Suffering with a Cause

Today’s Gospel:  saying, "The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised."

23 And he said to all, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake, he will save it. 25 For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?  Luke 9:22-25

Reflection: “The Son of man must suffer many things.”  Isn’t rejection in itself a great suffering and then add to it death.  A holy man suffers the pangs of death more than an unholy man.  This is because he carries in himself life, the very life of God.  

The visible form of this suffering of Jesus is greatly manifested as he expresses the deep emotional distress. The evangelists bring this fact out by describing the little details of him sweating blood and the agony of his pleadings.

What could be his greatest suffering? Is it the physical abuse, the whipping with the many lashes, the punching in his face, the crown of thorns on his head or the rejection of the Jews and others?

Seeing before his eyes the hardness of the hearts of men, who would not see their own salvation at stake by rejecting the very author of their salvation, was the greatest suffering of Christ.

Why are the majority so lost in the cruel world of indifference towards a God who loves them and cares for them and even comes to reach out to them constantly?  The cross and death that Jesus endured out of love for us is a sealed PROOF of the love of God for the ungrateful humanity. A humanity which is hardened and deceived and allowing themselves to be deceived by the deception that dwells in the many riches of this world.

Prayer:  Lord, that I may that I may know you and the power of your resurrection, and may share your sufferings, becoming like you in your death.” (cfr. Phil 3:10)

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