This may be a silly question---

[oneofmany]

I know we can offer up our sufferings we are going through right now for the poor souls in purgatory but can I ask God to use my sufferings in the past as well? LIke if I went through a bad patch ten years ago, can I ask God to go back to that time and use that suffering now?

I didn’t think about it ten years ago or at other times. And some people only learn about offering up later in life. Thanks.

 

[Lady_Love]

You can ask God anything you like. God is ALL POWERFUL. He says, “Ask from me anything. If you believe, it will be done.” (paraphrased) I have asked Him to take everything from my life as an offering, even if I forget to offer it up.

I love that you don’t put limits on God! Keep up the faith!

:egyptian::whackadoo::extrahappy:

 

[ricks1948]

I know we can offer up our sufferings we are going through right now for the poor souls in purgatory but can I ask God to use my sufferings in the past as well? LIke if I went through a bad patch ten years ago, can I ask God to go back to that time and use that suffering now?

I didn’t think about it ten years ago or at other times. And some people only learn about offering up later in life. Thanks.

Not a silly question, I would say yes because God is outside of “time” He can do any loving thing (or anything), and this sounds like something you want to do out of love.

 

[Amiciel]

I know we can offer up our sufferings we are going through right now for the poor souls in purgatory but can I ask God to use my sufferings in the past as well? LIke if I went through a bad patch ten years ago, can I ask God to go back to that time and use that suffering now?

I didn’t think about it ten years ago or at other times. And some people only learn about offering up later in life. Thanks.

Yes, we can. Who we are today is the result of our past experiences, Our past, pleasant and unpleasant, is always part of us. We go through life owning not only our present but also our past.

So, when we offer ourselves to God, we are seen by Him in our totality; and our past and our present is always 'now’ for Him, who is beyond time and space anyway.

There is a short form of the Montfort Consecration to Jesus that goes like this:

“I am all yours, and all that I have I offer to you, O most loving Jesus, through Mary your Holy Mother” (Montfortian Prayer Book, p. 41).

Notice that the prayer offers up to the Lord "all that I have’. This means that our past as well as our present (which make up who we are today) can be offered to God.

 

[Deo_Gratias42]

According to my confessor, no we can’t, which is why it’s important to start every morning with our daily offering, in case we forget throughout the day.

 

[ubcgirl]

This is interesting. I too have had a rough patch a few times in my life, and never knew about offering up our suffering until recently. Though the last poster said no, I may as well try - God can decide what He wants to do with it.