Because our world has become hedonistic and pleasure-loving, suffering, whether financially, physically, or any sort, is never seen as any good, but just the most horrible and the worst that could a person experience.
“Perhaps he is punished by God.” – according to Born Again ‘Christians’, who measure blessings with the rating of material things or gain a person has. I notice quotations from ‘pastors’ who say “You’re saved, so I declare this day that God has a great plan for you, and let yourselves be prepared for the coming of his surprises!”. They mistaken God for a cash cow.
“He must have many desires.” – according to Buddhists, who try their hardest to remove any blemish of sufferings in their body and life.
“Or his chakras got out of balance.” – according to Hindus, or occult practitioners, who tap on the energies for healing and wealth, also called ‘God’.
Except for Catholics, who see every value in suffering.
I see that for the Liturgy of the Hours in this day, has a great compilation of Psalms altogether to discuss and differentiate the good vs. the wicked.
But I’d like to focus more on the First Reading from the Book of Wisdom 3:1-19:
and no torment shall touch them.
They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead;
and their passing away was thought an affliction
and their going forth from us, utter destruction.
For if before men, indeed, they be punished,
yet is their hope full of immortality;
Chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed,
because God tried them
and found them worthy of himself.
and as sacrificial offerings he took them to himself.
and shall dart about as sparks through stubble;
Those who trust in him shall understand truth,
and the faithful shall abide with him in love:
and his care is with the elect.
since they neglected justice and forsook the Lord.
For he who despises wisdom and instruction is doomed.
Vain is their hope, fruitless are their labors,
and worthless are their works.
Their wives are foolish and their children wicked;
accursed is their brood.
knew not transgression of the marriage bed;
she shall bear fruit at the visitation of souls.
So also the eunuch whose hand wrought no misdeed,
who held no wicked thoughts against the Lord–
For he shall be given fidelity’s choice reward
and a more gratifying heritage in the Lord’s temple.
For the fruit of noble struggles is a glorious one;
and unfailing is the root of understanding.
and the progeny of an unlawful bed will disappear.
For should they attain long life, they will be held in no esteem,
and dishonored will their old age be at last;
While should they die abruptly, they have no hope
nor comfort in the day of scrutiny;
for dire is the end of the wicked generation.
— For grace and mercy shall be given to his chosen ones.
— For grace and mercy shall be given to his chosen ones.
The Saints and Martyrs, who are the epitome of the Christian faith, came into mind when I read this. Probably, they are the worst victims of mockeries from unbelievers and other denominations like the Born Again people, considering for their contributions and their perfect heroism. The unbelievers see how foolish they were to suffer and die for Christ who didn’t exist. The Born Again people hate to give them any credit for the goodness they left on earth, and the burning love they had for Jesus. They say we can’t pray to the ‘dead’ (with contempt on how they sound) and can’t hear our prayers. You can also hear them argue that God is the only omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent, so they can’t hear our prayers at once. What they don’t know is that they are even more alive than us, for they are with God in heaven with a beatific vision, seeing Him face-to-face. It’s not like we are queueing on lines to be attended by call center representatives. Heaven is a place not bound by time, and there, they can hear us all at once. As described above, those people who mock the saints are wicked.
The Bible says in Psalms 103, “Bless the Lord, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, hearkening to the voice of his word! Bless the Lord, all his hosts, his ministers that do his will!”. Then in Psalms 148, “Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise him in the heights! Praise him, all his angels, praise him, all his host!”.
Also in Revelation, “[An] angel came and stood at the altar [in heaven] with a golden censer; and he was given much incense to mingle with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar before the throne; and the smoke of the incense rose with the prayers of the saints from the hand of the angel before God” (Rev. 8:3-4).
Not only angels can offer our prayers to God, but humans too. John sees that “the twenty-four elders [the leaders of the people of God in heaven] fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and with golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints” (Rev. 5:8).
Simply, as written above, the saints in heaven can offer to God our prayers from earth.
As continued in the Responsory, us who suffer are the chosen ones of God. It’s hard to comprehend. But He says so. We can only ask for grace and mercy.
How the saints achieved this glory? By suffering while they were alive. Like how it’s said above that they were “Chastised” by their sufferings and penance. When they died, they could therefore skip Purgatory, and go to Heaven directly, and “…they shall be greatly blessed.”. Surely the Born Again and Protestant Movement people would react at the concept of Purgatory, but it is another topic…
“If to suffer for Jesus is a blessing, how come the saints died early? It must be a curse…”
They might have died prematurely, some even at a young age, like young women St. Therese of Liseux, St. Bernadette, St. Gemma Galgani, among many other saints who suffered with illness until the hour of their death, but they all had a ‘Timely Death’, meaning, they died in the arms of God, prepared, and have received the Sacraments before their passing. Their mission on earth is over. And they did accomplish their part.
“How it is to die an ‘Untimely Death’?”
Many people lived a very long life, enjoyed things, ate delicious food traveled and seen places enough, and had acquired enough material wealth so they thought they died ‘prepared’. But many of them too died without repenting for their sins, without conversion, without reconciling to God, and not actively receiving the Sacraments of the Church at the time of their death. In that sense, their death is untimely. They did not have the blessing of God to prepare and repent for their sins before they go to Purgatory and Hell. Even they regret, it’s late, and can never go back to life even they want to. Only in Catholicism we can take Sacraments. Those who are not in then…
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| The timely death – Salvation. |
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| The untimely death – Damnation. |
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| Depends who take the souls after death. |
Another, it’s common to people to praise and be relieved by a person who died in his sleep ‘peacefully’. But did he? Well, if he received with his whole heart the Holy Sacraments before his death, then he did. But if not, then it’s sad, because he for sure isn’t resting in peace, and it’s damnation.
Night Prayer always contains a petition for a peaceful death. Let us pray that we have a timely death, and that we don’t get caught by death unprepared. We hope for a longer life. But we don’t know when our time is up. For all we know, the Second Coming of Jesus might be any minute now… We must offer our sufferings for them to gain merit for our salvation. Being a Christian means to suffer, but the rewards in Heaven are eternal.
She graduated cum laude from the University of Santo Tomas, the country's Pontifical and Catholic university, with an AB in Legal Management and minor units in Theology.
As an unmarried woman, prayer holds a central place in her daily life, with a focus on the Rosary and the Divine Office. Embodying her faith, she emphasizes the growth of her inner spiritual life, guided by the wisdom of Carmelite spirituality.
God manifested to her in a unique and radical manner, which made her know Who He truly is and led her to total surrender of her life to Him.
She has studied the Bible with her family, developing a particular fondness for the Old Testament.
Her adorable and intelligent toy poodle is a delightful companion in her daily life, bringing warmth and joy to her home.
Her hobbies include reading about everything, learning Japanese and German, listening to music and playing the flute.
In her leisure time, she enjoys gaming on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch OLED, Nintendo 3DS, iOS and OS, and collecting things related to PlayStation and Nintendo.
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