Suffering and Joy

April 18, 2014

Suffering and Joy

How are suffering and joy connected? What is the purpose of suffering? How can God who is good allow us to suffer? How can we transcend suffering?

Our world view tends to dictate our response to suffering. No matter how we try to answer these questions one thing is for certain. We realize that suffering is a mystery. And this mystery has the power to transform us.

For persons of faith, we know that suffering can be turned into joy. Our greatest example is Jesus Christ who endured a horrific torture leading to death on a cross but was resurrected on the third day to bring salvation to the world. How can one not rejoice in that?

St. Francis of Assisi gave an example of perfect joy. Once he said to his companion: “I would not seem to myself to be a Friar Minor unless I were in the state I will describe to you.” And he said: “Suppose I, being a prelate among the brothers, should go to the chapter and preach and admonish the brothers, and at the end of this should be said against me: ‘An unlettered and contemptible person is not suitable for us; therefore we do not want you to rule over us, because you have no eloquence, you are simple and unlettered’ At length I am thrown out with reproaches and despised by all. I say to you, unless I listen to these words with the same face, with the same joy, with the same purpose of sanctity, I am in no way a Friar Minor.” And he added: “In an office is found an occasion for a fall; in praise, an occasion for complete destruction; in the humility of being a subject, an occasion for profit for the soul. Why then do we pay more attention to the dangers than to the profit, when we have time to gain profit?” (1)

St. Francis to Friar Leo: “And now, Friar Leo, hear the conclusion. Above and beyond all the graces and gifts of the Holy Spirit that Christ gives to His beloved, is the gift of overcoming self and of bearing willingly for the love of Christ, insults, revilings, and discomfort; for in all the other gifts of God we may not glory, seeing that they are not ours, but of God; therefore the Apostle saith: ‘What hast thou that is not of God and if thou hast received it of Him, wherefore dost thou glory as if thou hadst if of thyself?’ But in the cross of tribulation and affliction we may glory for this is ours, and therefore the Apostle saith: ‘I will not glory save in the Cross of Christ.’ To whom be ever honour and glory, world without end. Amen.” (2)

So one can say that the purpose of suffering is to bring us joy. One can also gain understanding, knowledge, wisdom, and hope through suffering. Suffering can increase virtues such as fortitude, humility, faith, hope, trust, etc. that would not be as easily attainable when one is not under a challenge and is in a state of complacency. In a perfect world there would be no need for suffering but since we don’t live in a perfect world, we enter into suffering to exit in a more perfect state.

St. Peter invites us to rejoice because our suffering will increase our faith. “In this you rejoice, although now for a little while you may have to suffer through various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that is perishable even though tested by fire, may prove to be for praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (1Pt 1:6-7 NAB)

Some ways to transcend suffering include “desert time” such as during the season of Lent. Depriving oneself of worldly pleasures, sacrificing and being of service to others, journeying with others in their sufferings, etc. — all of these help bring us to spiritual maturity and are of great benefit. Joining our sufferings to those of Christ on the Cross help us to see those sufferings in a new light with a renewed sense of purpose and hope.

St. Paul reflects on suffering and its purpose as follows: “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church, of which I am a minister in accordance with God’s stewardship given to me to bring to completion for you the word of God, the mystery hidden from ages and from generations past. But now it has been manifested to his holy ones, to whom God chose to make known the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; it is Christ in you, the hope for glory.” (Col 1:24-27 NAB)

So even though suffering is a mystery, we know that there is much to be gained through it. So rejoice and be glad for your sufferings.

I pray that your Lenten desert time has brought you to a new level of understanding, knowledge, wisdom, hope, and joy!

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1. St. Francis of Assisi by Thomas of Celano, Franciscan Herald Press, Chicago 9, Illinois, 1963, p. 254.

2. The Little Flowers of St Francis, The “Fioretti”, edited by the Franciscan Father Zeffirino Lazzeri, Giulio Giannini & Son, Publishers, Florence, Italy, pp 44, 46.

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Seven Reasons to Give Thanks

November 27, 2013

Thanksgiving Blessings

 

Thanksgiving Day is a day of rest and time to reflect on our many blessings. I offer some food for thought on seven reasons to give thanks. May your day be full of joy as you contemplate the many reasons for an attitude of gratitude in your life!

The seven reasons (health, home, family, friendships, work, worship, and country), and these are not in any particular order of importance, are listed below with some reasons why they should be worthy of your gratitude.

Health – I always say “Your health is your wealth” when I try to explain to someone why they may need to consider a certain regimen in their health care. It is a much better quality of life when you can maintain health rather than work at trying to regain it! When you are sick, you may not feel well, lack energy and focus, feel anxious or depressed, have pain or limited mobility, and much more. When you recover, it is easy to feel a sense of gratitude for the renewed energy, etc. It is more difficult to remember to be thankful when you are feeling well but cultivating an attitude of gratitude is one way to help you stay healthy. Being grateful and giving thanks actually help boost your immune system and give you a sense of well-being, happiness, and joy. Your life is fuller! So give thanks for your good health! (And if your health is not so good give thanks anyway that you recognize this fact and then do all that is in your power to improve it.)

