Offer it Up!
One of the most foreign concepts of Catholicism for me has been Redemptive Suffering. My Catholic friends have tried to help me with this Teaching but it’s still hard to understand. I understand it logically, it makes reasonable sense, but I haven’t gotten it to my heart yet.
I hear tell that the longest 18-inch journey is from your head to your heart. I believe it.
My Catholic friends are so good at “offering it up!” Especially on little things, I’ve noticed. Hungry? “Offer it up!” Sick? “Offer it up!” Aches and pains, bruises and bumps? “Offer it up!” They offer up their sufferings to Christ, for the building up of the Body of Christ. For souls.
This is perfectly in line with Sacred Scripture. Paul says somewhere (you know how bad I am with chapter and verse in the Bible) that he offers up his sufferings, that were lacking in Christ's afflictions, I think, for the sake of the Body. That's what Catholics do when they "offer it up".
What I have come to realize is that when they learn to offer up the little things – little daily sufferings that we all are forced to contend with in this life – they’re actually preparing themselves to offer up The Biggies. Major sufferings, like watching a parent die, suffering through a serious illness or debilitating accident or injury. Exercising with the little things in life will help them one day when they face something that is catastrophic. They’re preparing in advance for The Biggies that we all will face, eventually.
I have often seen people faced with serious adversity – a sudden death or the lingering suffering of someone they love – and come close to losing their Faith. Why didn’t God save their loved one? Why did their family member or friend have to suffer so greatly? Why didn’t God answer prayer for relief or for healing?
These are Mysteries that we can’t comprehend or explain.
But it seems to me that my Catholic friends are better prepared for these catastrophic events. They’ve been “offering it up” for years. It doesn’t seem to be as big a stretch as for those who seem to have this idea that Christians won’t face trials and tribulations.
Suffering, after all, means love. God loved us so much that He sent His only Son to Redeem us. He “offered Him up”. And Christ, by picking up His Cross and offering up His suffering for us, opened up the Gates of Heaven to us and restored our relationship with God.
To follow Christ means to follow Him into suffering. His suffering gives our suffering value and meaning.
I think I’ve got it now -- in the head. If only I could live it -- in the heart.
I hear tell that the longest 18-inch journey is from your head to your heart. I believe it.
My Catholic friends are so good at “offering it up!” Especially on little things, I’ve noticed. Hungry? “Offer it up!” Sick? “Offer it up!” Aches and pains, bruises and bumps? “Offer it up!” They offer up their sufferings to Christ, for the building up of the Body of Christ. For souls.
This is perfectly in line with Sacred Scripture. Paul says somewhere (you know how bad I am with chapter and verse in the Bible) that he offers up his sufferings, that were lacking in Christ's afflictions, I think, for the sake of the Body. That's what Catholics do when they "offer it up".
What I have come to realize is that when they learn to offer up the little things – little daily sufferings that we all are forced to contend with in this life – they’re actually preparing themselves to offer up The Biggies. Major sufferings, like watching a parent die, suffering through a serious illness or debilitating accident or injury. Exercising with the little things in life will help them one day when they face something that is catastrophic. They’re preparing in advance for The Biggies that we all will face, eventually.
I have often seen people faced with serious adversity – a sudden death or the lingering suffering of someone they love – and come close to losing their Faith. Why didn’t God save their loved one? Why did their family member or friend have to suffer so greatly? Why didn’t God answer prayer for relief or for healing?
These are Mysteries that we can’t comprehend or explain.
But it seems to me that my Catholic friends are better prepared for these catastrophic events. They’ve been “offering it up” for years. It doesn’t seem to be as big a stretch as for those who seem to have this idea that Christians won’t face trials and tribulations.
Suffering, after all, means love. God loved us so much that He sent His only Son to Redeem us. He “offered Him up”. And Christ, by picking up His Cross and offering up His suffering for us, opened up the Gates of Heaven to us and restored our relationship with God.
To follow Christ means to follow Him into suffering. His suffering gives our suffering value and meaning.
I think I’ve got it now -- in the head. If only I could live it -- in the heart.
posted by Dixie @ 9:15 PM
1 Comments:
At 1:20 PM,
Dixie said…
We don't know what God does with it! But we can ask Him, as our Father, to use it to His Great Good. This is what Saint Paul did -- he suffered for the Body.
And we can, too!
As for how to do it? This is one of those things we've been gypped out of!
Post a Comment
<< Home