Carrying Our Crosses: The Christian Meaning of Suffering [X1]
- theologysg
- 23 hours ago
- 25 min read
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The Psalmist laments in Psalm 13, “How long, O Lord? Will you forget me for ever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I bear pain in my soul, and have sorrow in my heart all the day?”
In our present times and in our personal situations, there are manifold examples of suffering, both physical and moral.
Let us ponder what the Bible, the Church and the Saints teach us about this crucial topic [1].
May our reflection on this topic allow God to comfort us, and to strengthen and confirm our hearts to follow Jesus Christ, who has Himself suffered for us and the world.
Opening Prayer – Psalm 13
How long, O Lord? Will you forget me for ever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I bear pain in my soul,
and have sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?
Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;
lighten my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;
lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him”;
lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.
But I have trusted in your merciful love;
my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
I will sing to the Lord;
because he has dealt bountifully with me.
In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
Recommended Opening Songs
Part 1: The Search for Meaning in the World of Human Suffering
Part 1.1 Human Suffering and The Question of Why
There is physical suffering (when “the body is hurting” in some way) and moral suffering (“pain of the soul”) (Salvifici Doloris, 5).
Sacred Scriptures sets out an “extensive list of variously painful situations for man” (Salvifici Doloris, 6-7).
In our present times and in our personal situations, there are manifold examples of suffering, both physical and moral.
Let us pause here for a while and reflect: what is your suffering?
“Within each form of suffering endured by man, and at the same time at the basis of the whole world of suffering, there inevitably arises the question: why?” (Salvifici Doloris, 9).
Indeed, this is a question about:
“… the cause, the reason, and equally, about the purpose of suffering, and, in brief, a question about its meaning [2].”
Pope St. John Paul II, in his apostolic letter Salvifici Doloris (On the Christian Meaning of Human Suffering), which is a must-read masterpiece on this difficult topic, assures us that:
“Man can put this question [i.e. the why of suffering] to God with all the emotion of his heart and with his mind full of dismay and anxiety; and God expects the question and listens to it…” (Salvifici Doloris, 10).
We see this all over Scripture, including in the Psalms (e.g. Psalms 13, 22, 43, 73, etc) and the Book of Job.
So, it is okay (and even Biblical) to ask God “why”.
A wise man once told me something to this effect, “it’s okay to feel angry with God – but don’t run away from Him. Instead, wrestle with Him in the adoration room.”
Always a Mystery
This does not mean that all suffering can be explained completely.
Salvifici Doloris at 13 states that suffering:
“… always remains a mystery: we are conscious of the insufficiency and inadequacy of our explanations. Christ causes us to enter into the mystery and to discover the ‘why’ of suffering, as far as we are capable of grasping the sublimity of divine love.”
The world that allows for freedom and love to appear, for example, could only happen when the opposite of this is also possible: misuse of freedom and selfishness, and the attendant implication: suffering. An “imperfect” world with the possibility of suffering provides occasions for solidarity, deeper love, and growth [3].
However, there is a limit to reason in penetrating the meaning of suffering. This is especially true for the innocent victims who are not able to have any good drawn upon them, those who cannot even cognitively process their own suffering, such as a child dying from leukemia. Before all these, we are facing the impenetrable mystery of suffering that can only be revealed in the eschaton [4].
Nevertheless, we must try to grapple with the meaning of suffering, as much as grace and faith allows.
Part 1.2 The First Source of Comfort
As a crucial starting point, God Himself wishes to comfort us in our affliction:
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.” (2 Cor 1:3-4)
St. Thomas More reminds us that the first source of comfort in tribulation is the desire and longing to be comforted by God, since all our principal comfort must come from God [5].
Paul J. Kim, a renowned Catholic youth and young adult speaker from America, recently lost his 5-year old son Micah Kim on 31 December 2025, following an 11-day hospitalization after he contracted a severe case of the flu, which triggered sepsis and seizures.
Despite the “ocean of grief” that he and his wife were going through, Paul posted this video message of faith, where amongst other things he shared that he believed that his son was with the Lord, and that his son stands ready to bring Paul’s prayer requests to God’s throne, joining Paul in prayer:
“I said, ‘Micah, it would be really encouraging to daddy and to mummy, if we could talk to St. Carlo’s mother [Antonia] [6]…
And guess who called and left a voice message on my phone?
