Suffering with Christ

Franciscans are told, “All the suffering brothers and sisters of Christ are asked to become part of Christ's great act of love on the Cross by continuing it, and offering it as a substitute for all the sins ever committed,"

    St. Peter said, “Beloved do not be surprised that a trial by fire is occurring among you, as if something strange were happening to you.  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.”[1]

    What is this Franciscan joy in suffering?

    St. Francis said, “… and I ask the sick brother to thank the creator for it all, and well or sick he should want to be just as our Lord wants him to be.” Shouldn't that make us think? Well or sick we should want to be just as our Lord wants us to be.

    We have also been told, the greatest thing a man or woman does in life is to co-suffer with Christ in sickness. They themselves make giant strides in holiness and the whole Mystical Body is benefited. The sick must never think that they are useless. Christ achieved His greatest work when He hung useless on the Cross.

    Think about that. Didn't He seem useless hanging there nailed to the Cross? How else could He have seemed to His disciples who were there in person on that day? What was the purpose of this terrible agony He was suffering right before their eyes? And for us, today, what did He mean when He said, “I am the way, the truth and the life?”[2]  What did He mean when He said, “I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do.”[3]  What do you think that means?

    Christ's words still live today, as they lived then, and as they will live forever, through His Church, which is to say through His people — that’s us!

    So, the sick, the crippled, the sorrowing could have a noble role to enact. They could be united with Christ in His suffering, for the same reason for which He suffered — to save sinners. They could be, if they would, co-redeemers with Christ.

   We, who are the Church today, are the continuation of the life of Christ; Christ accomplishes through us what He no longer is doing visibly with His human presence on earth.  He is praying and suffering through us in continuing His missionary work in the world, to keep His Way, His Truth, and His life an on-going thing.

    By all means, let us pray to Christ for good health, for a return to good health, for healing of all manner of afflictions. Does anyone having the gift of faith doubt for one instant that Christ can heal? Again, how about the words of the man in the gospel, “Lord if you wish, you can make me clean.” He stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, “I will do it. Be made clean.”[4]

   But then we must think also of the other side for instance, Jesus Himself at Gethsemane, “Abba, Father, all things are possible to you. Take this cup away from me.”[5]  He pleaded.  Did the Father take that chalice from Him? He did not.  The Father's answer to Jesus Himself was, “No.”

    The Father always answers our prayers.  Sometimes, many times; the answer is “no.”

    His way is perfect. Our way could throw a flaw into His over-all plan. How do we know what chain reaction of flaw on flaw that could bring about? He knows. He is perfection absolute. His answer to us may be “no.”  And if it is, God grant that we will not muff the chance this gives us to hang on the cross for a little while with Him.

     Then, too, we have the example of St. Francis. If we are followers of St. Francis we should be followers of his example. When did he ever shun suffering? Rather, he took joy in it because it gave him an added opportunity to unite himself to Christ, the Suffering Servant. To this end he prayed:  “O Lord Jesus Christ, I entreat you to give me two graces before I die. First, that in my lifetime I may feel in body and soul as far as possible the pain you endured, dear Lord, in the hour of your most bitter suffering; and second, that I may feel in my heart as far as possible that excess of love by which you, O Son of God, were inflamed to undertake so cruel a suffering for us sinners,”

   The stigmata of St. Francis was Christ’s response to his prayer. And in this prayer we have one answer to the question, ‘Why suffering?’ It is, in his words: “That I may feel in my heart that excess of love by which you, O Son of God, were inflamed to undertake so cruel suffering for sinners.”

    So, once more we say, don't hesitate to pray to Christ for good health, for His intercession in our physical and mental and material behalf. He will answer our prayer. If the answer is “no,” just remember that the apostolate of suffering can be a noble and a holy Christ-like thing.