ONLY LOVE GIVES MEANING TO SUFFERING

XVI SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Col 1:24-28

There is no life without suffering

Suffering always causes fear in our hearts, and we do everything possible to avoid it. However, we cannot pass through life without suffering. It always comes our way in a great variety of forms.

In the traditional culture of many tribes, during the time of initiation into adulthood, suffering is purposely inflicted in order to lead the initiands to psychological and moral maturity. They are forced to realise that life is a dangerous adventure.

Suffering can be a result of our own limitations, shortcomings and inability to cope; it may come from the environment in which we live, or from the situations which we find ourselves in. And suffering can also be brought about by people who wilfully inflict it on others.

Whenever faced with suffering, we ask ourselves: Why? Why all this suffering? This question is so pertinent that the book of Job was written about it. And in anguish, Job asked: "Why did I not die at birth, come forth from the womb and expire?" (Job 3:11).

Indeed, we ask ourselves: Does suffering serve any purpose? Is there any good in it? And what is the meaning of it? 

Suffering, we cry out for liberation

In suffering, we feel oppressed and deprived of the joy and peace that should be ours, and we cry out for liberation. 

The Christian faith presents the cross of Jesus (his passion and death) as the answer to that cry. Through the road of suffering, he passed the gate of death and entered into the glory of resurrection. Jesus himself interpreted his suffering and death as being for the redemption of many (Mk 10:45). He suffered and died for others, making of his death the greatest proof of his love. Love gave meaning to his passion and death.

Suffering for you

In this Sunday second reading, uniting himself with Jesus, Paul presents the same attitude: "It makes me happy to suffer for you, as I am suffering now, and in my own body to do what I can to make up all that has still to be undergone by Christ for the sake of his body, the Church." (Col 1:24)

Paul, like Christ, makes of his suffering a proof of love: it is "for you"; and by doing that, he unites himself to the passion of Christ, in such a way that he sees the passion of Christ going on in him and bringing redemption to the Church.