1 Col 24
“I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body that is the church”
ewtn.com/library/PAPALDOC/JP2SALVI.HTM
Pope John Paul II on suffering - SALVIFICI DOLORIS
Explains what St. Paul meant by our sharing in Christ’s suffering
Look at section 24
I Cor.17
“The language of the cross may be illogical to those who are not on the way
to salvation, but those of us who are on the way see it as God’s power to
save… And so , while the Jews demand miracles, and the Greeks look for
wisdom, here we are preaching the crucified Christ; to the Jews an obstacle
that they cannot get over, to the pagans maddness, but to those who have
been called, whether they are Jews or Greeks, a Christ who is the power
and the wisdom of God.”
Eph 1;7
“In Him we have redeemption in his blood…”.
Romans 8:17
“… heirs of God and coheirs with Christ, sharing his sufferings so as to share his glory.”
Romans 8:18
“The sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”
Romans 8:28
“And we know that to them that love God all things work together unto good; to such as, according to his purpose, are called to be saints.”
Our Lord told Saint Faustina; “If the angels were capable of envy, they would envy us for two things: one is the receiving of Holy Communion, and the other is suffering.” (p.1805)
“You will save more souls through prayer and suffering than will a missionary through his teachings and sermons alone.”
Jesus told Saint Faustina once; “There is more merit to one hour of meditation on My sorrowful Passion than there is to a whole year of flagellation that draws blood; the contemplation of My painful wounds is of great profit to you, and it brings Me great joy.”
Our Lady told the world at Fatima; “Many souls go to hell because there is no one to sacrifice themselves and pray for them.”
"I understood that to become a saint one had to suffer much, seek out always the most perfect thing to do, and forget self. Saint Therese of Lisieux, Story of a Soul, p.27
“Passion and Death, is it not evident that in order to go that way and live up to this truth, they must follow Christ crucified, afflicted, scourged and affronted? Consider the ignorance of men who wish to come to the Father without following Christ, since they expect to reign with God without suffering or imitating his Passion, yea without even a thought of accepting any part of his suffering and Death, or of thanking Him for it.” Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Book VI, Chp. IV
“Why must we suffer? Because here below pure Love cannot exist without suffering. O Jesus, Jesus, I no longer feel my cross when I think of yours.” St. Bernadette Soubirous
