Pray for healing; welcome suffering.
When we do this, we follow Jesus in the Agony in the Garden, when he said, "if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet, not as I will, but as you will." (healing/willingness/obedience.)
When we receive the Eucharist at Mass (the body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus), we consume--we take in--Jesus himself. Naturally, we do not become little gods, but uniquely, our humanity is transformed by his divinity within.
The Eucharist gives us the strength to join Jesus in the Garden, on the road of his Passion, and to his death on the cross, knowing as we do now, the resurrection that follows.
As followers of Jesus, suffering is part of our experience, and we must share in that as well, and likewise, our own suffering can be offered for others.
While we do not bring salvation through our suffering like he did, it doesn't mean our suffering isn't redemptive. The suffering of Jesus saved us; we offer our suffering to God to use however it can best serve others.
Ultimately, it speaks of our trust in God that our suffering can be meaningful. He didn't cause it, and we don't necessarily like it, but because we recognize his presence in every aspect of our life, there is value in offering our suffering in service to others, because that's what he did.
In our humanity, we may not be able to sort out this equation and fully understand how it works, but we do know that we love God and try to find delight in taking up our cross with his, which ultimately draws us closer to him.
Have a blessed Sunday.
Janet Cassidy
Email me at: jmctm2@gmail.com
janetcassidy.com
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