Were the suffering of Christ lacking? (quote from St. Paul)

[BarbaraTherese]

Colossians 1

24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up those things that are wanting of the sufferings of Christ, in my flesh, for his body, which is the church

Re the above quotation, were the sufferings of Christ in any way lacking? St. Paul seems to state that they were. Were the sufferings of every baptized person in the state of Grace offered by Christ united with His own sufferings on the cross, thus completing His Passion and our redemption…hence suffering is redemptive?

Thank you…Barb

 

[LMP]

Here is something that was posted her awhile ago.

Nov 6, '06, 8:37 am
cheese_sdc cheese_sdc is offline
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Join Date: April 27, 2005
Location: Louisiana
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Default 1 Col 1:24
Hello,

Can anyone point me to a catholic commentary on this verse:
Quote:
Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church.
I am giving a presentation to the parish’s RCIA candidates and I’d like to touch on this verse. However, I don’t have a great understanding of Paul’s thinking here, and I’d like to do some research.

Thanks!
cheese_sdc

Old Nov 6, '06, 11:08 am
JeanneH JeanneH is offline
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Default Re: 1 Col 1:24
Hi I hope this helps you. It is from The Douay-Rheims NT Catholic Commentary by Rev. Geo. Haydock.

Ver. 24. And fill up those things…in my flesh for his body, which is the church.[5] Nothing was wanting in the sufferings or merits of Christ, for a sufficient and superabundant redemption of mankind, and therefore he adds, for his body, which is the church, that his sufferings were wanting, and are to be endured by the example of Christ by the faithful, who are members of a crucified head. See St. Chrysostom and St. Augustine. (Witham) — Wanting. There is no want in the sufferings of Christ himself as head; but many sufferings are still wanting, or are still to come in his body, the Church, and his members, the faithful. (Challoner) — St. Chrysostom here observes that Jesus Christ loves us so much, that he is not content merely to suffer in his own person, but he wishes also to suffer in his members; and thus we fill up what is wanting of the sufferings of Christ. (St. Chrysostom) — The wisdom, the will, the justice of Jesus Christ, requireth and ordaineth that his body and members should be companions of his sufferings, as they expect to be companions of his glory; that so suffering with him, and after his example, they may apply to their own wants and to the necessities of others the merits and satisfaction of Jesus Christ, which application is what is wanting, and what we are permitted to supply by the sacraments and sacrifice of the new law.
Ver
JeanneH

Old Nov 6, '06, 11:41 am
Della Della is offline
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Join Date: May 18, 2004
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Default Re: 1 Col 1:24
As with all biblical citations, this verse should be read within the context of the Church’s teaching. And, the best is John Paul II’sSALVIFICI DOLORIS:ON THE CHRISTIAN MEANING
OF HUMAN SUFFERING.

 

[BarbaraTherese]

Thank you…I think that helps!..sometimes the quite obivous can evade me and for quite some time - so much so that when the ‘penny finally does drop’, I cannot understand why I could never see it in the first place…Blessings and regards…Barb
Edit: The ‘penny has dropped’ - sooner than I thought it might! I can insight the meaning now.

 

[JimG]

The only thing ‘lacking’ in the sufferings of Christ are the sufferings of each individual Christian; but these can be offered in unity with His. Our sufferings become meaningful by being united to the Cross. Paul’s comment here is quite profound.

And since the Eucharist is one and the same sacrifice as the sacrifice of the Cross, we have the opportunity every week, or every day, to lay our own sufferings on the altar in union with His, thereby giving them value. So I would say that yes, the sufferings of every baptized person (therefore incorporated into the body of Christ) are united with Christ’s own sufferings and offered to the Father as one redemptive sacrifice.

 

[BarbaraTherese]

Quoting JimG:

The only thing ‘lacking’ in the sufferings of Christ are the sufferings of each individual Christian; but these can be offered in unity with His. Our sufferings become meaningful by being united to the Cross. Paul’s comment here is quite profound.

http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/apologetics/ap0101.html
*…Quote: …"That’s why Paul talks (in that same letter to the Colossians) about “filling up in his flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s sufferings for the sake of his body, which is the Church” (Col 1:24). Does Paul mean that Jesus’ cross is insufficient to save us? Nope. He means that his sufferings are to be joined Christ’s and offered for the sake of his Body. In short, he is talking about being crucified with Christ and (like Christ) for the love of his people. *

•      For Catholics see suffering, not as something we do to be "good enough for God," but rather as God's strangest gift to us. And we do so because, like the Apostles who counted themselves fortunate to be worthy of suffering for the Name (Acts 5:41), we agree with Scripture that it is an undeserved honor (and one we could never earn) to "be found worthy of suffering for the Name" (if our little acts of charity and abstinence can even be compared with his complete act of self-denial which made us "good enough" for God 2,000 years ago).........".............*

And since the Eucharist is one and the same sacrifice as the sacrifice of the Cross, we have the opportunity every week, or every day, to lay our own sufferings on the altar in union with His, thereby giving them value. So I would say that yes, the sufferings of every baptized person (therefore incorporated into the body of Christ) are united with Christ’s own sufferings and offered to the Father as one redemptive sacrifice.

… …

 

[Crumpy]

Yes, there are some good explanations in the preceding posts.

It also needs to be said that we enter into Christ’s sufferings at Baptism – that we are united with Him in His death.

Our sufferings are ESSENTIAL because we need to separate ourselves from the world and its passions – in other words, to suffer – as a requisite of uniting ourselves to Jesus. In Jesus’ words, we need to **take up our cross every day **in order to remain with Him and in Him.

Jesus said that he who does NOT take up his cross to follow Him is not worthy of Him.

Jesus said it another way. He said that we must love the LORD our God with our whole heart, soul, strength and mind. The ‘soul’ part means that we are willing to sacrifice even our life, for Christ.

First, we must sacrifice our pride, in admitting to ourselves that we are willing to suffer. That is one of the first steps in suffering.