Seeking suffering

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There’s apparently crucifixion re-enactments in the Philippines which are quite gory but that got me thinking. Somebody commented that those people who participate in these actions should go into a Red Cross clinic instead and donate their blood instead of spilling blood in the streets. But then this got me thinking (and I know this is a wrong pattern of thought but bear with me) couldn’t the same argument be made about Christ? And since we can “offer up” our sufferings and the Church encourages that we give up “small intentional sacrifices” why is “going bigger” wrong? Why is seeking big suffering not encouraged but small ones are?
 
eh. there ones make monetization for suffering…

i remember story, when rich Director temporary give bread for poor, but steal poors rights on a appetite.
 
Sorry I don’t understand the answer but thank you for the reply 🙂
 
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I mean there have been 17 views. Is there an official answer to this?
 
Catholics should only seek suffering, better known as mortification, under the guidance of a competent spiritual director. Basically there is no need to seek out suffering or mortification. Ordinary, everyday life normally provides plenty of occasions where suffering will find us, all under God’s providence. It is better to use these opportunities to try to practice and acquire virtue and to become increasingly conformed to Christ rather than invent occasions of suffering.
 
stpiosson said:
Ordinary, everyday life normally provides plenty of occasions where suffering will find us, all under God’s providence.
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You can say that again…

I think that in recent centuries, the Church has become rightly concerned about those who would make a public show of their suffering or overdo their self-mortification in some way. Could be a sign of attention seeking, or even a sign of mental illness.

It’s also cultural to some degree. What is acceptable in the Philippines or some other countries would be regarded in USA as gross, mentally ill, a distortion of Christ’s message, traumatizing to viewers, and a public health hazard due to possible blood-borne disease.
 
Personally, I believe people who seek out this kind of suffering have a mental health issue. I will get slammed here, for saying that. However, it doesn’t compute for me. I don’t believe that a God who created us wants us to experience any more suffering then he has already put on our plate. He would know what is best for us.
 
QwertyGirl said:
Personally, I believe people who seek out this kind of suffering have a mental health issue.
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Not necessarily–you have to remember cultural context.
There are manhood ceremonies around the world where the person seeking enlightenment or adult status voluntarily undergo a painful physical trial to show they can take it and aren’t afraid of pain.
And to a lesser degree, penances like fasting are found in nearly every faith tradition around the world.

That said, I think I read that the Church actually condemns crucifixion reenactments. (Or at the least, very frowns on it)

But you have to ask the guy who did it “why?” In order to find out how come.

Peace
 
There already are a lot of inconveniences or little sufferings sprinkled out in our day that the Lord allows for us in order to make reparation for our sins or those of others.

Think about it, if you offer those up say 15 times in a day. You’d be praying or raising your eyes up to heaven that often. Your life then becomes suffering.

Some, more advanced souls, want to do more. So they enact suffering on themselves in the form of hair shirts, cold showers, sleeping on bare floors, etc. That’s fine too. But what good would it be if a person gets angry that a car passed by and splashed water on them, causing them to knock down an outdoor dining table, but that same person also took cold showers or wore sharp belts? It all starts with the small stuff.
 
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stpiosson said:
Ordinary, everyday life normally provides plenty of occasions where suffering will find us, all under God’s providence.
Click to expand...
This reminds me of something I learned a long time ago about the persecutions in the first centuries. A persecution would break out at a certain location and Christians from other places who were seeking martyrdom would go there. The Church condemned the practice teaching that the persecution was against those Christians living there and that Christians who weren’t members of the persecuted community shouldn’t seek persecution that didn’t belong to them.
 
Ioana said:
Why is seeking big suffering not encouraged but small ones are?
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I have no need to seek out suffering large or small, as my life is already full of it. I would not encourage anyone to “seek” suffering, but rather to serve those who are suffering, and offer up our own sufferings to add to His on the cross.

His suffering was to pay the eternal penalty for our sins. There is no suffering of ours that can accomplish that.
 
People have different callings to what they can handle.
Going the extra mile may for some be a Divine Calling, to share in the sufferings of Christ. However, for others, it may be a sign of egotism, mental illness, or attention seeking.
 
A Christian should go looking for suffering?
It seems to me that there is no need to seek suffering, suffering will find us, but asceticism is important for the disciplining yourself.
When the war began in Ukraine, many young believers volunteered for the front.
Some of these guys at the front are risking their lives every day.
Sometimes me seems that war even useful for certain types of personalities.
Of course war is horrible, war is an absolute evil, but it’s better for example to be fearless holy warrior than a great sinner.
Military service (and other activities) may be a form of penance, catharsis, and therapy from sins.
I like the words “ascetic deprivation”.
Ascetic deprivation is very useful because they discipline both the body and the spirit.
For example, I discipline myself with all sorts of austerities to pacify and subdue my body.
I have an individual approach.
I am engaged in power single combats and I don’t miss trainings.
I can easily refuse supper(the last few months only used water instead of supper)
I use modest but nutritious and healthy foods, instead of premium products.
Austerity is good for taming our carnal Adam.
Austerity is good for everyone. I think that a simple Christian can start with a diet, with a regime, with a reduction in excess weight, move to more modest types of recreation and so on. Asceticism is useful.
Indeed, there are many narrow roads instead of wide roads.
 
I don’t quite get going looking for suffering (other than to make a public spectacle). It’s a fact of life that at some point, somehow, suffering will find us.
 
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