Is there something lacking in Christ’s sufferings? Of course not. This proves the Catholic position regarding the efficacy of suffering. 1:24 – Paul rejoices in his sufferings and completes what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of His body. There is no Easter Sunday without Good Friday.Ĭol. Paul recognizes the efficacy of suffering as a means of obtaining holiness which leads to resurrection and eternal life. 3:10 – Paul desires to share in Christ’s sufferings in order to obtain the resurrection. Thus, Christ does not want our faith alone, but our faith in action which includes faith in suffering. We must also willfully embrace the suffering that befalls us as part of God’s plan. Growing in holiness requires more than having faith in God and accepting Jesus as personal Lord and Savior. 1:29 – for the sake of Christ we are not only to believe in Him but also to suffer for His sake. Our suffering also benefits others in the mystical body of Christ. 3:13 – Do not to lose heart over my sufferings for your glory. Our self-sufficiency decreases, so Christ in us can increase.Įph. 12:9-10 – Jesus’ grace is sufficient, for His power is made perfect in weakness. This proves the Catholic position that our sufferings on earth are united with Jesus in order to bring about Jesus’ life in us.Ģ Cor. 4:11 – while we live we are always being given up to death for Jesus’ sake so that His life may be manifested in our flesh. Christ has allowed room in His Body for our sufferings, and our sufferings allow room for Christ to bring us to life.Ģ Cor. 4:10 – Paul writes that we always carry in the body the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. If we unite our sufferings with His, we will be comforted by Him.Ģ Cor. 1:5-7- if we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort as well. While the cross was the scandal of scandals, and is viewed by the non-Christian eye as defeat, Catholic spirituality has always exalted the paradox of the cross as the true tree of life and our means to salvation.Ģ Cor. 2:2 – Paul preaches Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Thus, they only preach a Christ risen, not crucified.ġ Cor. Many Protestant churches no longer display the corpus of Jesus (only an empty cross). This is why Catholic churches have crucifixes with the corpus of Jesus affixed to them. Catholic spirituality focuses on the sacrifice of Christ which is the only means to the resurrection. 1:23- Paul preaches a Christ crucified, not just risen. We thus have hope that any sufferings we or others endure, no matter how difficult, will pale in comparison to the life of eternal bliss that awaits us.ġ Cor. 8:18 – the sufferings of the present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. Paul is teaching that suffering must be embraced in order to obtain the glory that the Father has bestowed upon Jesus. 8:17 – Paul says that we are heirs with Christ, but only if we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with Him. Through faith, suffering brings about hope in God and, through endurance, salvation. 5:2-3 – Paul says that more than rejoicing in our hope, we rejoice in our sufferings which produces endurance, character and hope. Jesus is teaching that suffering and death are part of every human life, and it is only through suffering and death that we obtain the glory of resurrection. John 12:24 – unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone and bears no fruit. This text refers to John 19:34, when Jesus was pierced on the cross by the soldier’s lance. John 7:39 – Jesus was first glorified on the cross, not just the resurrection. Luke 14:27 – Jesus said, “whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple.” If we reject God because we suffer, we fail to apply the graces that Jesus won for us by His suffering. He requires us to join our daily temporal sacrifices (pain, inconvenience, worry) with His eternal sacrifice. Luke 9:23 – Jesus says we must take up this cross daily. When we suffer, we can choose to seek consolation in God and become closer to Jesus. 16:24 Mark 8:34 – Jesus said, “if any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” Jesus wants us to empty ourselves so that God can fill us. Being a disciple of Jesus not only means having faith in Him, but offering our sufferings to the Father as He did. 10:38 – Jesus said, “he who does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.” Jesus defines discipleship as one’s willingness to suffer with Him.
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