Antonia Acutis. The mother of St. Carlo Acutis.
She left a beautiful 5-minute message encouraging us, giving us eternal perspective on what is happening in the middle of our grief – there is cause for great joy.
… Brothers and sisters. The communion of saints is real. We are one family in God. Listen, heaven is for real. Jesus is for real. Jesus is king. Jesus is Lord and Saviour guys.
In the midst of my sorrow and grief, I am experiencing something so profound I can’t even begin to explain it to you.”
In our suffering, when we seek comfort from the Lord, we gain eternal perspective – which in turn helps us to grasp the Christian meaning of our suffering.
Part 1.3 Jesus Christ – Suffering Conquered by Love
Love is the “fullest source of the answer to the question of the meaning of suffering. This answer has been given by God to man in the Cross of Jesus Christ.” (Salvifici Doloris at 13).
In Salvifici Doloris at 14-18, Pope St. John Paul II beautifully reflects upon how in Jesus Christ, and by His suffering, Passion, death and Resurrection, suffering has been conquered by love – the love of the Father and the Son.
This is “salvific love”.
In particular, this “salvific love” conquers evil, and definitive, eschatological suffering, i.e. the loss of eternal life (which is in turn grounded in sin and death).
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
By His salvific work, Jesus liberates man from the dominions of sin and death, respectively, by giving us sanctifying grace through baptism, and by the promise of eternal life and the future resurrection of the body [7].
As a result, this also throws a new light upon temporal suffering (which is not abolished until the Final Judgment):
“As a result of Christ's salvific work, man exists on earth with the hope of eternal life and holiness. And even though the victory over sin and death achieved by Christ in his Cross and Resurrection does not abolish temporal suffering from human life, nor free from suffering the whole historical dimension of human existence, it nevertheless throws a new light upon this dimension and upon every suffering: the light of salvation. This is the light of the Gospel, that is, of the Good News.” (Salvifici Doloris at 15).
Christ’s victory on the Cross over sin and death, has totally blotted out the definitive suffering of being eternally separated from God, and it has also cast a new light (the light of salvation and of the Gospel) on temporal suffering.
In respect of temporal suffering, Christ specifically promised that those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake shall have the kingdom of heaven, and that those who suffer for Christ would have great reward in heaven (Matt 5:10-12).
The Epistle of James reiterates this:
“Blessed is the man who endures trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life which God has promised to those who love him” (James 1:12).
St. Paul echoes this same concept:
“For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, because we look not to the things that are seen but to things that are unseen” (2 Cor 4:17-18).
Therefore in Christ, “human suffering itself has been redeemed”, since the Redemption of Man was achieved precisely through the suffering of Christ:
“One can say that with the Passion of Christ all human suffering has found itself in a new situation…
… In the Cross of Christ not only is the Redemption accomplished through suffering, but also human suffering itself has been redeemed. Christ, - without any fault of his own - took on himself ‘the total evil of sin’.” (Salvifici Doloris at 19).
Faith also tells us that at the Last Judgment, justice will be done [8].
This particular passage of the CCC 1040 is extremely comforting, for we will finally know how all things worked for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose:
“The Last Judgment will come when Christ returns in glory... Then through his Son Jesus Christ he will pronounce the final word on all history. We shall know the ultimate meaning of the whole work of creation and of the entire economy of salvation and understand the marvelous ways by which his Providence led everything towards its final end. The Last Judgment will reveal that God's justice triumphs over all the injustices committed by his creatures and that God's love is stronger than death.”
All things will be renewed [9].
And God Himself will comfort those who have suffered [10].
With the above faith and eternal perspective in mind, let us consider suffering that is refining, and then suffering that may be redemptive.
Part 2: Suffering that is Refining
Part 2.1 Conversion and Rebuilding of Goodness
From Scripture, we see that the meaning and purpose of suffering includes refining us – both when we are at fault (Part 2.1 below), and also when we are not at fault (Part 2.2 below).
“God is a just judge, who rewards good and punishes evil” (Salvifici Doloris at 10) [11].
It is important for us to prayerfully reflect, when faced with suffering, whether it is connected with a fault, shortcoming or sin on our own part.
