Finding Meaning in Suffering

Reflections by Fr. Joseph Muller, MSC

Photo credit: Petr Kratochvil

The Missionaries of the Sacred Heart USA Province305 S. Lake Street, PO Box 270 Aurora, IL 60507 (630) 892-2371 info@misacor-usa.org

In the latter part of 2010 the Bishops of NewZealand produced an insightful document on

human suffering which they entitled “AShoreless Ocean.”

Quoting Romano Guardini, they chose thatimage to address the unending enigma ofsuffering that pervades every human life withthe hope of offering some real help to all whosuffer. For those who wish to read the entiredocument, it can be found in the January 20th

2011 issue of “Origins.” As a stimulus, here are afew highlights

Although God created everything good, he didnot create a perfect world.

“Man” is given the privileged responsibility ofusing his gifts to assist the process of perfection,a process that will never end. Understandingthis truth may assist us in grappling withsuffering.

Our faith gives us somereal answers. It tells usthat suffering is an effectof an original sin thatdisturbed the relationshipbetween man and God,man and nature. It causeda tearing or a rendingwhich needs healing.

• Suffering is truly a puzzle which permeates the whole of creation. It forces us to ask Why? Where did it come from? What can we do about it? Can we never end it?

When God sent his Son into this world, he did so, not to end all suffering, but to embrace it and help us find new life through it.

St. Paul, in his marvelous description of love (ICor 13:4) lists patience as its first facet. Themeaning of that word is long-suffering. Hencethere is an inseparable connection between loveand suffering, obedience and suffering, new lifeand suffering.

St. Theresa of Calcutta tellsus that true love demands sacrifice and sacrifice causes pain. Only when we accept the suffering as a condition for new life do we leave the door open to something beneficial from a set-back, heartbreak, disappointment or tragedy.

The greatest threat tohuman life is not thesuffering - physical oremotional - but from beingunloved, unwanted oruncared for in the suffering.Loving care is the answer.Those who suffer seek notonly relief, but understandingand acceptance in their suffering.

And the simplestsign of love-justbeing there orholding a person’shand—can makeall the differenceto a person’sability to findpeace and purposeeven in great discomfort.

St. Therese of Lisieux notedthat the body cannotfunction without a heart.The heart is the symbol oflove. And human beings needlove, i.e. understanding andcare, or they will perish.

In the Old Testament the book of Job probes themystery of suffering and helps the reader whomeditates on it to understand that it was onlythrough suffering that Job and his friends werebrought to a deeper understanding of who Godis, his abiding presence with us and his plan forour final welfare. “I knowthat my Redeemer lives…whom I myself shall see.” (Job 19:25-27)

The life of Jesus is intimately bound up withsufferings: opposition, misunderstanding, grief,pain, shame and abandonment. But these arealways linked to his resurrection. And whenJesus warns his followers to expect suffering intheir attempts to act like him, he adds that theycould look forward to a new life as well.

The Mass, whichJesus gave us, alwaysconnects thesetruths for us as itencourages us topersevere ingoodness and evensacrifice ourselvesfor others.

The writer of Hebrews notes that Jesus learnedto obey from what he suffered. (Heb 5:8)Submission to God and all lawful authoritycauses us discomfort and downright suffering attimes, but it produces endurance.

Endurance produces characterand character hope and hopedoes not disappoint, because God’s love has been pouredinto our hearts through theHoly Spirit. (Rom 5:3)

This does not mean that we should seek suffering. But when it comes, as surely it will,

these truths can help us.

Pope Benedict XVI in his encyclical on ChristianHope urges us to do whatever we can to relievesuffering of others, but to understand that thiswill involve personal sacrifice. It is only byembracing the suffering entailed, in union with Christ, that we can findmeaning in it.

A beautiful Sufi moral answers those whoaccuse God of turning a blind eye to human

suffering. “Past the seeker, as he prayed, camethe crippled and the beggar and the beaten. Andseeing them he cried: ‘Great God, how is it thata loving creator can see such things and yet donothing about them?’ And God said: ‘I did do

something. I made you.’”

Jesus’ parting gift to us, to helpus in our sufferings, was hismother. One of our Lady’s titlesis Our Lady of Sorrows. Her“yes” to God opened the doorto new and unprecedentedsorrows in her life: suspicion,humiliation, hardships,misunderstanding, rejection, heartbreak.

The fact that she “stoodbeneath the cross and

Jesus” and did not swoonor run away speaks

volumes to the believer.

She remained withhim, clinging blindlyto his promise ofresurrection. Andshe was notdisappointed.Neither will thosewho cling to Christand who sacrificethemselves to relievethe pain of others.

• Slide #1: Underwater Light by Petr Kratochvil (link)• Slide #2: Ocean Waves Close up by Shari Weinsheimer (link)• Slide #3: Blue Background by Petr Kratochvil (Background image for several

slides) (link)• Slide #4: Fresh Grass by Petr Kratochvil (link)• Slide #5: Grass And the Sky Background by Petr Kratochvil (link)• Slide #6: Sunrise by Petr Kratochvil (link)• Slide #7: Carmel Splash by Edie Robinette (link)• Slide #8: Word Love in Sand by Petr Kratochvil (link)• Slide #9: Red Rose by Anna Cervova (link)• Slide #10: Young and old holding hands, www.istockphoto.com/rickt99 (link)• Slide #11: Mother and Baby by Anna Cervova (link)• Slide #12: image of Sacred Heart of Jesus

Photo Credits

• Slide #13: Beach 4 by Glenda Thomas (link)• Slide #15: Source: http://cruzblanca.org/hermanoleon/color/hl/eu05.jpg• Slide #17: Source: http://cruzblanca.org/hermanoleon/color/hl/si2es09.jpg• Slide #18: Calm Sea by Michele Walters (link)• Slide #19: Wood on the Beach by Anna Cervova (link)• Slide #20: Spirit of the Flower by Roland Ally (link)• Slide #21: Image of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, taken from the booklet

“150 Years of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart”• Slide #22: Image of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, taken from the booklet

“150 Years of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart”• Slide #23: Cross by Josée Holland Eclipse (link)• Slide #24: Enhanced Rainbow by Barb Ver Sluis (link)

Photo Credits