We all like being the prayer, but what happens when we are the prayer of suffering? Yesterday was a perfect day for me to reflect on this.
I’ll admit it. I am the biggest baby when it comes to suffering, but it’s something we all must go through. Sometimes it’s quick and other times it seems endless. At times it has to do with our health, while other times it’s circumstances. We are on the cross of suffering or we are at the foot of someone else’s cross. No matter what way it comes, we know God has allowed it and good will come out of it for us and others. It may not feel like it at the time, but it is the undeniable truth. How do we know this? Because God allowed Jesus to suffer. Out of it, we were all saved and Jesus became the King of kings and the Lord of lords.
The suffering of Jesus was a powerful prayer that changed everything.
Whether we see this in our own sufferings or not, if we approach them united to Jesus and offer them as a prayer understanding that we are the prayer – the unceasing prayer – we will make a difference, too.
FIRST LESSON
In reflecting on this, the first thing we can look at is that God the Father allowed the suffering of Jesus. We know this to be the truth. Jesus asked that His crucifixion be removed and it wasn’t. Jesus freely gave His life, but that doesn’t mean He liked it.
Being fully God and embracing our humanity, Jesus knew He would be subject to our free will before He came. He knew how it would end. He respected our free will and out of love, He came anyway allowing His crucifixion. He freely gave His life to us from birth to death. Nobody took it from Him.
Yesterday I was extremely sick. I’m very sensitive to how much caffeine I get on any given day. Over a two day period I increased my intake and then without realizing it, I greatly decreased it the next day. I am always very careful about this. How could I have messed up so badly? God could have awoken me to the fact that I wasn’t paying attention, but He didn’t. I didn’t realize until the morning when I woke with an intense migraine, caffeine withdrawal headache. I went for coffee in hopes it would ease up and I discovered a decaf pod. That was from the afternoon the previous day. I never had regular. I was doomed, but God allowed it. I could be angry, but that would do no good. I chose to do my best to be united to Jesus and try my best to suffer well.
Knowing that God doesn’t allow things to happen without a reason and that the reason is always love helps one to be better able to suffer well for the glory of God and the good of others.
SECOND LESSON
Which brings us to the second thing we can see which is that Jesus’s suffering was a prayer that saved us all if we recognize it and say yes to receiving its fruit. That is one way that God turns things around for us.
If we recognize our sufferings as a powerful prayer, God will use them to help others have their prayers answered and their needs met. No matter what, He always wins.
That day I could pray very little. Thinking even hurt. The cross was my couch. I could not leave. I simply recalled from time to time that there were people who were in great need of this prayer and I offered it up. It lasted for about 12 hours. When it got bad I would ask for the grace to suffer well and I would thankfully fall asleep.
THIRD LESSON
The next thing we can learn from Jesus and His sufferings is that God is always with us in ours. We are never alone. If we feel alone, it is because we are so close to God that we cannot see Him as we could a person or as in those times we call God moments. It seems dark. We may even feel abandoned, but in reality we are experiencing a deep union. God is love and that union is why we are able to suffer with love. It is why Jesus could comfort the weeping women, forgive and take care of His favorite disciple and His mother. It is why people were gathered at the foot of His cross and why people are sent our way to bring us compassion and help.
In our frail human state, we would never be able to suffer well alone. God helps us to take it with love for the good of others. United to Him, He helps us to be the prayer.
If He were not with me, my suffering would have had no meaning and would have been for nothing, but all God allows has a purpose and being united to Him is the only way His purpose can be fully achieved.
FOURTH LESSON
Lastly, we can see that all sufferings, when united to God, are rewarded. Jesus became King of kings and Lord of lords by suffering and He was able to go to the true paradise of Heaven. That is the goal of our final suffering. We suffer greatly when we see our loved ones leave. It is a great heartache, but it is a reality. We must all say goodbye to those we love one day because the reward of their final suffering is Heaven. The many sufferings that we endure daily until that time are rewarded as well if we are mindful of being the prayer, united to Jesus. We know that in some form or other, great or small, we will have to pick up our cross daily. The cross picked up well will have its rewards just as it did for Jesus. Jesus got to be with his Father as a result. Whether we notice or not, we will be closer to God the Father and Jesus because of our sufferings.
Every suffering Jesus endured throughout His life brought Him closer and closer to His Father until, in His last suffering, His union had reached its full completion.
The same holds true for us, which is why it is vital to embrace every cross with love. Each one, when embraced with love, is rewarded with a deeper union.
Jesus was blessed with becoming the King of kings and Lord of lords because He was the prayer of suffering for us.
We may not see it, but in some way we are given a blessing because of our suffering.
Every cross Jesus had all His life helped him draw closer to God the Father and ultimately blessed Him and guided Him along to fulfill His purpose. If we are to put on Christ and follow Jesus, the same can then be said of our sufferings and the sacrifices we choose.
REFLECTIONS TO PRAYERFULLY PONDER
In prayer and throughout the day ponder on the fact that Jesus wanted so badly to be with you that He came knowing in the end He would be crucified. Ponder on the greatness of that love!
Meditate on Luke 9:23.
What crosses did you have to pick up today? Did you ask for the grace to suffer well so that you could be an effective prayer for others?
Meditate on Phil 4:13.
Do you see the benefit of being mindful that you do not suffer alone and of. asking God to help you to suffer well?
Meditate on 2 Timothy 4:6-8.
Prayerfully reflect on the final outcome of your life if you live knowing that you suffered well with Jesus throughout it. How do you feel? Talk to God about it.