And to take steps to amend them, relying on the grace of God.
Pope St. John Paul emphasizes this:
“Suffering must serve for conversion, that is, for the rebuilding of goodness in the subject, who can recognize the divine mercy in this call to repentance. The purpose of penance is to overcome evil, which under different forms lies dormant in man. Its purpose is also to strengthen goodness both in man himself and in his relationships with others and especially with God.” (Salvifici Doloris at 12).
However, “[w]hile it is true that suffering has a meaning as punishment, when it is connected with a fault, it is not true that all suffering is a consequence of a fault and has the nature of a punishment.” (Salvifici Doloris at 11).
The Book of Job shows that the principle that identifies suffering with punishment for sin “cannot be applied in an exclusive and superficial way” (Salvifici Doloris at 11).
Much of the Book of Job revolves around alternating speeches (or arguments) between Job and his three friends. Job did not sin and protests his innocence throughout, while his three friends tripled down that Job must have sinned terribly [12].
So why was this just man Job, who without any fault of his own, was tried by innumerable sufferings [13]?
Part 2.2 Reveals and Refines our Character
As the Book of Job tells us, Satan was allowed by God to tempt Job because Satan postulated that Job feared God and turned away from evil only because of the abundant blessings he has received from God (Job 1:6-12) and for his health (Job 2:1-6), and that once these blessings are taken away, Job will “curse [God] to [His] face” (Job 1:11; 2:5).
This brings us to the next meaning or purpose of suffering: it reveals and refines our character as sons and daughters of God.
Very often, we pray prayers like these with sincerity and devotion:
“Lord, help me to love You more, and to love like You.”
“Jesus, please make me more like You.”
“Increase in me O Lord, as I decrease in You.”
My dear brother or sister in Christ, if you have ever prayed such a prayer, or something similar, the Lord loves you deeply, and He will answer it.
How?
By calling you to pick up your cross and imitate Him, in suffering:
“For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps” (1 Pet 2:21).
In the Gospel of Matthew, after Jesus foretells His Passion, death and resurrection, He plainly challenges His disciples, “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Matt 16:21, 24).
By this, Jesus “indicates that suffering and self-denial are central to the Christian life” [14].
Pope St. John Paul II at Salvifici Doloris at 26 unfolds the special grace concealed in suffering:
“Down through the centuries and generations it has been seen that in suffering there is concealed a particular power that draws a person interiorly close to Christ, a special grace. To this grace many saints, such as Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Ignatius of Loyola and others, owe their profound conversion. A result of such a conversion is not only that the individual discovers the salvific meaning of suffering but above all that he becomes a completely new person. He discovers a new dimension, as it were, of his entire life and vocation.”
Scripture testifies to this in numerous places, including the following:
“For the Lord disciplines him whom he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives… It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?” (Heb 12:6-7).
“… [God] disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant; later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” (Heb 12:10-11).
“For gold and silver are tested in the fire, and acceptable men in the furnace of humiliation” (Sirach 2:5) [15].
“In this you rejoice, though now for a little while you may have to suffer various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold which though perishable is tested by fire, may redound to praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:6-7).
“Count it all joy, my brethren, when you meet various trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:2-4).
“More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Rom 5:3-5).
“In this you rejoice”! “Count it all joy”! “[W]e rejoice in our sufferings”!
![Shadrach, Medrach, and Abednego (Catacomb of Priscilla, 3rd century) were literally tested in fire by being thrown into the fiery furnace by king Nebuchadnezzar. "... [O]ur God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace; and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image you have set up" (Dan 3:17-18). May we have their faith!](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/5269de_3bd236ffbe394a9caa9f45148d91d851~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_854,h_616,al_c,q_85,enc_avif,quality_auto/5269de_3bd236ffbe394a9caa9f45148d91d851~mv2.jpg)
Why?
Because suffering reveals and refines our character, and it purifies, increases and strengthens our faith, hope and charity.
And God allows it because He loves us deeply, and wishes for us to share in His holiness and to grow deeper in our love of and trust in Him.
Spoiler Alert.
In The Chosen series, Jesus walks on water and saves Peter.
Up until that moment, Peter was struggling greatly (in the series’ dramatic and fictionalized backstory) as to why Jesus did not save Peter’s unborn child, but instead saving and healing everyone else.
