The Gospel of Suffering
Shalom Times, March 2013
Written by Santimon Jacob
The distance between my office
and home is that of five decades of a Rosary. At this age of forty, the
time of convictions… is it not a miracle if Rosary had not been an
obsession in life? There is no much road left to travel…Very few days
left to live. If I live thirty years more… the days are merely ten
thousand. It means in the wallet of life, there are only a few coins
left.
Six years back, on a sunny day of November in Chittoor retreat center. It was there that I found my Lord. I had been there for a consolation after a hard Calvary journey of sufferings. A book of life filled with ink and irregular marks.
I could feel then the taste of tears. Coming days I was convinced that ‘suffering is a profit’.
Some search for God: Yet for some others God is in search. A good Shepherd who is in search of the single lost sheep… The joy is indescribable when Jesus embraces the lost one. I do not know how many Rosaries my wife, Mini had recited during our fire experiences. But I know one thing, that my journey back was by holding over those Rosary beads.
There is an AD and BC in my life. A period of life before and after Christ found me. After I could find Christ, even the pains of life are like festivals.
Amidst the highly ploughing experiences of life we could feel the touch of those wounded hands.
A great lesson that I learned was that suffering is a sign of God’s acceptance. It sanctifies us and makes us perfect.
Suffering is a profit
Suffering brings us great benefits. Let us examine it through a mind puzzle. God gives a person life span of less than twenty thousand days on earth. Multiply 365 days with the years that you live on earth.
God, if you open me the gates of heaven, how long will be my life there? Receive, I am yours. In your presence my life is unlimited. I now realize why St. Alphonsa and Padre Pio requested the Lord to give them more sufferings.
The community of white robed people
Jesus gives us a vision through St. John in the book of revelation. A group of people robed in white in front of the throne of God.
“Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?” I said to him, “Sir, you are the one that knows.” Then he said to me, “These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. For this reason they are before the throne of God, and worship him day and night within his temple.”
“They hunger no more, and thirst no more; the sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat; for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” (Rev. 7:13-17).
How great is the group that washed themselves in the blood of the Lamb. It is true that heavy suffering has brought them to claim the white robe. When you are accused, persecuted, become prey to calumny and called to shed blood, is it not that the whiteness of the robe increases? Jesus has told us that we must rejoice when people accuse us of the evils that we have not done. “Indeed, an hour is coming when those who kill you will think that by doing so they are offering worship to God” (Jn. 16:2). Just be convinced that suffering is valuable in front of God. Be strong amidst the heavy burden of perils in life. Pray each moment, ‘Lord, fill me with light on my path and strength for my heart.’
Suffering a sign of God’s acceptance
Jesus tells us the story of a poor man taken to the lap of Abraham. It is not a coincidence that Jesus gives this poor man the name of his beloved friend – Lazar.
Since he gave the poor man a beloved name, the rich man was not given a name. When poor Lazar is remembered through the mouth of Jesus till eternity, rich man remains poorer that he had not been worthy enough to be called by a name.
Jesus, do you know that in this period where I live, names are heard only of the rich and powerful. The poor is out of every queue. He has the face of a crowd not individual. His marks are downward face and gloomy look. How pompous are even the funeral ceremonies of the rich? Golden crosses and pearly umbrellas! But Lazar’s death dissolves in the casual bells rung in the Church. Now I know why you had not named the rich man of the Bible.
Your Lazar was all those accepted by the Lord. Obviously suffering is a sign of God’s acceptance.
A young man who does not like the noises of the world opined that suffering is the distance from Esau to Jesus. Esau had sacrificed his birth rights for a cup of soup. But Christ submitted himself to the Will of the Father even at the peak of Calvary. My sufferings lies in between these two chronicles. My head falls down in humility when I know that suffering reaches its completion in obedience.
Suffering – formation of the children of God
St. Paul tells us that suffering is a formation that turns to righteousness in time. Heaven is a valuable gift that awaits us when we complete our short life on earth. Our suffering becomes a heavy formation period to gain this great and valuable gift.
“My child, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, or lose heart when you are punished by him; for the Lord disciplines those whom he loves, and chastises every child whom he accepts. Endure trials for the sake of discipline.” (Heb. 12: 5-7).
Next sentence goes a little ahead and says, “God is treating you as children; for what child is there whom a parent does not discipline? If you do not have that discipline in which all children share, then you are illegitimate and not his children.” (Heb. 12:8).
