imprimatur)

On the 29th day the Lord told me: **“Gold is tested in the burning crucible. Everything that all of you are living is necessary for growth… I love you very much. Believe it and love Me more. Even if you think that you are incapable of loving more, continue to exert yourself in that for love is like a rubber container that expands, with the only difference being that the container never explodes, it is refined until it becomes noble material.” **

1. Later He continued: **4) “My desire is for every soul to be holy so it may come to Me at the moment of its death and remain in the Kingdom that the Father has prepared for it from all eternity. However, I desire to purify that soul even on earth, so that, as much as possible, it not be necessary to purge that which remained to be cleansed in life. That is why when a person is well disposed and desires to know Me, to love Me, to make Me known and to be purified on earth, I do my work as a potter and shape that clay, sometimes adding some more water to refine the mass, other times hitting or squeezing the mass to soften it, and when it is ready, I cook it in the burning oven of the virtues, in order to make that piece soft to the touch, shiny and worthy to be presented and offered to a King.” **
2. Even though I was certain of having seen my mother’s journey towards the Throne of the Lord, I kept wondering if her soul had to expiate for a time in Purgatory… It was then that the Lord told me: **6) “Why do you allow the devil to sow doubts in your mind? Trust and pray… None of you will understand until you are on this side, but even if you are almost certain (as I have revealed to certain souls) that your deceased ones are already enjoying Paradise, continue praying for them because in this way you complete what they lacked or increase what the souls of other persons close to you presented in their hands when they appeared before Me. 7) “When I said, ‘Come to Me all you who are burdened or tired…’ I also said it to you. Many things, which I allow or send, you sometimes find silly or unjust. Faith has to teach all of you that I plan everything for good. Remember that the soul, who maintains its peace and faith in the face of adversity, has the right to expect My Love and its benefits.” **

Jesus to Catalina:

Divine Providence - loveandmercy.org/Eng-DP-Reg.pdf
(Roman Catholic Imprimatur)

During my prayers on the 23rd, the Lord, knowing that I was feeling very much alone, spoke to me and said: **2) “My beloved, here I am, responding to your call. However, not even for an instant have I abandoned you… You are seemingly alone but I am with you. 3) “Think of My anguish in the garden; I felt alone. 4) “Are you afraid? So was I. 5) “Do you need to talk to someone? Talk to Me. 6) “Do you need a hand to caress you? Here are Mine. 7) “Do you need a shoulder on which to cry? Do so on Mine and I will dry your tears with My kisses… Your tears will blend with Mine. I am not indifferent to your sufferings.

1. “Do you need someone’s company to pray with you? Here you have My Saints and My Angels… Offer Me your patience in this life of exile and, thus, each time that I come looking for you, you will be free of grief and able to enjoy great interior peace.**

http://s27.postimg.org/x7ui1kgn7/Agony_In_Garden.jpg
Jesus to Catalina:

The Passion - loveandmercy.org/Eng-TP-Reg.pdf
(Roman Catholic Imprimatur)

24) I said: My Father; I did not say: My God. And what I want to teach you when your heart suffers most is that you should say “My Father” and ask Him comfort. Show Him your sufferings, your fears, and with moaning, remind Him that you are His children. Tell Him that your soul can bear no more! Ask trustingly like children and wait, for your Father will help you; He will give you and the souls entrusted to you, the necessary strength to go through this your tribulation.

Please continue to next post -

 

[josh987654321]

Extract from the book 'Imitation of Christ' by Thomas a Kempis:

The Voice of Christ

My Child, I came down from heaven for your salvation and took upon Myself your miseries, not out of necessity but out of love, that you might learn to be patient and bear the sufferings of this life without repining. From the moment of My birth to My death on the cross, suffering did not leave me. I suffered great want of temporal goods. Often I heard complaints against Me. Disgrace and reviling I bore with patience. For My blessings I received ingratitude, for My miracles blasphemies, and for My teaching scorn.

The Disciple

O Lord, because you were patient in life, especially in fulfilling the design of the Father, it is fitting that I, a most miserable sinner, should live patiently according to Your will, and, as long as You shall wish, bear the burden of this corruptible body for the welfare of my soul. For though this present life seems burdensome, yet by Your grace it becomes meritorious, and it is made brighter and more endurable for the weak by Your example and the pathways of the saints. But it has also more consolation than formerly under the old law when the gates of heaven were closed, when the way thereto seemed darker than now, and when so few cared to seek the eternal kingdom. The just, the elect, could not enter heaven before Your sufferings and sacred death had paid the debt.