This emotional exchange between Jesus and Peter out on the open stormy sea at night is well worth prayerfully reflecting on:
Jesus (walking on water in the storm), “If I call you to Me, you would step out in faith?”
Peter (in the boat with the Apostles), “Yes!”
Jesus, “Then why are you upset?”
Peter, “Why are you chasing after Gentiles when Your own people have problems right here? When Your own person has problems?!
I’ve been right here in front of You, believing in You, but You’re breaking up fights in the Decapolis?!”
… (Jesus calls Peter to step out onto the water).
Jesus asks, “Do you still have faith?”
Peter protests, “Faith hasn’t been my problem! I gave up everything to follow You, but You’re healing total strangers!”
Jesus, “Why do you think I allow trials?”
Peter shouts back, “I don’t know!”
Jesus replies, “… they prove the genuineness of your faith. They strengthen you! This, is strengthening you!... Keep your eyes on Me.”
(As Peter starts to fear and sinks into the water, Jesus pulls him out of the water, and they tenderly embrace).
Peter, “Don’t leave me, Lord.”
Jesus, “I got you.”
Peter, “Don’t let me go.”
Jesus, “I got you…. O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
(Jesus then brings Peter into the boat).
Peter weeps in the embrace of Jesus and repeatedly pleads, “Please. Please. Don’t let me go, please! I’m sorry. Don’t let me go, please!... ”
Jesus calms the storm, with the command, “Peace, be still!”
He lovingly assures Peter, “I’m here. I’m always here.”
Spoiler Alert Over.
Part 3: Sharers in the Redemptive Suffering of Christ
Apart from suffering being refining, it may also potentially be redemptive by grace in light of the Cross of Christ.
Christ introduced the redemptive meaning of suffering, in which we are called to participate together with Christ for the salvation of others (see generally Salvifici Doloris at 19-27).
“The Redeemer suffered in place of man and for man. Every man has his own share in the Redemption. Each one is also called to share in that suffering through which the Redemption was accomplished. He is called to share in that suffering through which all human suffering has also been redeemed. In bringing about the Redemption through suffering, Christ has also raised human suffering to the level of the Redemption. Thus each man, in his suffering, can also become a sharer in the redemptive suffering of Christ.” (Salvifici Doloris at 19).
This is indeed a profound yet powerful concept.
Our suffering need not be meaningless.
Instead, we can unite our sufferings to the Cross of Jesus Christ, and offer them up for the salvation of souls.
St. Faustina’s Diary (1031-1032) reminds us of this:
“During Holy Mass, I saw the Lord Jesus nailed upon the cross amidst great torments. A soft moan issued from His Heart. After some time, He said, I thirst. I thirst for the salvation of souls. Help Me, My daughter, to save souls. Join your sufferings to My Passion and offer them to the heavenly Father for sinners.”
We are invited to imitate, by grace and through faith, the Saints who have in turn imitated the Lord in bearing their crosses in union with Christ [16].
“Man, discovering through faith the redemptive suffering of Christ, also discovers in it his own sufferings; he rediscovers them, through faith, enriched with a new content and new meaning.” (Salvifici Doloris at 20) [17].
Conclusion
For a Christian, suffering when offered to God can be for our conversion and the conversion of the world.
It may be refining or redemptive, or both.
In the midst of suffering, praying to the Lord for deliverance or consolation is essential and does not somehow show weakness.
Expressing how you honestly feel can indeed be prayer.
Towards the end of the film I Still Believe, Jeremy Camp (a well-known Christian worship leader and singer-songwriter) is distraught over the death of his wife, Melissa, whom he had hoped would be healed.
Melissa died from cancer just three and half months after they got married.
Jeremy is struggling to reconcile his faith with the loss of his wife, but then finds a note that she left for him.
The note talks about how he can share her story—their story—with the world, and inspire people with the Christian songs that he writes.
At the end, Melissa’s note to Jeremy says, “And when you are ready…pick up your guitar.”
Renewed and strengthened in his faith, this eventually gave rise to Jeremy’s song, “I Still Believe”, which went on to touch and inspire countless lives who struggle with faith in God in times of trials and loss.
