There are teachings of Jesus Christ that any person will find it hard to comprehend and will be able to accept only with utmost faith in God. Perhaps, the most common example of such is “love your enemies.” But what I will talk about in this Post is, in my opinion, the next most difficult teaching, which is… we must suffer in order to follow Our Lord. Jesus Himself said, in Luke 9:23, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Thus, to try to follow Jesus without bearing sufferings would be futile in His eyes, which Matthew 10:38 stressed, “…and whoever does not take his cross, and follow after me is not worthy of me.”
What makes the Catholic teaching on sufferings so difficult to wholly understand and fulfill is not only the real pain of suffering, but also the conflict in perspective that arises from various “Christian” sects, which emerge around neighborhoods here and there, focused on the so-called “prosperity gospel” teaching. They claim that “since Jesus already suffered for you and died for your sins, you don’t need to suffer anymore for God, and neither for your salvation nor for anything else- especially because He’s going to prosper your material dreams and sending you lots of wealth this very day.” But nothing could be further from the truth. In other words, what those groups are saying is untrue. Throughout the Bible, and in the lives of the Saints, the need for suffering and its value is repeatedly emphasized.
Years ago, when I was just starting to learn deeper about the Catholic Faith, I must admit that a quote of Saint Padre Pio of Pietrelcina shocked me. Back then, I found it hard to connect with it. Saint Pio said,
“The greater your sufferings, the greater God’s love for you.”
I was like, ‘Oh come on… I couldn’t see why!’
There’s another quote, that of Saint Ignatius de Loyola, which says,
“If God sends you many sufferings, it is a sign that He has great plans for you and certainly wants to make you a saint.”
Again, I was like, ‘What “great plans?” Sometimes, sufferings seem to crush you on the ground, making you just want to expire. Don’t ‘great plans’ mean living a suffering-free, wealthy, healthy, happy, fun and exciting life?’
That must also be how you would probably react to such Saints’ quotes, unless “you walk with faith and not with sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7).
Mind you, by the way, that the sufferings we are speaking about here that we must suffer from in order to follow Jesus do not simply mean ‘minor discomforts.’ That’s why I beg to disagree whenever I hear some Catholics say that each person has “sufferings” to a point that they oversimplify the true meaning of suffering by exaggerating some distresses. They refer to “a small bruise,” “the very cold winter weather” (if only they could experience the severe heat in the Philippines!), “the slow traffic,” helping out in a task, and even simple day-to-day chores, as ‘sufferings.’ Of course, those things and the like cause some discomfort or tiredness. But such things, I think, sound more like the hassles people normally encounter in everyday life. And to those who truly “suffer,” referring to regular chores and daily inconveniences as sufferings seem like an overstatement.
If we really try to define what and who are ‘suffering’ in the context of our Faith, it technically refers to acute or chronic illnesses, those physical, emotional, mental and spiritual afflictions, to those persons with disabilities, the poor who are homeless and struggling to make ends meet, those financially unable to study, those who have nothing to eat, the lonely and the abandoned, those who went through untimely deaths in the family, those who have been wronged by others, the cast outs from the society and the persecuted. True sufferings are painful life burdens and hardships, debilitating conditions and persecutions. I think we can also include fighting for morality and similar causes, enduring not to sin against chastity, not being a glutton in food and other indulgences, and preventing oneself from becoming worldly as forms of suffering, because guarding our faith and restraining ourselves from the passions of the flesh are certainly not easy. In doing so, we find it hard to fit in or satisfy the demands of the secular world.
Now, my brothers and sisters in Christ, if God has already given you at least one of the sufferings listed above, the question is, what must you do with it?
The answer:
Offer it up!
I noticed that most Catholics all over the internet claim that they have always heard of this expression, although they find it hard to comprehend how they can “offer it up” or why they must “offer it up.” As a side note, growing up, I never heard anything about offering up one’s sufferings, whether in my Catholic classes in school nor during the homilies. My guess is that it’s not a common thing to say here in the Philippines.
Anyway, I first heard of it and was first told of it when my spiritual advisors (priests and lay) from a reputable Catholic Ministry from the Archdiocese of Manila said that offering it up is what I must do with my sufferings (I can say that I’ve had my fair share of sufferings).