In time, suffering will turn to righteousness. But “discipline always seems painful rather than pleasant at the time, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” (Heb. 12:11).
Six years back, on a sunny day of November in Chittoor retreat center. It was there that I found my Lord. I had been there for a consolation after a hard Calvary journey of sufferings. A book of life filled with ink and irregular marks.
I could feel then the taste of tears. Coming days I was convinced that ‘suffering is a profit’.
Some search for God: Yet for some others God is in search. A good Shepherd who is in search of the single lost sheep… The joy is indescribable when Jesus embraces the lost one. I do not know how many Rosaries my wife, Mini had recited during our fire experiences. But I know one thing, that my journey back was by holding over those Rosary beads.
There is an AD and BC in my life. A period of life before and after Christ found me. After I could find Christ, even the pains of life are like festivals.
Amidst the highly ploughing experiences of life we could feel the touch of those wounded hands.
A great lesson that I learned was that suffering is a sign of God’s acceptance. It sanctifies us and makes us perfect.
Suffering is a profit
Suffering brings us great benefits. Let us examine it through a mind puzzle. God gives a person life span of less than twenty thousand days on earth. Multiply 365 days with the years that you live on earth.
God, if you open me the gates of heaven, how long will be my life there? Receive, I am yours. In your presence my life is unlimited. I now realize why St. Alphonsa and Padre Pio requested the Lord to give them more sufferings.
The community of white robed people
Jesus gives us a vision through St. John in the book of revelation. A group of people robed in white in front of the throne of God.
“Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?” I said to him, “Sir, you are the one that knows.” Then he said to me, “These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. For this reason they are before the throne of God, and worship him day and night within his temple.”
“They hunger no more, and thirst no more; the sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat; for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” (Rev. 7:13-17).
How great is the group that washed themselves in the blood of the Lamb. It is true that heavy suffering has brought them to claim the white robe. When you are accused, persecuted, become prey to calumny and called to shed blood, is it not that the whiteness of the robe increases? Jesus has told us that we must rejoice when people accuse us of the evils that we have not done. “Indeed, an hour is coming when those who kill you will think that by doing so they are offering worship to God” (Jn. 16:2). Just be convinced that suffering is valuable in front of God. Be strong amidst the heavy burden of perils in life. Pray each moment, ‘Lord, fill me with light on my path and strength for my heart.’
Suffering a sign of God’s acceptance
Jesus tells us the story of a poor man taken to the lap of Abraham. It is not a coincidence that Jesus gives this poor man the name of his beloved friend – Lazar.
Since he gave the poor man a beloved name, the rich man was not given a name. When poor Lazar is remembered through the mouth of Jesus till eternity, rich man remains poorer that he had not been worthy enough to be called by a name.
Jesus, do you know that in this period where I live, names are heard only of the rich and powerful. The poor is out of every queue. He has the face of a crowd not individual. His marks are downward face and gloomy look. How pompous are even the funeral ceremonies of the rich? Golden crosses and pearly umbrellas! But Lazar’s death dissolves in the casual bells rung in the Church. Now I know why you had not named the rich man of the Bible.
Your Lazar was all those accepted by the Lord. Obviously suffering is a sign of God’s acceptance.
A young man who does not like the noises of the world opined that suffering is the distance from Esau to Jesus. Esau had sacrificed his birth rights for a cup of soup. But Christ submitted himself to the Will of the Father even at the peak of Calvary. My sufferings lies in between these two chronicles. My head falls down in humility when I know that suffering reaches its completion in obedience.
Suffering – formation of the children of God
St. Paul tells us that suffering is a formation that turns to righteousness in time. Heaven is a valuable gift that awaits us when we complete our short life on earth. Our suffering becomes a heavy formation period to gain this great and valuable gift.
“My child, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, or lose heart when you are punished by him; for the Lord disciplines those whom he loves, and chastises every child whom he accepts. Endure trials for the sake of discipline.” (Heb. 12: 5-7).
Next sentence goes a little ahead and says, “God is treating you as children; for what child is there whom a parent does not discipline? If you do not have that discipline in which all children share, then you are illegitimate and not his children.” (Heb. 12:8).
In time, suffering will turn to righteousness. But “discipline always seems painful rather than pleasant at the time, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” (Heb. 12:11).
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