The Proper way to Offer-up Suffering?

[system]

I am a reletively new Catholic. While I have consumed more than 100 books since my confirmation in 2005, I find that I have missed many things along the way.

One of these is the act of “offering it up”. That is offering our sufferings to the Lord.

How do we do this? What is it that we are to keep in mind. How does this affect our prayer life? What are we to think of and meditate on as we do this.

This is of particular interest to me as I have injured my knee and will be having surgery in a couple of weeks.

I presume we can “offer-up” anything to the Lord, not just our suffering.

 

[LilyM]

Well there are as many different ways to offer suffering as there are people who suffer really.

At one end of the spectrum would be a simple mental prayer when you encounter suffering, saying ‘I offer this in union with Christ’s sufferings on the Cross for x intention’.

At the other would be a conscious plan prior to surgery or hospital visit to use as little pain medication as possible (assuming you have the option) with a particular intention in mind. I have heard of women doing this during childbirth and offering their suffering for the cause of ending abortion or some other intention.

You can meditate on Christ’s own sufferings (watch the Passion of the Christ if you like, to give vivid images you can draw on), particularly on his own loving, compassionate and stoical attitude while suffering. Or on whatever intention you have in mind.

 

[Al_Masetti]

There are a number of ways of “offering it up”.

One way is at Mass, to visualize your bundle of cares and woes, and then to visualize placing them on the altar just prior to the offertory so the priest can offer them up to God, along with the bread and wine.

Another way is to ask God to “make me the way You want me to be.” For example, your leg surgery may be a way of … I don’t know … perhaps … maybe meeting someone and having a beneficial influence on that person. Or maybe meeting someone who will have a beneficial influence on you.

This may sound a “little” extreme, but on one or two occasions, I have had to suffer and then after a year of driving everyone around me bananas, suddenly I realized that in one of my non-complaining moments I was actually setting an example for someone else who was in worse shape than me. Someone actually told me once that I complain less than any person they know. Hard to believe, I know. I was shocked … shocked by what they said. All I could say was “Thank you” and then when I was alone kind of think, “Wow, if they only really knew me!!”]

Develop a really “personal” prayer life with God. Visualize Jesus walking (or hobbling along) with you. Chat Him up and ask Him what He wants for you to do. Jesus is God, the Infinite and the Judge, but for a while He worked as a carpenter. So just ask Him to put on His “carpenter hat” and spend some time with you … that you would like for Him to 'splain some stuff.

Some of the saints suffered terribly, but cheerfully. St. Therese of Lsieux comes to mind. (Hopefully I spelled that right.) (My book of saints is and has been under a paint/plaster drop cloth for several months. [more suffering ;^) ])

 

[Joysong]

Lily:

At the other would be a conscious plan prior to surgery or hospital visit to use as little pain medication as possible (assuming you have the option) with a particular intention in mind.

This is not medically wise in some instances, as I just recently learned. Very surprising! A close family member had heart surgery (5 bypasses) and decided to avoid pain medication if at all possible. The doctor told him not to do this because in order for the body to fight the pain, the heart has to work much harder and it would delay its healing … much more than if it was at rest due to the lack of pain.

I like the simplicity in choices that St. Therese “offered up” because nobody was the wiser, and they mortified her self will. For instance, she always ate whatever food was set before her and never commented, so that nobody was able to discover which foods were her favorites, nor those she disliked. She also sat with her back away from the chair. Very admirable, too, was her practice of obeying the bell as soon as it rang, even if she had not finished reading a letter from someone whom she was glad to hear from. Simple things from her “little way” that all of us can practice without heroism of enduring pain beyond our strength.

Just accepting joyfully the everyday annoyances and sufferings in a spirit of “Thy Will be done” will bring us to perfection quickly. I had an occasion to lay a troublesome situation before the Lord last evening, and I prayed very hard that He would direct its course as He knew would be good for me spiritually. Either way, if it turned out to be A or B, its opposite, I would be pleased with His answer. As it turned out, B was the way He decided, and to my surprise, it was for me a joyful acceptance, because it came from His providence.

 

[Al_Masetti]

One of my priest friends was “confronted” by someone who wanted to do something “BIG” and flashy in terms of mortification. What his advice was (and he is a spiritual director) “eat your vegetables”. In other words, do the Theresan little things and avoid the life-threatening theatrical drama.

No drama.

Brussels Sprouts.

 

[SORROWS]

I learned about offering up my sufferings and discomforts as a teenager reading about the lives of the Saints.

The Saints used every opportunity possible to make their sufferings more meaningful to others and to the Catholic Church.

Offering up our suffering is accepting our discomforts and sorrows in peace and asking God to use them for the good of the Holy Catholic Church and for our own intentions.

Our sufferings benefit whatever intention we wish…Souls in Purgatory, reparation to Our Blessed Mothers Immaculate Heart, Our Lord Jesus’ Sacred Heart from all the blasphamies, indifferences all we sinners commit, end to abortion…

I use a prayer like this:

Eternal Father, in the name of Your Beloved Son Jesus and His Holy Face, Sacred Wounds, Sorrowful Passion and Precious Blood, I offer up the Sacrifice of _______________ for the intentions of _______________. I accept this suffering in Your Name Sweet Jesus. Amen