Why do the Saints Suffer so much?

[CLearthinking04]

I am trying to learn or find a theological explanation as to why the saints typically suffer so much. We all suffer decline at some point but great people of faith more often than not seem to suffer great hardships and are more prone to horrible deaths, not something one would expect for the end of a successful christian life.

To name a few;

John the Baptist- beheaded
St. Paul - stayed in prison for years before being beheaded
St. Peter - crucified upside down
James - The Jewish historian Josephus reported that he was stoned and then clubbed to death.
Thomas - They claim that he died there when pierced through with the spears of four soldiers.
Andrew - Crucified
Joan of Arc was captured, raped and executed
Thomas of Aquinas - mental decline/nervous breakdown

It is hard to grasp that each of the people above who had faith to move mountains but their lives ended alone and in most cases in the hands of their enemies. Is there a theological explanation here?

CT

 

[ryanoneil]

Jesus said pick up your cross and come follow me. If we run from the cross we run from salvation. When we embrace the cross we cooperate with Jesus in redeaming the world.

catholic.com/thisrock/2003/0305fr.asp

 

[Teflon93]

I am trying to learn or find a theological explanation as to why the saints typically suffer so much. We all suffer decline at some point but great people of faith more often than not seem to suffer great hardships and are more prone to horrible deaths, not something one would expect for the end of a successful christian life.

To name a few;

John the Baptist- beheaded
St. Paul - stayed in prison for years before being beheaded
St. Peter - crucified upside down
James - The Jewish historian Josephus reported that he was stoned and then clubbed to death.
Thomas - They claim that he died there when pierced through with the spears of four soldiers.
Andrew - Crucified
Joan of Arc was captured, raped and executed
Thomas of Aquinas - mental decline/nervous breakdown

It is hard to grasp that each of the people above who had faith to move mountains but their lives ended alone and in most cases in the hands of their enemies. Is there a theological explanation here?

CT

1. Saints are excellent Christians.
2. Christians are those who do as Christ did.
3. Christ suffered immensely.
4. Therefore, saints suffer immensely too.

 

[rwoehmke]

God Allows The Heaviest Of Crosses To Those Who

Love Him Enough To Bear Them. We All Get Crosses,

Some Small Some Larger. The Secret Is That They

Become Bearable When We Accept Them. The Heaviest

Of Crosses , The Burden, Becomes Light Just As Jesus

Promised. Not Accepting Them Is Futile Because They

Will Not Go Away. Crosses Are Part Of The Human

Condition.

 

[Charlie_Zeaiter]

John 15:18 - [Jesus said] “If the world hates you, just remember that it has hated me first.”

I guess it is Satan’s attempt to stop us from being a witness to Jesus. :twocents:

 

[Didi]

Jesus willingly took on suffering for us because of His great love for us and desire for us to spend eternity with Him.

We can offer our own sufferings for the salvation of souls,as Paul says in Col. 1:24: “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete was is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is the church.”

Jesus is the Head of the Church. He has completed His perfect sacrifice. What is lacking is our participation in it, as the Body of the Church.

In learning to offer our sufferings for others, we begin to understand sacrificial love. We begin to understand better the great Love of God for all of us.

 

[Joe_Kelley]

** 2 Corinthians 1:5 **

For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.

** Colossians 1:24 **

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church,

** 1 Peter 4:13 **

But rejoice in so far as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.