What does it mean to "offer it up"?

[Augustus24]

What does it mean to offer up our sufferings to God? How is our suffering redemptive?

 

[Trishie]

scborromeo.org/ccc/p2s2c2a5.htm

1499 "By the sacred anointing of the sick and the prayer of the priests the whole Church commends those who are ill to the suffering and glorified Lord, that he may raise them up and save them. And indeed she exhorts them to contribute to the good of the People of God by freely uniting themselves to the Passion and death of Christ."98

The sick person before God

1502 The man of the Old Testament lives his sickness in the presence of God. It is before God that he laments his illness, and it is of God, Master of life and death, that he implores healing.99 Illness becomes a way to conversion; God’s forgiveness initiates the healing.100 It is the experience of Israel that illness is mysteriously linked to sin and evil, and that faithfulness to God according to his law restores life: "For I am the Lord, your healer."101 The prophet intuits that suffering can also have a redemptive meaning for the sins of others.102 Finally Isaiah announces that God will usher in a time for Zion when he will pardon every offense and heal every illness.103

 

[bethanysamuel]

i think it means seeing suffering as valuable-we can kind of put our pain to good use by saying “God, i accept this pain as a cross to carry;and i offer up my pain to you on behalf of sinners who need mercy”. or you could offer it up for people with physical difficulties, spiritual or mental difficulties. Or you could quite simply offer it up to God for God himself, in thanks and praise. i dunno,thats my understanding of it.

 

[po18guy]

We offer our suffering to Jesus, just as we offer our sacrifice of bread and wine - indeed, even ourselves to Him at the Offertory Rite during mass. Jesus is our example of redemptive suffering and, for those who believe in the doctrine of purgatory, you can see that, properly used, suffering on this earth is redemptive via its purifying power. It can be considered a form of purgatory on earth, if you will. We ask our Lord to join it together with His Passion and Death for whatever good we seek. Bishop Fulton Sheen was quoted as saying that one of the greatest shames on earth was wasted suffering - suffering that had no purpose. Thus, we can give back to the Lord nothing greater than our in-solidarity-with-Him suffering to employ as He desires. Thus, we offer it up.

 

[beth40n2]

Our suffering can be redemptive in serveal ways.

1. We can offer up our suffering for the souls in purgetory to reliever their suffering and time of being purged of their venial sins. In return, we can ask the souls in purgetory to pray for us.
2. We can offer up our sufferings for others we know who are suffering from sickness or other problems to help them.
3. Since the trinity is outside of time, we can offer up our sufferings to Jesus to cooperate with him as he suffers for mankind.

Here is some more information on redemptive suffering. fisheaters.com/offeringitup.html

 

[Carlan]

We offer our suffering to Jesus, just as we offer our sacrifice of bread and wine - indeed, even ourselves to Him at the Offertory Rite during mass. Jesus is our example of redemptive suffering and, for those who believe in the doctrine of purgatory, you can see that, properly used, suffering on this earth is redemptive via its purifying power. It can be considered a form of purgatory on earth, if you will. We ask our Lord to join it together with His Passion and Death for whatever good we seek. Bishop Fulton Sheen was quoted as saying that one of the greatest shames on earth was wasted suffering - suffering that had no purpose. Thus, we can give back to the Lord nothing greater than our in-solidarity-with-Him suffering to employ as He desires. Thus, we offer it up.

Yes,Thank you Po Guy.
Peace, Carlan