We are now heading toward the fourth Sunday of Lent. Many spiritual writers have helped us to expand the ways that we can understand almsgiving and penance. Surely these times of the pandemic are days of penance and “giving up” many treasured things. Often we hear it said that just living peacefully and intentionally each day can be very penitential for us. Although the vaccine is being distributed more widely and at a greater speed, we still must give up certain practices.
For me this is a time to look at the cross: the cross of suffering, the cross of mystery, the cross of redemption. Often in life tragedy happens that cannot be explained, but as Victor Frankl once wrote, we need to find meaning in those difficult moments to be able to return to peace within ourselves. Life is also filled with mystery where there are no words that can adequately explained the occurrence, other than it is part of the Divine mystery. I found a short writing from the book The Way of the Cross by Caryll Houselander (1901-1954) who was a British Catholic laywoman, artist and visionary, which I want to share with all of you.
“Because Christ has changed death into life, and suffering to redemption, the suffering of those who love Him will be a communion between them. All that hidden suffering that seems insignificant will be redeeming the world, it will be healing the wounds of the world. The acceptance of pain, of old age, of the fear of death, and of death will be our gift of Christ’s love to one another; our gift of Christ’s life to one another.
No man’s [original writing] cross is laid upon him for himself alone, but for the healing of the whole world, for the mutual comforting and sweetening of sorrow, for the giving of joy and supernatural life to one another. For Christ receives our cross that we may receive His. Receiving this cross, the cross of the whole world made His, we receive Him. He gives us His hands to take hold of, His power to make it a redeeming thing, a blessed thing, His life to cause it to flower, His heart to enable us to rejoice in accepting our own and one another’s burdens.”
These are profound words which are rooted in the Mystical Body of Christ. Suffering is not a punishment for something you did wrong. It is not a random thunderbolt of lightning send by a capricious God to test you or your worth. Suffering is a communion of love between Christ and you. This beautiful phrase, however, will not eliminate the pain, the doubt and the difficulty in accepting the cross. St. Francis encouraged his brothers and sisters to not only accept the cross but embrace it. Oh, how difficult that is!
But if we can go beyond what the pain is doing to me and see it as a healing of the world in communion with Christ’s love, then suffering will become a gift and an instrument of peace. These words need much reflection on our part. Please take some significant time during this season of love to reflect on Ms. Houselander’s words. Bring to Christ your pain and suffering and may the powerful words of Deuteronomy 4 encourage you: “This great nation is truly a wise and intelligent people. For what great nation is there that has gods so close to it as the Lord, our God, is to us whenever we call upon him?” How true this is. All we have to do is call on the name of our God; just seek God in our own hearts; lift up our thoughts to God and God will be there. In fact St. Paul tells us that God already knows what we need before we ask, because God is love.
The healing of the world is an urgent need right now. Don’t be fooled into thinking that there is nothing that you can do because you are not a diplomat. Perhaps you do not have a place at the table of negotiations or no civil authority to initiate new programs. What you do have is a relationship with God and with the human family and you can use your suffering to be a source of union among the human family, God, and yourself. Your life does make a difference.
Now we invite your thoughts. Please share in the comments section below. And while you’re here, continue on a virtual mission by reading more of our stories and reflections as we discover together how “We are Mission”.
We are Mission! 