The Value of Accepted Suffering
by Father Conley Bertrand
Jesus’ Hour
“Father, the hour has come.
Give glory to your son, so that your son may glorify you.. (Jn 17:1)
Jesus’ intimate union with the Father strengthened him so he could suffer with patient endurance; such virtue gave glory to Jesus. Jesus, in turn, gave glory to the Father by submitting his will in obedience to the Father’s will.
The supreme moment of Jesus’ life, his “hour”, was his suffering, death, and resurrection. This is how he interpreted the last three days of his life: the time of his glorification. His focus was not on his suffering, but on its outcome, its transforming power, its marvelous fruitfulness. John Paul II tells us that Jesus retained the five wounds of his crucifixion after the resurrection “to manifest the victorious power of suffering” (see Salvifici Doloris by John Paul II; #25, p. 43). In other words, suffering accepted with love and obedience to God leads to the resurrection for the salvation of the world.
Jesus’ whole body cringed at the thought of such suffering. He agonized over the prospect—even to the point of perspiring blood (Lk 22:44). But he prostrated himself in prayer in great anguish. Strengthened by the Father, he surrendered himself to God’s will to suffer and die out of love for us sinners.
The Value of Accepted Suffering According to Scripture
Jesus deliberately retained the wounds of his passion even after he had been glorified
in order to show us the supreme value of accepted suffering.
“We are afflicted in every way…always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being given up to death for the sake of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh” (2 Cor 4:8, 10-11).
Accepted affliction produces supernatural life; it’s a kind of dying with Jesus and rising to new life, the life of the resurrection. Suffering causes the body to undergo a spiritual transformation, even as fire transforms dough into delicious bread or raw meat into a tasty delicacy.
“Therefore, we are not discouraged; rather, although our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this momentary light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to what is seen but to what is unseen; for what is seen is transitory, but what is unseen is eternal” 2 Cor 4:16-18).
The inner, spiritual person is being immortalized and transformed into the radiant image of God through affliction (see 2 Cor 3:18). It’s like undergoing the difficult and arduous examinations in school. These grueling hours and years of training and study transform an ignorant youth into a brilliant professional.
“...It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22).
Hardships strengthen us in the virtue of fortitude and self-discipline so that the spirit prevails over the sinfully inclined flesh. Our spirit is then fit to enter into interpersonal communion with God who is Spirit (Jn 4:24) in his kingdom. Hardships toughen and perfect us just as strenuous exercises and difficult training conditions render athletes fit for the joy of the game.
“For it was fitting that he, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the leader to their salvation perfect through suffering” (Heb 2:10).
Even Jesus’ human body was glorified and perfected through the mysterious transforming power of suffering; so too must ours be. Just as a vessel of clay must be perfected through the heat in the kiln, the human body must undergo suffering to be perfected. Such is the nature of things.
“Endure your trials as ‘discipline’…the Father of spirits…discipline[s] us…for our benefit, in order that we may share his holiness. At the time, all discipline seems a cause not for joy but for pain, yet later it brings the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who are trained by it” (Heb 12:7, 9-11).
Discipline and training in self-mastery open us up to the life of the spirit through which we have communion with God who makes us holy and pleasing to him; he empowers us to do his will in all things. Just as a well-disciplined child turns out to be a secure, responsible, loving person, respectful of others and a productive citizen, the spiritual discipline brought about by trial shapes us into peaceful, responsible, secure, and loving children of God.
By his wounds we were healed.
“Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. And let perseverance be perfect, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. Blessed is the man who perseveres in temptation, for when he has been proved he will receive the crown of life that he promised to those who love him” (Jms 1:2-4, 12).
Trials in themselves cause us sorrow because they are difficult to bear. But accepting and patiently bearing with them, perfect us in virtue and patient endurance; they strengthen and deepen our union with God and perfect our love for him and our neighbor; they open us to grace and the glory of heaven. The prospect of such rewards for perseverance in trial replaces our sorrow with joyful expectation. We are like the farmer, secretary, and homemaker who are reluctant to undertake a difficult task, but the joy of the reward for a job well done and lucrative financial benefit are comparable to the joy and rich, spiritual compensation we will receive for the courage and patient endurance we exercise.
“...we even boast of our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance, and endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope, and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the holy Spirit that has been given to us” (Rom 5:3-5).
Accepting afflictions with patient endurance perfect our moral character with proven virtue. Such sufferings cause us to lean on God and rely on him for the grace of long-suffering. The intensity of our need prompts us to await help from God with greater urgency. He responds with the outpoured love of the Holy Spirit. It’s like the saying, “The wheel that squeaks the loudest gets the most grease.” The more we experience the pains of life, the louder we cry to God who readily hears and pours out his sustaining grace and love upon us.
