Men's Rosary

Nobody likes to suffer.  For that matter, nobody likes to even be inconvenienced.  But what is life without suffering?  Even the saying in sports training is “no pain, no gain.”  I do not believe it is a question of whether we will suffer as much as it is how we will suffer and what we will take from it.

If we suffer on our own, we suffer for suffering’s sake.  This is not good, and we will gain nothing from it but the suffering.  In our Catholic tradition we are to unite our suffering to Christ’s, so it becomes a redemptive suffering.  Christ tells us that we are to pick up our cross and follow him.  This is to say that we can unite ourselves to his suffering and participate in it.  Otherwise, we go alone and do not walk with him in our suffering.  “And he who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.”  (Matthew 10:38)

When we embrace our crosses, we will grow in faith and prayer and in service to God.  In this light our trials are good.  “For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.”  (2 Corinthians 4:17)  When we have trials and suffering  (crosses) we need to resist the temptation to internalize it and make it about us.  We need to ask ourselves what God is asking us to do with it.  We should be asking ourselves, “what is God saying to me in the midst of it all?”   This is the path to discipleship.  “Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:27)

I think of Simon the Cyrene.  He was compelled to help Jesus carry the cross. (Mark 15:21)  Though he did not do this on his own accord, his cross became the cross of Christ.  So, his trial or suffering was being thrust into the events, which he had no part of.  But it was tied to Christ’s sufferings.  I also wonder how Simon’s perspective on people and their sufferings changed.  Was he more aware of the suffering around him?  Was he moved to help others carry their crosses? 

God permits everything that happens, the good and the bad.  So, when the good comes we can be happy and thankful and rest in it.  But when the bad comes, we must not run from it or see it as something negative.  Disappointment can be expected but despair must never be allowed.  Let us joyfully embrace our crosses and follow Jesus.  Let us learn from any suffering and become more compassionate to those around us.  We can be like Simon the Cyrene and help others with their struggles of carrying their cross.  We are called to do so!  “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2)

“One cannot desire freedom from the cross when one is especially chosen for the cross.”  (Edith Stein)