May the Lord grant us the same grace to know that He loves us deeply and is with us in every trial and tribulation, and when we are ready, to pick up whatever we have left behind, to love and serve the Lord again and with deeper and unwavering trust and faithfulness.
Closing Prayer – Psalm 73:21-26, 28
When my soul was embittered,
when I was pricked in heart,
I was stupid and ignorant,
I was like a beast toward you.
Nevertheless I am continually with you;
you hold my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will receive me to glory.
Whom have I in heaven but you?
And there is nothing upon earth that I
desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart and
my portion for ever.
...
But for me it is good to be near God;
I have made the Lord God my refuge,
that I may tell of all your works.
In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
* Is there anything in this session which struck you or any thoughts, experiences or ideas which come to your mind? Please leave a comment below. We would love to hear from you.
** Thank you for joining us on the A-Z of DiscipleSHIP. We look forward to having you with us again next month, as we study the letter “Y”, on Yesterday (History of the Church).
Recommended Closing Songs
Recommended Reading / Resources
Pope St. John Paul II, Salvifici Doloris (On the Christian Meaning of Human Suffering) (11 February 1984). This was written in the Holy Year of Redemption (1983-1984), an Extraordinary Jubilee proclaimed by Pope St. John Paul II to commemorate the 1950th anniversary of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is a must-read masterpiece.
St. Thomas More, A Dialogue of Comfort Against Tribulation. This was written by St. Thomas More while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London in 1534, where he creates a fictional dialogue between an Uncle (Anthony) and his nephew (Vincent). Vincent seeks the wise counsel of Anthony in the face of the imminent and terrifying invasion of Hungary by the Ottomans. In response, Anthony explains to Vincent the Christian purpose and meaning of tribulation and the sources of comfort in God in such times. This is a must-read for every Catholic who is undergoing suffering.
Sirach 2:1-11. Which exhorts Christians to prepare ourselves and our hearts for trial as we come forward to serve the Lord. The translation from RSV 2nd Catholic Edition is provided below for your easy reference.
My son, if you come forward to serve the Lord,
remain in justice and in fear,
and prepare yourself for temptation [or trials].
Set your heart right and be steadfast,
incline your ear, and receive words of
understanding,
and do not be hasty in time of calamity.
Await God’s patience, cling to him and do not
depart,
that you may be wise in all your ways.
Accept whatever is brought upon you,
and endure it in sorrow;
in changes that humble you be patient.
For gold and silver are tested in the fire,
and acceptable men in the furnace of humiliation.
Trust in God, and he will help you;
hope in him, and he will make your ways
straight.
Stay in fear of him, and grow old in him.
You who fear the Lord, wait for his mercy;
and turn not aside, lest you fall.
You who fear the Lord, trust in him,
and your reward will not fail;
you who fear the Lord, hope for good things,
for everlasting joy and mercy.
You who fear the Lord, love him,
and your hearts will be made radiant.
Consider the ancient generations and see:
who ever trusted in the Lord and was put to
shame?
Or who ever persevered in his commandments
and was forsaken?
Or who ever called upon him and was
overlooked?
For the Lord is compassionate and merciful;
he forgives sins and saves in time of affliction,
and he is the shield of all who seek him in truth.
Jeff Cavins, When You Suffer: Biblical Keys for Hope and Understanding.
Complete Trust in God (a prayer of St. Francis de Sales) (a beautiful prayer of complete trust in God in times of trials and crosses of this life).
Reflection and Sharing Questions
“X1” – Carrying our Crosses: The Christian Meaning of Suffering
This month’s podcast considers the Christian meaning of suffering, in the life of discipleship, and invites us to carry our crosses in union with the Cross of Jesus Christ. The key points may be summarized as follows:
It is comforting to know that we can put the extremely difficult question of the meaning of suffering to God – He expects the question and listens to it.
Love is the “richest source of the meaning of suffering, which always remains a mystery: we are conscious of the insufficiency and inadequacy of our explanations. Christ causes us to enter into the mystery and to discover the ‘why’ of suffering, as far as we are capable of grasping the sublimity of divine love” (Salvifici Doloris at 13).
The first source of comfort in tribulation is the desire and longing to be comforted by God, since all our principal comfort must come from God.
The meaning and purpose of suffering includes refining us – both when we are at fault, and also when we are not.