“We should be grateful to the Lord our God, for putting us to the test, as he did our forefathers… Not for vengeance did the Lord put them in the crucible to try their hearts, nor has he done so with us. It is by way of admonition that he chastises those who are close to him” (Jdt 8:25, 27).
God loves us; he wants to perfect us and draw us closer to himself. He accomplishes this by enabling us to go through various trials met in human existence. He assists us with his grace to accept and endure these difficulties. In this way he trains us in virtue and increases our union with himself. We must be like grateful children who thank their parents for training them to work hard when they were young or correcting their misbehavior. God deals with us as a good father or mother.
“Those whom I love, I reprove and chastise. Be earnest, therefore, and repent” (Rev 3:19).
Our faults and frailties impede our union with God. He wants to make us aware of these and strive to overcome them. He wants us to change for the better. We perceive his remonstrations in our hearts. The troubles he permits us to encounter is his way of whipping us into shape. God is like a good parent: he uses daily mishaps and trials to correct his wayward children, who do not listen to him; sometimes the only way we will listen and change is because of pain.
“Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I hold to your promise. It was good for me to be afflicted, in order to learn your laws” (Ps 119:67, 71).
Suffering afflictions purifies our hearts and enlightens us. We see the brevity and uncertainty of life and how dependent we are on God for survival. The experience of trial makes us more spiritual; we see the wisdom of the commandments and strive to observe them. We are like children who got into trouble because they disobeyed their parents. Now they see why they were told not to hang out with the wrong crowd. They are full of regret and much wiser.
“Therefore, since Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same attitude (for whoever suffers in the flesh has broken with sin), so as not to spend what remains of one’s life in the flesh on human desires, but on the will of God” (1 Pt 4:1-2).
Jesus showed us that the way to transformation into God is through suffering. He struggled to do his Father’s will by accepting crucifixion. We must have his attitude. Suffering destroys the sinful inclinations of our passions. Thus purified and spiritualized, we readily conform to God’s will in our lives.
“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…” (Col 1:24), (see Salvifici Doloris by John Paul II; #24, p. 38).
Jesus’ sufferings redeemed the whole world. But we, the Church, are his Body. The redemption of Jesus continues to be applied as history unfolds because as members of his Body, we can take part, “Every human suffering, by reason of the loving union with Christ, completes the suffering of Christ. It completes that suffering just as the Church completes the redemptive work of Christ” (Salvifici Doloris). That is why St. Paul can say, “...Christ’s sufferings overflow to us… If we are afflicted, it is for your encouragement and salvation” (2 Cor 1:5, 6). Furthermore, he explains, “For to you has been granted, for the sake of Christ, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him”(Phil 1:29). We suffer for and with Jesus for the salvation of his people. “I am suffering,” he tells Timothy, “…I bear with everything for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, together with eternal glory” (2 Tim 2:9, 10).
“But rejoice to the extent that you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that when his glory is revealed you may also rejoice exultantly. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and ofGod rests upon you” (1 Pt 4:13-14).
Since we are the Body of Christ (1 Cor 12:27), our sufferings are the sufferings of Christ. When Saul was persecuting the early Christians, Jesus appeared to him and said, “...why are you persecuting me?” (Acts 9:4) If we share Jesus’ sufferings, we will also share his glory: we have reason to rejoice when we suffer for Jesus’ sake. Even now, the Spirit of glory rests on us.
“Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” (Lk 24:26)
It was necessary that Jesus, the Messiah, suffer crucifixion to enter into his glory. All the more it is necessary for us to suffer for us to enter into glory. Suffering has a mysterious transforming power.
Having looked at what Scripture has to say about suffering, we will now reflect upon some of its beneficial effects.
“Though he was harshly treated, he submitted...he was silent and opened not his mouth...” (Is 53:7)
The Spiritual Benefits of Accepted Suffering
Suffering willingly endured for love of God produces the following benefits:
1 Suffering spiritualizes our human nature. It lifts us to a new level of being to live in a divine atmosphere, in the presence and company of God.
2 Suffering purifies our being by burning out its impurities. Suffering is like a fire that cleanses our disordered self-love and sense attachments. They no longer stand in our way to union with God. They cease to distract or obstruct our interpersonal communion with God.
3 Suffering corrects our human waywardness and directs us toward God. It makes us see our evil tendencies, and disciplines us to follow the narrow road that leads to life (Mt 7:13-14).
4 Suffering enlightens us and enables us to see the shallowness and emptiness of superficial sense pleasure. Thus we are enabled to let go of these attachments that blind and enslave us to the things of this world, so we can soar to God and live in his love.
5 Suffering prompts us to cling to God to be able to endure. It’s like holding on and squeezing tight the arm of the dentist’s chair to be able to endure the pain.
