EMBRACING THE CROSS

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A friend was down with the flu bug and we were chatting on whatsapp about Lent, and about suffering.

She thought aloud with me....”how to love our suffering?  I can’t say I love my bad flu bug….rather, it's more of quiet acceptance & not complaining…"

Are we called to love our suffering?  Or do we mean we are called to embrace our suffering.    It’s not about loving our flu bug, but about embracing it and glorifying the Lord by our response to it.

My friend shared what Pope John Paul II said about Padre Pio at his canonisation:
"The life and mission of Padre Pio testify that the difficulties and sorrows, if accepted with love, transform themselves into a privileged journey of holiness, which opens the person toward a greater good, known only to the Lord.”   Pope John Paul II 

What came to mind was George Yeo’s wife Jennifer’s attitude towards cancer cells that invaded her body.   I searched out notes I’d taken during her talk - she spoke about being compassionate to her cancer:

"She recounted how well intended people told her to fight the cancer and battle the disease.  She thought otherwise.    Cancer cells are part of our body.  God is the source of life, He knows our body, he knows the “source code”, the algorithm.  Every cell in our body was birthed to achieve a purpose.  And when the purpose is achieved, the ceils die in the course of nature as part of God's plan.  Cancer cells are cells that have gone wrong, they have rebelled, and they refuse to die, they try all means to get fed and to get its energy.  Cancer cells are a rebellion in our body.  She advocates asking God to send His love to the body, to come into every cell, including the rebellious cancer cells, to have compassion upon them.  And so she began to talk to the cancer cells, telling them not to be afraid, to surrender to the Lord, telling them to behave… and commanded the cancer cells “In the name of Jesus, be healed. In the name of Jesus, conform to the will of the living God.””   
 
 
(Link to rest of my notes taken during her talk in Mar 
 

And so, I want to remember...

When suffering comes my way
When sorrow hits
it is not about fighting against it
Not about winning or losing the battle
It is not even only about not complaining

It is about embracing the suffering
Befriending our sorrow
Accepting them with love
Surrendering them to the Lord
Allowing our response to glorify the Lord
Allowing the suffering to be transformed
Allowing the journey to become a blessing
To become a privilege

Allowing ourselves to be open to a greater good
That we may not understand
But is known only to the Lord

By this response may we conform our will to His
Knowing that He is well pleased
Savouring that expectant joy that lingers in our heart
Fixing our longing gaze towards Eternity

All is well with our souls
Isn’t that all that matters….
 
 
 


 

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