The first type of suffering that is refining in nature and when connected with a fault on our part (and thus may be seen as just punishment), is meant to lead us to conversion, and to rebuild goodness in us. “Its purpose is also to strengthen goodness both in man himself and in his relationships with others and especially with God.” (Salvifici Doloris at 12).
The second type of suffering that is refining in nature and where there is no fault on our part, is meant to reveal and refine our character, and to purify, increase and strengthen our faith, hope and charity. In this way, we may share in God’s holiness, and to grow deeper in our love of and trust in Him. “Down through the centuries and generations it has been seen that in suffering there is concealed a particular power that draws a person interiorly close to Christ, a special grace” (Salvifici Doloris at 26).
Another key aspect or meaning of suffering is that it may be redemptive by grace in light of the Cross of Christ. “Thus each man, in his suffering, can also become a sharer in the redemptive suffering of Christ” (Salvifici Doloris at 19). We are called to unite our sufferings with the Cross of Jesus Christ for the salvation of others.
We are invited to imitate, by grace and through faith, the Saints who have in turn imitated the Lord in bearing their crosses in union with Christ.
The Lord loves us deeply and is with us in every trial and tribulation.
Insofar as our suffering is connected with a fault, shortcoming or sin on our own part, how is this leading us to conversion and the rebuilding of goodness in us and in our relationships with others, and especially with God?
Have you experienced suffering that reveals and refines your character, and which purifies, increases and strengthens your faith, hope and charity? Share your heart on this with a trusted Christian friend or small group.
How can we practically unite our sufferings with the Cross of Jesus Christ, for the salvation and petitions of others? Name 1-2 persons you would like to pray for in this way – and pray for them.
With reference to St. Faustina’s vision (Diary at 446), see footnote 20), are we souls that are firmly nailed to our crosses, holding them firmly in our hands, or dragging them behind us in discontent? How can we better imitate Christ in His suffering?
© Presented by the Catholic Theology Network (writers / contributors / sound): Dominic Chan (M.A., Theology, Augustine Institute), Nick Chui (MTS, JPII Institute for Marriage and Family, AU), Keenan Tan (M.A., Theology, Augustine Institute), Debra Dass (Diploma in Theology, CTIS), Marcia Vanderstraaten (Diploma in Theology, CTIS); publicity & design: Chandra Nugraha (Certificate in Catholic Theology, Augustine Institute), cover art: Koh Azariah Augustine.
Footnotes
1. Unless otherwise stated, all Scripture references are taken from the RSV 2nd CE.
2. Salvifici Doloris, 9. Emphasis in italics added.
3. For a more elaborate explanation on the “occasion” of goodness that God seems to draw by allowing suffering, see Fr. Robert Spitzer S.J., The Light Shines on in the Darkness: Transforming Suffering through Faith, Chapter 10. Salvifici Doloris, 29 also states that suffering is also “present in order to unleash love in the human person, that unselfish gift of one's "I" on behalf of other people, especially those who suffer”.
4. It is beyond the scope of this article to discuss the vexing question of why the All-Loving God allows suffering in the first place. We hope to be able to explore the question of theodicy and/or so-called “meaningless” sufferings in future episode(s) of A-Z of DiscipleSHIP. This article will focus instead on the personal suffering we endure that could be refining and/or redemptive by grace in light of the Cross of Christ.
5. St. Thomas More, A Dialogue of Comfort Against Tribulation at Book One, Part III read with Part II. This was written by St. Thomas More while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London in 1534, where he creates a fictional dialogue between an Uncle (Anthony) and his nephew (Vincent). Vincent seeks the wise counsel of Anthony in the face of the imminent and terrifying invasion of Hungary by the Ottomans. In response, Anthony explains to Vincent the Christian purpose and meaning of tribulation and the sources of comfort in God in such times. This is a must-read for every Catholic who is undergoing suffering.
6. St. Carlo Acutis himself had passed away quite suddenly at the age of 15 due to leukaemia (see U1 on Universal Call to Holiness on this). It is thus so beautifully poignant that St. Carlo’s mother, Antonia, who herself would have suffered great grief and sorrow at the sudden illness and passing of St. Carlo decades ago, would now pass on to Paul Kim the consolation that she herself received from God who consoled her. We see here a real-life example of 2 Cor 1:3-4 (cited above).