Take note of what I will share next:
If you don’t offer up your suffering, I was told by my spiritual advisors that the merits of those sufferings will be WASTED and NOT COUNTED.
What it means is that God does not automatically give merits to your sufferings, unless you offer them to Him.
But if we do offer our sufferings, they are the greatest sacrifices that we can give to God.
Saint Pope John Paul II
One day, a priest came to Pope John Paul II because of a severe pain in the knee, which required surgery. He said to him, “Holy Father, please pray for my knee.” Our good Holy Father smacked the priest across his face, and said to him,
“Don’t waste your suffering!”
That story reinforces the Catholic teaching that in order for your sufferings TO BE MERITORIOUS, you must OFFER them to God directly.
Since God gives us free will, we must also make it an act of will to offer our sufferings to Him. If we whine and complain while we suffer, then those sufferings do not serve to be meritorious.
Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich
But why do we need to offer our sufferings, and what do we gain from them being meritorious? Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich beautifully explains this through one of her mystical visions, an immense grace, that God bestowed upon her:
Our Lord, by descending into Hell, planted (if I may thus express myself), in the spiritual garden of the Church, a mysterious tree, the fruits of which–namely, his merits–are destined for the constant relief of the poor souls in Purgatory. The Church militant must cultivate the tree, and gather its fruits, in order to present them to that suffering portion of the Church which can do nothing for itself. Thus it is with all the merits of Christ; we must labour with him if we wish to obtain our share of them; we must gain our bread by the sweat of our brow. Everything which our Lord has done for us in time must produce fruit for eternity; but we must gather these fruits in time, without which we cannot possess them in eternity. The Church is the most prudent and thoughtful of mothers; the ecclesiastical year is an immense and magnificent garden, in which all those fruits for eternity are gathered together, that we may make use of them in time. Each year contains sufficient to supply the wants of all; but woe be to that careless or dishonest gardener who allows any of the fruit committed to his care to perish; if he fails to turn to a proper account those graces which would restore health to the sick, strength to the weak, or furnish food to the hungry! When the Day of Judgment arrives, the Master of the garden will demand a strict account, not only of every tree, but also of all the fruit produced in the garden.
Explanation of the vision Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich:
When Our Lord Jesus Christ descended into Hell, after He died on the Cross on Good Friday, He planted a “mysterious tree” in the spiritual garden of the Church. This tree bears fruits, which are actually the merits of the Passion and Death of Jesus, offered for the souls in Purgatory. The “Church militant,” meaning, all Catholics alive right now, all of us must cultivate the tree by offering our own sufferings. The reason is that in order for us alive on earth to obtain our share of the fruits of Jesus Christ, which means our share in entering Heaven, we must labour and toil with Him and “gain our own bread” by suffering with Him.
According to her vision, the Church has enough fruits, and all those fruits for eternity are gathered together for all Catholics from the whole year, like a harvest from an immense and magnificent garden. We may make use of them in time. There is sufficient supply of fruits for all Catholics. Meaning, if only we ourselves would desire for the love of God to take action to gain merits for entering Heaven, God will give us sufficient grace. But we must wilfully choose to accept and cooperate with such graces, through our own personal sufferings, and offer those merits as our own fruits produced in the magnificent spiritual garden of the Church.
The question is, what about those who have no sufferings to offer at all?
Again, some say that every person has suffering. But I digress, because it’s simply not true. I heard some people I personally know, and even local celebrities on TV, declare it straight that their lives are “perfect and they have nothing more to ask for.” They themselves say that they only experience “minor life concerns,” and nothing “bad” has ever happened to them. They also say that they probably got a few sad things at some point in their lives, but nothing “major.” While it’s possible that some of them are just exaggerating, others genuinely mean it in saying, out of gratefulness for some for being “extremely blessed” and for others, out of astonishment that no major problems ever came their way. I understand them for being vocal about it. Because why wouldn’t you acknowledge not having major life concerns, when you just don’t have any?
How can those who have no sufferings at all ever contribute and produce fruits in the tree of the spiritual garden of the Church?
They should have their own will to suffer. It reminds me of the rich man who sadly left, when Jesus told him that in order to go to Heaven and gain eternal life, he must give out all the riches he had to the poor. Despite he’s observed all of God’s commandments since his youth, it’s still apparently lacking- because he had no sufferings. His life was all comfort.
