Redemptive Suffering? How?

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stuartbrianhenlis

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Hi, everyone!

I have a question about redemptive suffering. I’m still experiencing depression (I’ve had it since last week) and it’s still painful. I hear a lot about redemptive suffering, turning it over to God, or something like that, so that the suffering can serve a positive purpose. (If I’m not clear, please correct me!)

Not to make light of this, if I’m going to hurt, I want the pain to serve a good purpose.

Any feedback will be deeply appreciated.

Stuart
 
Hi Stuart, first, a summary of Redemptive suffering from Pope John Paul 2’s encyclical ( Salvifici Doloris) regarding redemptive suffering can be found at this link:

http://www.catholiccrossreference.c...-on-the-christian-meaning-of-human-suffering/

A few words from the Catholic Catechism:

"The sick person before God
http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p2s2c2a5.htm

1502 The man of the Old Testament lives his sickness in the presence of God. It is before God that he laments his illness, and it is of God, Master of life and death, that he implores healing.99 Illness becomes a way to conversion; God’s forgiveness initiates the healing.100 It is the experience of Israel that illness is mysteriously linked to sin and evil, and that faithfulness to God according to his law restores life: "For I am the Lord, your healer.“101 The prophet intuits that suffering can also have a redemptive meaning for the sins of others*”
  • Isaiah 53:11.
Stuart I hope you don’t mind if I say though that it’s possibly not the best to to ascribe depression’ to yourself after just one week. Depression is too serious a kind of illness. Certainly in such a short period of sadness as a week, you can say “I’m depressed”, " I’m sad and discouraged", but it would be sad if you came to see yourself as suffering depression, it’s not a good road to go down. I know it might seem like a technicality, but it would be awful if it became a mindset. Having lived with someone with depression for many years I know how destructive depression is on so many levels.

Redemptive suffering
http://www.ewtn.com/v/experts/showmessage.asp?number=357516

I hope, and pray, you can overcome this sadness and discouragement, and find a happier way forward.
May God bless you in all things good, temporal and spiritual
 
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You can use your suffering as a prayer to draw closer to God. You can even offer your suffering as a way to comfort Christ on the cross. When He was on the cross for our sins, the weight of all the sins in the world was on Him. But as well, the good done by people throughout the ages was visible to Him, and comforted Him.

I had very bad seizures for years, I think offering my suffering to God helped me to come closer to Him and be a better Catholic ultimately.
 
All good answers on how, and perhaps even why, although I suspect the why is one of God’s great mysteries that might defy human comprehension. But, despite coming to understand the how, and comprehending the best we can, the why, don’t expect this knowledge to take pain away, whether physical or mental. Physical and mental pain receptors are all part of the human condition, that even the incarnate Son of God endured in his passion and death.
 
AdamPeter,

Thank you for your gentle response. I appreciate your kind concern.

Stuart
 
GREAT Question! Thanks

The foundational issue is understanding that GOD IS IN CHARGE, even when we may wish when He was not.

So everything that happens, has one of two reasons:
  1. So God can be Glorified
  2. So God COULD be glorified and WE Could be sacticifoed
Everything that takes place either GOD Ordained [ordered], or God permitted to PERMIT one of the two end results

It is also to be understood that God can CAUSE ONLY good things

Isa.55: 6 to 9
[6] "Seek the LORD while he may be found,
call upon him while he is near;
[7] let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the LORD, that he may have mercy on him,
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
[8] For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, says the LORD.
[9] For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.

So suffering is the NORMAL condition of humanity:: Isa. 43: 7 & 21 “[7] every one who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.” &
[21] the people whom I formed for myself that THEY MIGHT declare my praise.

Choosing good or evil is ALWAYS our personal choice

humanity ALONE is God-gifted with a mind, intellect and freewill precisely so that we CAN make GOOD choices or BAD choices.

Suffering makes that choice very evident. If as you wisely indicate.

If God builds for us a cross of suffering [which BTW I too am enduring], we CAN freely choose by His GRACE to accept it and offer it up; if we just just grump and complain about it making others as miserable as awe are; but nether lessens the suffering.

If we choose the GOOD, God is Glorified AND we ARE sactified

If we choose only grump; God is STILL GLORIFIED for having given us the grace opportunity; BUT we lose the grace opportunity and the stratification

So we ought to OFFER it up, for ourselves OR for others including the POOR SOULS
.
God Bless you friend
Patrick
.
 
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