These men, conquering all human fraility, shed their blood and helped the Church to grow. By sharing the cup of the Lord's suffering, they became the friends of God.
Let us not ask ourselves only: who was Paul? Let us ask ourselves above all: who is Paul? What does he say to me?
In the Letter to the Galatians, St Paul gives a very personal profession of faith in which he opens his heart to readers of all times and reveals what was the most intimate drive of his life. “I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.” All Paul's actions begin from this centre. His faith is the experience of being loved by Jesus Christ in a very personal way. It is awareness of the fact that Christ did not face death for something anonymous but rather for love of him - of Paul - and that, as the Risen One, he still loves him; in other words, Christ gave himself for him. Paul's faith is being struck by the love of Jesus Christ, a love that overwhelms him to his depths and transforms him. His faith is not a theory, an opinion about God and the world. His faith is the impact of God's love in his heart. Thus, this same faith was love for Jesus Christ...
In a world in which falsehood is powerful, the truth is paid for with suffering. The one who desires to avoid suffering, to keep it at bay, keeps life itself and its greatness at bay; he cannot be a servant of truth and thus a servant of faith. There is no love without suffering - without the suffering of renouncing oneself, of the transformation and purification of self for true freedom. Where there is nothing worth suffering for, even life loses its value. The Eucharist - the centre of our Christian being - is founded on Jesus' sacrifice for us; it is born from the suffering of love which culminated in the Cross. We live by this love that gives itself. It gives us the courage and strength to suffer with Christ and for him in this world, knowing that in this very way our life becomes great and mature and true. (emphasis added)
No one likes suffering...not even the greatest of saints. But, as the opening antiphon for today attests, those who share in the cup of the Lord's suffering become the friends of God. This is something that I try to think of each time I receive Communion under the form of wine: This is the cup of the Lord's suffering which must be consumed in order to love. Our suffering is different than that of Saints Peter and Paul, but it is no less real and has no less impact on our lives. By drinking from it fully, may we all have a share in Christ's everlasting life.
Oooh...good post. Timely, even though I'm a bit late coming to it. I've found Fr. Neuhaus's book "Death on a Friday Afternoon" to be quite potent as well in dealing with suffering. He encourages one not to "rush to the joy of Easter," but to "stay at the foot of the Cross" in our sufferings. Heavy stuff, to be sure, but a thoroughly wonderful read sure to enrich the reader...
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