Here is the biblical passage about the rich man:
Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him, “You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to [the] poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” At that statement his face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions. Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” The disciples were amazed at his words. So Jesus again said to them in reply, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to pass through [the] eye of [a] needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
(Mark 10:17-25)
Those who are financially capable must not only donate the surplus of their wealth. More generosity is asked and expected of them.
Another valuable resource that they can give is time. This is not only for the wealthy, but for those who have no sufferings or major problems in life. I remember in one of my favorite EWTN programs called “The Church and the Poor,” they encourage people to volunteer as families on weekends or Sundays to assist the sick, the persons with disabilities, and the poor. They can also serve in their own Parishes (that is, with a clean heart, and not seeking popularity in there).
It is also a truly noble offering to fight for the unborn with the Pro-Life Movements from the very first moment of conception, and against those dangers to the sanctity of human life, Abortion, In-Vitro Fertilization (a procedure which recently has risen to popularity for married couples who are unable to conceive naturally, and even for unmarried women who want to be single mothers and have a child, which the Church is absolutely against of, because such procedure actually commits Abortion as the doctors fertilize many eggs. But among those fertilized eggs, which means that life exists in them already, they only choose the “healthiest” few [that’s why many women who conceive through in-vitro give birth to fraternal twins these days], and abort the rest of the fertilized eggs), Contraception (all forms of artificial ‘family planning’ methods, such as pills, which are all abortifacients, and injections that contain abortion chemicals) and Euthanasia.
They can also join groups that fight for the sanctity of marriage between man and woman and against same-sex relations and gay ‘marriages.’ Similarly, they can help the Church by fighting against giving birth through Surrogacy, which is considered an immorality against women and the sanctity of human life.
Another way is to offer all the decades or more than one Rosary for other people or for the suffering souls in Purgatory as the intention.
If those who have no sufferings don’t contribute to the spiritual garden of the Church…
In the vision of Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich, it said, “…woe [which means great sorrow] be to that careless or dishonest gardener who allows any of the fruit committed to his care to perish; if he fails to turn to a proper account those graces which would restore health to the sick, strength to the weak, or furnish food to the hungry!” Meaning, no joy awaits those who are given so much blessings, but refuse the suggestions I mentioned above, or disregard to make wilfull sufferings as offerings to God; especially the rich who do not use their wealth and blessings properly as corporal works of mercy and acts of charity.
At the end of the world, in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, “When the Day of Judgment arrives, the Master of the garden will demand a strict account, not only of every tree, but also of all the fruit produced in the garden.” Meaning, when Jesus asks them what their offerings were during their earthly lives, they would recall nothing, no merit gained from sufferings to enter Heaven. Thus, He will say to them,
“Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”
***
The vision of Blessed Emmerich is a clear representation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church 1502 that states, “sufferings can have a redemptive meaning for the sins of others.” In 1505, the CCC explains, “Christ not only allows himself to be touched by the sick, but he makes their miseries his own: … By his passion and death on the cross Christ has given a new meaning to suffering: it can henceforth configure us to him and unite us with his redemptive Passion.” We also learn from CCC 1521 that suffering “in union with the passion of Christ … acquires a new meaning; it becomes a participation in the saving work of Jesus.”
Our Lady of Fatima
Perhaps among the Church-approved Marian apparitions, it is the apparitions of the Blessed Mother in Fatima that gave so much emphasis on the importance of suffering for the love of God, and making sacrifices and penances.
On her very First Apparition on May 13, 1917, the Lady asked the three children, Lucia dos Santos (now Servant of God), Francisco Marto (now Saint) and Jacinta Marto (now Saint),
“Will you offer yourselves to God, and bear all the sufferings He sends you? In atonement for all the sins that offend Him? And for the conversion of sinners?”
To which, they willingly accepted and replied,
“Oh, we will, we will!”
The Blessed Mother continued,
“Then you will have a great deal to suffer, but the grace of God will be with you and will strengthen you.”
The Blessed Mother assured them and assures us now that the grace of God will strengthen us during our sufferings. But we need to accept and embrace them for us to be able to cooperate with His grace.
Just moments ago on that same day, Lucia asked whether she would go to Heaven, and the Blessed Mother said, “Yes, you will.” When she asked for Jacinta, she answered, “She will too.” But for Francisco, the response of the Blessed Mother would be interesting for those who don’t believe in praying the Rosary:
“Francisco, too, my dear, but he will first have many Rosaries to say.”