6 Suffering identifies us with Jesus, who refused to come down from the cross. We suffer like and with him on the cross of discomfort or continuous pain.
7 Suffering with Jesus enables us to know how much he loves us by the sufferings he voluntarily endured for us. We usually suffer because it is part of the human condition—we have no choice. He suffered voluntarily out of love for his Father and us to deliver us from sin and death. Our experience of the difficulty of enduring pain helps us to see that only great love could prompt Jesus to endure the supreme anguish of crucifixion for our salvation.
8 Suffering is the result of sin (Gen 3:16-19), and demonstrates its devastating, pernicious effects. Suffering is a painful, tangible reminder that sin is evil and must be avoided at all costs.
9 Suffering enables us to participate in the sufferings of Christ to redeem the world with him. Since we were united to Christ through baptism we became one with him. Our sufferings became his: “...why are you persecuting me?” (Acts 9:4) he asked Saul who was punishing the early Christians for their faith in Jesus.
10 Suffering accelerates our growth in love for God as we obey his will that we suffer for sin. The intensity of pain calls for increased love to be able to do God’s will through patient endurance.
11 Suffering opens us to grace as we die to self for the love of God and neighbor through enduring pain in submissiveness to God. Suffering forces us out of our self-centeredness unto God for assistance to endure. Thus it disposes us for God’s grace as we cry out to him for help in our trial.
12 Suffering enables the gifts of the Holy Spirit to become operative so that we can come to know God experientially. Suffering burns out the impurities in the flesh so that the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are no longer encumbered by the sinfully-inclined human nature, and we are better disposed to respond to the gifts.
13 Suffering frees us from our attachment to this world and opens us to communion with the divine. The spiritualizing effects of suffering free us from clinging to undue sense pleasure and disposes us to relate interpersonally and lovingly with God.
14 Suffering brings about the transition from sense to spirit so that we can enjoy spirit-to-spirit communion with God. The senses are purified through suffering so that they no longer interfere; disordered desires have been put to rest; the spirit is then free to commune with God in loving intimacy.
15 Suffering produces fruits whose priceless value reveals why it was chosen by God to redeem the world. We have seen the precious benefits derived from lovingly accepting and patiently enduring suffering. We do this because it is God’s will while we live in a limited creation. Things go wrong and we must suffer the consequences of inclement weather, ill health, old age, various afflictions and addictions, hurtful relationships, unhealthy eating and drinking habits, accidents, sins, and all kinds of situations that cause us to suffer. But such suffering has redemptive qualities. God turns it into a good for us. If God could redeem the worst evil that ever happened—the rejection and murder of the Son of God on Good Friday—by turning it into the Resurrection and glorification on Easter Sunday, then he will also transform our accepted sufferings on earth to the glorious joys of heaven.
Pope John Paul II, while visiting the sick in a hospital, reminded the patients that in spite of their weakened physical condition, they were “very powerful: powerful just like Jesus Christ crucified is powerful. This is how you resemble him. Strive to use this power for the good of the Church, your neighbors, your families, your country, and all of humanity. Use it also for the good of the ministry of the Pope, who, in other ways, is also very weak.” [L’Osservatore Romano, October 19, 1978]
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Note: You may find it helpful to write on each day of the calendar the name of the person or the intention for which you want to offer your sufferings in union with Jesus.
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Prayer of Self Offering
JESUS, EVERY TIME I LOOK AT THE CRUCIFIX, I see you hanging there for love of me--you voluntarily embraced the excruciating pains of crucifixion to save me and the whole world from sin and damnation. The magnitude of your sufferings and the redemption they brought about reveal the immensity of your love for us, the devastatingly evil effects of sin, and the supreme value of accepted suffering.
Jesus, I suffer because it is part of my weak and vulnerable human nature. I willingly accept the sufferings you have allowed to come to me. You suffered for love of me. I want to suffer for love of you. You have given me a share in your Passion to free from sin those who are dear to you and me. I also understand these very sufferings are purifying me from sin and transforming me into your own glorious image. I am greatly consoled to realize that I am hanging on the cross with you for the redemption of the world. I feel so privileged to be in your company, suffering for such a noble cause.
Jesus, I pray for that total trust you had in the Father's wisdom and love for you. He designed this particular cross for me as he did for you. I pray for the resignation you had to the Father's will, and for the patient, long-suffering endurance that you exemplified on the cross--with the greatest love, and without the least complaint.
Jesus, please help me to be like you and your holy Mother. She was standing near you hanging on the cross, suffering with you, saving the world from sin. I am honored to be chosen to suffer with you to save my brothers and sisters from eternal damnation. Please strengthen me so that I can be a worthy disciple and remain faithful to this exalted vocation. Every time I make the sign of the cross, with your grace, I want to re-consecrate myself to this holy calling. Amen.