Home – Home is where the heart is! Your home is your haven. It is where you can rest, relax, enjoy family and friends, and so much more. Your home is your compass. It is the center of your existence. Without a home, you have no focal point from which to proceed. Your home environment helps to shape who you are. If you feel safe at home, you can proceed into the world with confidence. If your home provides shelter and a warm and loving atmosphere, you can thrive in whatever you do. I hope you can feel gratitude for your home and all that it provides for you.

Family – Your family provides the relationships that you need for your existence. No man is an island! Those relationships nurture you through love, affirmation, nurturing, mentoring, and other facets of relationship that are the glue of your being. These core aspects of relationship form who you are and prepare you for life outside of the home, in the work place and in society in general. May you find love, peace, and joy in your home and in your family and may you recognize them through gratitude in the way that you respond in your family relationships.

Friendships – Your friendships are the “icing on the cake” of interacting in the world. They are an added bond that brings you to a fuller realization of your worth. Positive interactions in these relationships help to propel you to generosity of heart that is so needed in the world. May your friendships bring you to the awareness of gratitude for those relationships in your life.

Work – While work can be hard, and at times can be a source of stress, work is actually a good thing. It provides for financial security. Work also brings structure to your life and satisfaction in a job well done and adds dignity and a sense of self worth. Just ask anyone who has lost their job and they will talk about depression, anxiety, and loss of self esteem. Through your work you not only help yourself and your dependents, you also provide goods and services that are needed in your community. Your work benefits others and this also brings wholeness to your life. So why wouldn’t you be grateful for employment?

Worship – We live in a country where we have freedom of religion! That is our sacred right! We were created with the instinct and attraction to the Divine so we can offer gratitude that we recognize this innate need and that we have the freedom to express that part of our being. Thank You, Lord God Almighty!

Country – We live in the greatest country in the world. We have freedom, security, wealth, and justice. While our county is not perfect, it was founded on sound principles and we are blessed to have a Constitution that affirms that we are endowed with inalienable rights. Gratitude is in order here!

May God bless you and may God bless America!

Feel free to post your reasons below for gratitude this Thanksgiving Day!

 

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Forgiveness – A Stumbling Block Or An Anchor?

September 30, 2013

Stumbling Block or Anchor?

Stumbling Block or Anchor?

 

Is the ability to forgive a stumbling block or an anchor – a curse or a blessing? How you view and understand forgiveness will form your answer to this question.

First, let’s answer the question of what it means to forgive. According paragraph 1933 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church the Christian response of forgiveness is:

“This same duty extends to those who think or act differently from us. The teaching of Christ goes so far as to require the forgiveness of offenses. He extends the commandment of love, which is that of the New Law, to all enemies. Liberation in the spirit of the Gospel is incompatible with hatred of one’s enemy as a person, but not with hatred of the evil that he does as an enemy.”

The secular response of forgiveness according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary is:

1 a. to give up resentment of or claim to requital for <forgive an insult>
b. to grant relief from payment of <forgive a debt>
2.    to cease to feel resentment against (an offender) <forgive one’s enemies>

Is forgiveness an anchor and a blessing? The Christian model states that it is a requirement. Some reasons that forgiveness is necessary are as follows:

  • Forgiveness brings healing to the relationship.
  • Forgiveness brings healing the one offering forgiveness.
  • Forgiveness brings healing to the offender.
  • Forgiveness brings peace of mind.
  • Forgiveness brings one into closer union with God because the heart is open to receiving God’s love and offering it to another, especially to the offender.

Is the ability to forgive a stumbling block and a curse? Why is forgiveness so difficult to do? Why is it a stumbling block? Why can’t I get past the hurt and the pain? If you suffer from un-forgiveness, you might want to examines some possible reasons.

  • Misconceptions about what it means to forgive. Forgiveness does not mean that the right to restitution and justice are revoked in the act of forgiveness.
  • Fear that the offender will repeat the offense if not punished in some way.
  • Damaged relationship prior to the offense.
  • Lack of unconditional love.
  • Poor self-esteem. Not worthy of being loved or giving love.
  • Loss of dignity of self. The offender commonly elicits this response in the offended.
  • Lack of faith in God to bring mercy, love, justice, and healing to the situation.
  • Anger at God.

Certainly some offenses are beyond our human ability to forgive. That is when the Christian response of praying for one’s enemy is of great value. We are only human. To forgive is truly a divine response, rooted in our relationship of love with God. Only God can help us to forgive. Sometimes this takes a long time. Forgiveness is not always an immediate response and this is okay! Trust in the Divine to get you through the offense and your response to it. Get help from family, friends, pastor, counselor, coach, or an impartial person – whoever you feel that you have a trusting and loving relationship to open up and explore the pain. Putting a cap on it and trying to forget it will not bring the healing that only forgiveness can bring.

I hope this has helped you to find forgiveness to be an anchor and blessing in your relationship with God and others!

With much love and peace!

Feel free to share your comments on forgiveness below.

 

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