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The Southern Cross, Page 8 Thursday, April 6, 2000 fs The factors of Christian suffering Jesus added a comparison that is easy to understand. “When a woman is in labor, she is in anguish because her hour has arrived; but when she has given birth to a child, she no longer re members the pain because of her joy that a child has been born into the world” (Jn 16:21). Jesus did not apply the comparison to his own suf- fering but to the disciples’ suffering: “So you also are now in anguish. But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you” (Jn 16:22). Reflecting on Jesus’ passion, many Christians focus on his physi cal pain. A lot of religious art, de picting Jesus on the cross with his gaping wounds, reinforces this ten dency. Instead, I believe we should focus on Jesus’ spiritual pain. Reading the Gospels slowly and carefully, and reflecting on our lives through the Gospels, should reinforce our images of Jesus’ spiritual pain. Jesus loved his disciples, including Judas. At the Last Supper, Judas, eating with Jesus, dipping in the same dish, was planning his be trayal. And every disciple abandoned Jesus when he was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane. Simon Peter denied even knowing Jesus and de nied his own identity when he was tieflecting on Jesus’ passion, many Christians focus on his physical pain. A lot of religious art ... reinforces this tendency. Instead, I believe we should focus on Jesus’ spiritual pain.... Seeing the disciples betraying him, abandoning him and denying him, Jesus must have suffered greatly.” sufferings for the salvation of oth ers. Offering our sufferings for others, we ourselves receive the grace of salvation. After Jesus announced his pas sion for the first time, Jesus applied his passion to Christian life: “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it” (Mk 8:35). Finally, for Christ’s followers, the Eucharist is the sacrament of Christian suffering and Christian love. In the celebration of the Eu charist, we do not think of our ov/n suffering. With Jesus, we share our lives — with love — with others. (Father LaVerdiere, a Blessed Sacrament priest, is a Scripture scholar and senior editor of Emmanuel magazine.) At the Last Supper in John’s Gos pel, Jesus spoke to the disciples of his departure and his return: “Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices; you will grieve, but your grief will become joy” (Jn 16:20). interrogated by the high priest’s maid. Seeing the disciples betraying him, abandoning him and denying him, Jesus must have suffered greatly. ■ ■ ■ The redemptive value of suffering comes to mind when we reflect on it. Jesus re deemed the whole world by his passion. As Christians and disciples, we are follow ing Jesus Christ. As followers, we have to be with him in solidarity, to pattern our lives on his life and take up his mission. As such, our suffering also should be redemptive. Jesus offered and gave his life not for himself but for others. In solidarity with him, we offer our lives not for ourselves but for others. As with the passion of Christ, our suffer ings are redemptive, not for ourselves, but for others. With God’s grace we offer our physical and spiritual By Father Eugene LaVerdiere, SSS Catholic News Service T or the key to Christian suffer ing, we should look to the passion of Christ. 1. First, throughout the passion, Jesus fo cused not on himself but on others. 2. Also throughout the passion, Jesus loved everyone, even the people who be trayed, tortured and crucified him. St. Paul probably was thinking of Jesus’ passion when he wrote a stirring passage on love: “If I give away ev erything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing” (1 Cor 13:3). 3. Third, in sorrow and joy, Jesus prayed at this time to God with the title “Abba.” With the address, “Abba,” Jesus was showing to his disciples his intimate relation ship with the Father. In Christ, we share in Jesus’ relationship with God. As children of God, with Jesus we ourselves can call God Abba! 4. Fourth, Jesus did not seek suf fering. In his agony in the garden he prayed: “Abba, Father, all things are possible to you. Take this cup away from me, but not what I will but what you will” (Mk 14:36). In this prayer, Jesus was teach ing us the Christian attitude con cerning suffering. According to Jesus’ prayer, we have to seek not suffering but God’s will. 5. Last, Jesus was not passive but active in his passion. The suf fering had a purpose for him. Jesus’ life was not taken away. He offered and shared his life so that all people could live, including us. As we read of the Last Supper, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke the bread and gave it to his disciples, and said: “This is my CNS photo by Bill Wittman body” (Mk 14:22). Giving his life, Jesus did not think of his own suffering. ■ ■ ■ Physical pain immediately comes to mind when we think of suffering. But there are many kinds of human suffering, including spiritual suffer ing. When a relative or friend dies, we suffer grief. We mourn our loss. When our loved ones suffer pain or sorrow, we suffer with them. Sometimes suffering is extremely productive. FOODFORTHOUGHT The problem with real suffering is that it hurts. Compounding the hurt is this reality: Something about the situations suffering people face may be beyond their immediate control. So what happens when you suffer? You may be tempted to despair. Pope John Paul II has written of this thread in the fabric of suffering. Again, you may feel alone, as if no one ever faced a situation this distressing before. It’s that bad! Your sense of powerlessness over the situation may cause you to feel like a failure — especially if deep down you view all forms of human weakness as failings. And lacking an instant solution to the cause of your suffering, you may grow angry. Isn’t there supposed to be a quick fix for everything today? It’s a fact that many who suffer are tempted to retreat further and further into isolation from others. Another fact is that those who have “been there” often are just the ones to help suffering people see that they don’t have to remain alone, that they’re not failures and not the first to face a situation that seems “that bad!” } g David Gibson, Editor, Faith Alive! ' \ W'