Daily Thought For September 21, 2020
Avoiding Bitterness In Suffering
After my own spiritual journey in the writing of this book, I find hope and joy in these truths gleaned from the lives of my saints: Whereas in fairy tales all the difficulties come first, then the hero and heroine marry, and they live happily ever after with death never mentioned; in the story of the saints being drawn closer to Christ, first come many years of intense suffering with intense joy in the spiritual marriage, interior peace in the depths of the soul, and a promise of eternal bliss. All the energy I put into running away from pain, the saints put into running toward Christ. As a result, when I want to find joy in Christ, I have to retrace my steps, whereas they dwell in possession of their beloved, finding joy in him in the midst of their trials. In their union with Christ, the saints did not suffer alone. Their suffering was his, and his theirs. Everything for them was more intimate, if inescapable. I can imitate them by longing for that intimacy instead of escaping into my addictions. While I cannot force myself through sheer willpower to drum up suffering for Christ, I should desire to offer up the sufferings in my life for him. Such a desire for suffering, which then has real redemptive value, is not morbid. I need to give more time to prayer, asking Jesus to inundate me with love, so that I will become stronger. In the meantime, weak as I am, by humble acceptance of pain that cannot be evaded, I can prepare myself for closer union with its greater solace. I must not shrink from the realization that I need purification in pain to be purged of my sins and imperfections. In my love for the Church and all people created by God, I need to stop myself from sinking in self-pity. I need to ask the Holy Spirit to remind me that I can offer my sufferings for others, believing that Christ will use those offerings to build his kingdom. I shall remember that Jesus took joy in the Cross, wanting in his love to redeem us, to open the doors of eternal happiness for us.
Chervin, Ronda. Avoiding Bitterness in Suffering (pp. 234-236). Sophia Institute Press. Kindle Edition.