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Kayla
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| Joined: | Mon Jul 30th, 2007 |
| Location: | Emmitsburg, Maryland USA |
| Posts: | 369 |
| First Name: | Kayla | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Atheist, kind-of Mormon, Catholic |
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Posted: Mon Feb 11th, 2008 03:43 am |
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One of my friends recommended to me that I attempt to write a spiritual reflection each week during this Lent and then send that out to a few of my friends who would be interested in reading it... So, I decided I would give it a try. What I've written is really just a reflection for myself, but I hope that maybe someone might get something out of it if I do send it out. Could you tell me what you think and/or if you think I should send it to my friends?
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Christ suffered for you, and left you an example to have you follow in his footsteps. He did no wrong; no deceit was found in his mouth. When he was insulted, he returned no insult. When he was made to suffer, he did not counter with threats. Instead he delivered himself up to the One who judges justly. In his own body he brought your sins to the cross, so that all of us, dead to sin, could live in accord with God’s will. By his wounds you were healed. 1 Peter 2:21b-24
This excerpt comes from the canticle in this Sunday’s evening prayer and I was praying it earlier tonight, I was struck ever so gently by the truth in the very first verse. Christ suffered for you, and left you an example to have you follow in his footsteps.
I forget the reference, but in one of the homilies I’ve heard lately, the priest quoted the number of times that Christ explicitly tells us that we are going to suffer. That we are going to have take up the cross, that we are going to be persecuted, that we are going to have to give up our very own lives. I forget the number, but it was rather high and rather surprising.
We are called to suffer. Christ promises us that. Living the Christian life is not an easy one by any means, especially in today’s society. And yet we seem to expect things to be easy for us. I mean, we’ve God on our side, right? So, for some reason we think that life should go on pretty smoothly and we’re shocked when we run into any type of suffering. Almost immediately we turn to God in surprise asking, “Why, God?” “Why me?”
Yet, we really ought to be surprised that we are surprised. Christ promises us that we will suffer. And what is more, Christ, who was without sin, suffered. How much more, then, should we, who are sinful, expect to suffer? Especially when He tells us that we will be following in His footsteps. And isn’t becoming like Christ our goal? Don’t we wish to imitate Him in all things? So why should expect to get to Heaven, to receive eternal life, to be with Christ and be like Christ, without suffering as He did? It is foolishness to think otherwise.
During Lent we make sacrifices and strengthen our resolve to prayer and almsgiving. But why do we fast? Why do we make sacrifices? To what purpose? Is Christ in need of our fasting and sacrifices?
We fast in order to train our bodies, our minds, our wills to detach from all that is earthly and to rely solely upon God. We fast in order to recognize that we are completely dependent upon our Creator, the Almighty. We fast in order to gaze up into Heaven and to remember where our treasures truly lay.
But fasting and self-sacrifice serves another purpose. It is training—spiritual exercise. St. Paul says, Athletes deny themselves all sorts of things. They do this to win a crown of leaves that withers, but we a crown that is imperishable 1 Corinthians 9:25. We are preparing ourselves, in small ways, to say no to the world and yes to Christ, so that when temptation and suffering comes, we may stand firm in Christ, once again saying no to the world and yes to Him. St. Paul continues on to say, What I do is discipline my own body and master it, for fear that after having preached to others I myself should be rejected.
We discipline ourselves, just as an athlete does, in order that we may resist the temptations of the Devil. In today’s Gospel, we encounter Matthew speaking of Christ’s temptation. The Devil comes to Jesus and tempts Him three times, before being banished. But what had Christ just been doing beforehand? He had just fasted for 40 days.
Sometimes our sacrifices include suffering. I would dare say that almost all of the time sacrifice goes hand in hand with suffering, at least to some level. And it’s fairly easy to see the relationship between sacrifice and suffering when it comes from that direction; from sacrifice entails suffering. But the relationship works both ways. Suffering is and can be a sacrifice. Or at least, we ought to see it as such.
All of you Catholics out there have heard the phrase “offer it up” at some point in your life. If there ever were a Catholic-slang dictionary, it would definitely be in there. It’s phrase that’s tossed around but rarely do people truly understand what it entails.
When we suffer from something, whether it be from the 40 mph winds cutting into our skin or the death of a loved one, we have the opportunity to transform that suffering into a sacrifice-- a sacrifice that mimics the perfect Sacrifice of all time; Jesus on the Cross. Our Almighty God was able to turn even the most horrific act on earth, the crucifixion of His only Begotten Son, an act that seemed to only produce and personify suffering, into a Sacrifice that redeems mankind. We are to follow in Christ’s footsteps. He has set an example unto us. So too, therefore, can we transform our sufferings into little sacrifices, which united with the Sacrifice of the Cross, purify our souls.
We are called to suffer. Christ promises us suffering. It should not be something that we should be surprised at, or even something that we ought to run away from. Instead, especially during this season of Lent, we should focus our attention to our suffering and transform it into a sacrifice, a sacrifice that purifies our souls and draws us near to Christ.
Romans, chapter 8, says The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if only we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him. I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us. Romans 8:16-18.
By suffering with Christ we come to share in His Glory. Therefore, we really ought to take time during this season of Lent to reflect on those things in our lives that we are called to suffer and to consider how it is we can transform those sufferings, big or small, into sacrifices. And by those sacrifices, detach ourselves from worldly concerns, drawing near to Christ and His promise of salvation. We don’t have to do it alone. In fact, we can’t. That’s the beauty of the Gospel, of the Good News, because for every time that Christ speaks of our being called to suffer, He twice encourages us to “be not afraid”. Do not be afraid, for I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13.
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I believe, Lord, help my unbelief.
Jesus, I trust in You!
There's not a lot of job security for us after death. I suppose that's one advantage of being a philosopher. - Peter Kreeft
http://kayla23mount.blogspot.com/
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