7. “Both are essential conditions of "eternal life", that is of man's definitive happiness in union with God; this means, for the saved, that in the eschatological perspective suffering is totally blotted out.” (Salvifici Doloris at 15).
8. Consider the following: (1) “The Last Judgment will reveal even to its furthest consequences the good each person has done or failed to do during his earthly life… ‘All that the wicked do is recorded, and they do not know. When "our God comes, he does not keep silence.’” (CCC 1039 quoting St. Augustine); (2) The sheep and goats will be separated to the right hand and left hand of Christ respectively. The goats will go away into eternal punishment while the righteous into eternal life (CCC 1038 citing Matt 25:31-46).
9. “At the end of time, the Kingdom of God will come in its fullness. After the universal judgment, the righteous will reign for ever with Christ, glorified in body and soul. The universe itself will be renewed.” (CCC 1042).
10. “In this new universe, the heavenly Jerusalem, God will have his dwelling among men. ‘He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away.’” (CCC 1044).
11. Scripture affirms this (for example, in the book of Daniel 3, the prayer of Azariah in the fiery furnace, vv.4-5): “For you are just in all that you have done to us, and all your works are true and your ways right, and all your judgments are truth. You have executed true judgments in all that you have brought upon us… for in truth and justice you have brought all this upon us because of our sins”.
12. Before Christ and the New Testament, they then had no wider or deeper understanding of the meaning and purpose of suffering, other than suffering as a punishment for sin, based on the concept of justice. Contrary to popular assumptions, while Job was indeed extremely patient at the start of the Book of Job, he eventually lost his patience, justified himself, and challenged God.
13. “The story of this just man, who without any fault of his own is tried by innumerable sufferings, is well known. He loses his possessions, his sons and daughters, and finally he himself is afflicted by a grave sickness. In this horrible situation three old acquaintances come to his house, and each one in his own way tries to convince him that since he has been struck down by such varied and terrible sufferings, he must have done something seriously wrong. For suffering—they say—always strikes a man as punishment for a crime; it is sent by the absolutely just God and finds its reason in the order of justice.” (Salvifici Doloris at 10).
14. Commentary on Matt 16:24, in Scott Hahn and Curtis Mitch (eds), Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: Old and New Testament (RSV: Second Catholic Edition) (“Ignatius Catholic Study Bible”), p.1756.
15. Consider the rest of Sirach 2:1-11 as well, which exhorts Christians to prepare ourselves and our hearts for trial as we come forward to serve the Lord (see the section at the end on “Recommended Reading / Resources”, for the RSV 2nd Catholic Edition of these passages).
16. St. Faustina records this poignant vision in her Diary (446), “Then I saw the Lord Jesus nailed to the cross. When He had hung on it for a while, I saw a multitude of souls crucified like Him. Then I saw a second multitude of souls, and a third. The second multitude were not nailed to [their] crosses, but were holding them firmly in their hands. The third were neither nailed to [their] crosses nor holding them firmly in their hands, but were dragging [their] crosses behind them and were discontent. Jesus then said to me, Do you see these souls? Those who are like Me in the pain and contempt they suffer will be like Me also in glory. And those who resemble Me less in pain and contempt will also bear less resemblance to Me in glory.” Are we souls that are firmly nailed to our crosses, holding them firmly in our hands, or dragging them behind us in discontent?
17. Fr. Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange, OP, shares this beautiful anecdote, at p.30 of Knowing the Love of God: Lessons from a Spiritual Master (Ignatius Press; Augustine Institute), “Life itself teaches us that the strength of a soul in the midst of trial and temptations comes from its practical and experiential consciousness of the infinite value of Redemption, of the omnipotent efficacy of Christ’s death on the Cross. In the confessional one day a poor woman was explaining to the priest the moral anguish in which she found herself. She was abandoned by her husband, her sons, and by all; she was seriously calumniated by those on whom she should have been able to rely; she was sick and tormented by hunger. The priest, seeing that he was dealing with a true Christian, said to her directly: ‘Our Lord suffered more than you, for love of you.’ That poor woman, with full conviction, exclaimed: ‘That’s true, it’s really true!” She again found her strength and was able to continue on her way.”
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