From these words of the Blessed Mother, we can see how meritorious praying the Rosaries are in order to gain Heaven. In our modern world, many say that even just a single round of the Rosary is “boring” and makes them fall asleep, and sitting while praying it makes them jittery. What more if they were to pray the Rosary many times? But clearly, both the suffering and those who have no suffering can consider praying the Rosary a big meritorious sacrifice and penance.
During the Blessed Mother’s Apparition on July 13, 1917, she taught us how to offer our sufferings:
“Make sacrifices for sinners, and say often, especially while making a sacrifice: O Jesus, this is for love of Thee, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation for offences committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.”
Each time we feel the burden of our sufferings, let us place our hearts in a loving gaze at Our Lady of Fatima, and heed her request of offering our sufferings and sacrifices to God, and pray the Rosary on a daily basis and as often as we can.
What to say when offering our sufferings
Let me share with you what I personally pray, every day:
O Jesus, I offer You my (name your suffering) in reparation for the sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
O Jesus, I offer You my (name your suffering) in reparation for the sins committed against Your Sacred Heart.
O God the Father Almighty, in the name of Jesus Christ your Son, and by the merits of His Passion, Death and Resurrection, I offer you my (name your suffering) in atonement for the sins that offend You.
O God the Father Almighty, in the name of Jesus Christ your Son, and by the merits of His Passion, Death and Resurrection, I offer you my (name your suffering) for the suffering souls in Purgatory.
Our Lord Jesus Christ, I offer to you my (name your suffering), as my loving share in Your Passion.
***
My Reflection:
1. Back to what I said at the beginning of this Post, I was able to understand later on why Padre Pio said that the greater sufferings we have, the more God loves us. I was also able to embrace what Saint Ignatius said that if God sends us more sufferings, it means that He has great plans for us. When we are afflicted with sufferings and sorrows, it is when God embraces us with more love (even it doesn’t seem so, especially to the faithless and the secular world). That’s because our sufferings are God’s way of giving us so many more chances every day to gain merits for us to qualify and enter Heaven. Our sufferings, if we offer them, will be our magnificent crowns in Heaven, just like what God, Jesus and the Blessed Mother revealed to the Mystic-Saints throughout centuries.
2. The “great plans” that God has for us by giving us sufferings, that we Catholics must look forward to, are not fame and fortune nor worldly pleasures, but the ultimately great plan of having us live with Him, in communion with Saints, for all eternity in Heaven.
3. After reading this, dear Readers, remember not to put into waste every suffering that God sends you or allows into your life. You can’t just take these burdens off your shoulders. Since these sufferings are already with you, be among the wise just who use them to the ‘advantage’ of their souls and gain Heaven. Let us not be like the wicked who do not have any sufferings to offer.
4. Sufferings seem like they have no purpose on earth. Your sufferings can bring you down, and won’t ever make you rich or powerful. It’s true, they don’t mean anything, no purpose, in the temporal life. But in Heaven, our sufferings mean everything, as it is through them that we gain the merits of the “tree” to enter it. Our life on earth, just like any happiness, is nothing but a fleeting moment, with God. But the eternal life in Heaven is, yes, for eternity!
Saint Joseph, pray for us!
Our Blessed Virgin Mary, pray for us!
Amen.
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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I can’t reply to Severo’s Facebook comment directly. But, did God will the terrible act of crucifixion? No. He doesn’t will sin but allows it. The evil one inspired the people to crucify. God used the cross, and death, a result of sin, for His good purpose. In the same way, we can take suffering and turn it into good. God wills that we draw near to Him, and this is easier to do in suffering, so why wouldn’t He send some of it? We don’t deserve any of His blessings anyway.
What if there were no sufferings? Satisfied on earth, we would lack the desire for communion with God in Heaven. Suffering makes us aware of our dependence on Him. Jesus gave His life to show that His Love is stronger than pain and death.
Also, it purifies our souls. Most of us will need to be purified in Purgatory before Heaven, or else everyone in Heaven would be plagued with the guilt and imperfections they had on earth.
I know it’s hard. I feel like a hypocrite, with my aversion to suffering. I pray and trust that God will strengthen me when suffering comes.