Oh, what great thanks I owe You, Who have shown me and all the faithful the good and right way to Your everlasting kingdom! Your life is our way and in Your holy patience we come nearer to You Who are our crown. Had You not gone before and taught us, who would have cared to follow? Alas, how many would have remained far behind, had they not before their eyes Your holy example! Behold, even we who have heard of Your many miracles and teachings are still lukewarm; what would happen if we did not have such light by which to follow You?

The Voice of Christ

**What are you saying, my child? Think of my suffering and that of the saints, and cease complaining. You have not yet resisted to the shedding of blood. What you suffer is very little compared with the great things they suffered who were so strongly tempted, so severely troubled, so tried and tormented in many ways. Well may you remember, therefore, the very painful woes of others, that you may bear your own little ones the more easily. And if they do not seem so small to you, examine if perhaps your impatience is not the cause of their apparent greatness; and whether they are great or small, try to bear them all patiently. The better you dispose yourself to suffer, the more wisely you act and the greater is the reward promised you. Thus you will suffer more easily if your mind and habits are diligently trained to it.

Do not say: “I cannot bear this from such a man, nor should I suffer things of this kind, for he has done me a great wrong. He has accused me of many things of which I never thought. However, from someone else I will gladly suffer as much as I think I should.”

Such a thought is foolish, for it does not consider the virtue of patience or the One Who will reward it, but rather weighs the person and the offense committed. The man who will suffer only as much as seems good to him, who will accept suffering only from those from whom he is pleased to accept it, is not truly patient. For the truly patient man does not consider from whom the suffering comes, whether from a superior, an equal, or an inferior, whether from a good and holy person or from a perverse and unworthy one; but no matter how great an adversity befalls him, no matter how often it comes or from whom it comes, he accepts it gratefully from the hand of God, and counts it a great gain. For with God nothing that is suffered for His sake, no matter how small, can pass without reward. Be prepared for the fight, then, if you wish to gain the victory. Without struggle you cannot obtain the crown of patience, and if you refuse to suffer you are refusing the crown. But if you desire to be crowned, fight manfully and bear up patiently. Without labor there is no rest, and without fighting, no victory.**

The Disciple

O Lord, let that which seems naturally impossible to me become possible through your grace. You know that I can suffer very little, and that I am quickly discouraged when any small adversity arises. Let the torment of tribulation suffered for Your name be pleasant and desirable to me, since to suffer and be troubled for Your sake is very beneficial for my soul.

Please continue to next post -

 

[josh987654321]

“Satan may appear in many disguises like Christ, but Satan never has and never will appear with scars. Only Heaven’s Love can show the marks of love’s greatest gift.” - Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

Sacred Heart of Jesus - (St Margaret-Mary Alacoque)

http://s15.postimg.org/uc0cy5a0r/st_margaretmary2.jpg

Jesus to St Margaret-Mary Alacoque -

**"Behold this Heart which has loved men so much that it has spared nothing, even to exhausting **(Crucifixion) and consuming itself (Last Supper, Eucharist) in order to testify to them it’s love."
Extract from the book My Broken Christ Walks Over the Waters:

My Broken Christ Walks Over the Waters - loveandmercy.org/Eng-MBC-Reg.pdf

Do you know, my friend, why sometimes our Cross becomes intolerable? Do you know why it can end up becoming desperation and suicide? Because in that circumstance our Cross is a Cross alone, with no Christ, and we can only tolerate a Cross when it carries a Christ on its arms. A lay Cross without the blood or the love of God is absurd. It is senseless. So, I have an idea. I have a Christ without a Cross, and you perhaps have a Cross without Christ. Both are incomplete.

My Christ does not rest because He is missing His Cross. You cannot bear your Cross because it is missing Christ. Why do you not give your empty Cross to Christ tonight? You have a Cross by itself, empty, freezing cold, black, senseless. I understand you. To suffer like that is something irrational and I do not comprehend how you have been able to tolerate it for so long. You have the remedy in your hands… Come on, give me that Cross of yours. Give it to me. I give you in exchange this Christ without rest and without a Cross. Take it, it is yours. Give Him your Cross. Take my Christ. Put them together. Nail them, embrace them and everything will be different.

My broken Christ rests on your Cross. Your Cross becomes softer with my Christ on it. We have found a Cross. Ours, which happens to be that of Christ’s…

John 16:33:

33 I have told you this, so that you might have peace in your hearts because of me. While you are in the world, you will have to suffer. But cheer up! I have defeated the world.

I hope some of this has helped

God Bless You

Thank you for reading
Josh