sufferings

[Hoxbar]

Why does the catholic church make such a big deal out of sufferings? (I’m talking about personal suffering, such as sickness, ect… Not world wide suffering) It would seem to me as a noncatholic that the church seems to teach that you can get forgivness through your suffering/trials. Is this true?

 

[MarcoPolo]

Forgiveness comes from God. Suffering, however, sanctifies and makes present the power of the Cross, i.e. Jesus suffering through us. Enduring this suffering as Jesus did makes us more Christ-like and more of a heavenly nature–which is our goal. Suffering is also a consequence of the fallen nature of man. It helps us turn to the only one Who can deliver us from pain—God.

 

[RosaryFan]

Why does the catholic church make such a big deal out of sufferings? (I’m talking about personal suffering, such as sickness, ect… Not world wide suffering) It would seem to me as a noncatholic that the church seems to teach that you can get forgivness through your suffering/trials. Is this true?

Quote from Padre Pio (Saint Pio of Pietrelcina): “Suffering is a gift from God; blessed is he who knows how to profit by it”.

You get forgiveness through reconciliation, but suffering (if offered to Christ and united with His suffering for us) is redemptive. Purging the soul of the effects of sin, both yours and that of humanity. This is why it’s a gift from God. It is an opportunity to take your lumps here rather than in purgatory. However, you must recognize the opportunity and accept it as such.

We also have the option, of course, to not accept our suffering as a gift from God and choose to complain and moan and groan about it instead. Sometimes our suffering may cause us to turn away from God. But if you maintain faith in God’s plan and use the suffering (which everyone receives regarless of their relationship with God) as a benefit and offer it to Christ instead of complaining, Christ sees that as you offering to take your share of His Cross. What better way to get in the good graces of our Precious Savior than to offer to help Him carry His Cross!

Suffering, when seen in that light, can be a beautiful tool for our salvation and the salvation of others.

 

[Kay_Cee]

Why does the catholic church make such a big deal out of sufferings? (I’m talking about personal suffering, such as sickness, ect… Not world wide suffering)

Maybe because Paul made such a big deal out of it: “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church.” (Colossians 1:24)

It would seem to me as a noncatholic that the church seems to teach that you can get forgivness through your suffering/trials. Is this true?

Forgiveness requires confessing your sins and being repentant for them. However, sin has consequences, and one who is truly repentant should try to set things right.

Let’s say I was very angry at you and threw a rock through your window. Later I’m sorry, and you–being the wonderful person I’m sure you are–forgive me. Are we done then? I think not. The window is still broken. So who should have to clean up the broken glass? Who should have to pay to have the window replaced? If I’m truly sorry, if I’m truly repentant, would I expect you to do those things? If I said, “Well, I’m sorry I broke your window but I expect you to take care it” wouldn’t you think I wasn’t truly sorry?

Here’s another example. Let’s say I stole something from a store. Later, I’m sorry. I confess my sin. But someone is still out some money. Shouldn’t I make restitution? But let’s suppose the store has gone out of business, so it’s now impossible for me to make restitution to that store. If I’m truly sorry, should I just pocket that money? Shouldn’t I make restitution another way–by donating that money to charity?

Here’s a third example. Let’s say I hurt someone emotionally by an action I have done. I can be sorry for my sin, I can confess it, but I can’t undo the pain I have caused. However, shouldn’t I try to make restitution by offering up something of my own to God?

Paul, in the quote above, goes even farther than that. He rejoices in his sufferings–not for his own sake but for the sake of others–because they too help the members of the church. Christ, of course, is the ultimate example of suffering for sin, a suffering offered up to His heavenly Father. Shouldn’t we follow his example?

 

[Sailor_Kenshin]

Why does the catholic church make such a big deal out of sufferings? (I’m talking about personal suffering, such as sickness, ect… Not world wide suffering) It would seem to me as a noncatholic that the church seems to teach that you can get forgivness through your suffering/trials. Is this true?

Forgiveness? I’m not sure. But by offering up your sufferings to God you can make it mean something.

 

[Hoxbar]

so then how do we offer our sufferings to God?

 

[Kay_Cee]

so then how do we offer our sufferings to God?

We tell Him through prayer.

 

[ryanoneil]

so then how do we offer our sufferings to God?

Jesus wants us to empty ourselves so that God can fill us. When we suffer, we can choose to seek consolation in God and become closer to Jesus.

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. (Mat 16:24-25)

 

[CentralFLJames]

Through the pascal mystery and our baptism in Christ into it we are all co-joined to Christ’ suffering in some very mystical and mysterious way that we can’t fully understand. All the great saints have discerned this and many have been given the “blessings” of a special suffering with token wounds of Christ (a literal thorn in the flesh that does not heal, stigmata, dark nights of the soul, persecutions and every martyrdom [the highest honor]).

Baptism is the key thing that binds us to Christ’s death and passion so we may die in Him and no longer be subject to the penalty of law since after death its impossible to transgress the law and sin anymore. This then makes it possible for us to be resurrected through Christ’s divinity and share in His Glory since we shared in His death - this is the greater justice that transcends the law.

So we know that suffering is linked to grace and the release of grace in ourselves and in others. It is all linked to repentance and penance.

When we are anxious to attain more grace we may self impose our own suffrages through fasting, self-denial and giving up part of our life in the service of others. It is important though to first be in a state of grace (baptised and free of mortal sin) so that we merit by our sufferings and can gain more grace. In other words the Grace God gives us in baptism is like God’s investment in us with “spiritual coin” - but he wants us to spend it wisely and invest it and return it to Himself with dividends. He will help us by giving us trials and suffrage or permit us to offer up to Him his own gift (our service and our lives) so we may please Him and be entrusted with even more grace.

Grace is precious stuff and God does not waste any and we must use it to God’s purposes so He will trust us with progressively more. There is suffrage of some kind always associated with grace. Mary is not called the “Queen of Sorrows” and “Queen of Martyrs” for nothing since she was pierced by 7 swords of sorrows for her privilege of being most favored as “full of grace”.

James