Monday Holy hour Reflection

Suffering –Part 2
Welcome to the second part of our reflection on Suffering.
The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed to God to rescue him. Every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming. Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements, and to store his few possessions. One day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, with smoke rolling up to the sky. He felt the worst had happened, and everything was lost. He was stunned with disbelief, grief, and anger He cried out, "God! How could you do this to me?" Early the next day, he was awakened by the sound of a ship approaching the island! It had come to rescue him! "How did you know I was here?," asked the weary man of his rescuers. "We saw your smoke signal," they replied. Yes dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, It’s easy to get discouraged when things are going bad, but we shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our lives.... even in the midst of our pain and suffering. Remember that the next time your little hut seems to be burning to the ground; it just may be a smoke signal that summons the Grace of God.
Have you ever asked whether we Can Overcome Suffering?
A lot of our suffering is due to our own unwise choices.
For the Christian, suffering helps us to keep our eyes on things of eternal value, to have compassion on others, to develop patience, to prove our love and loyalty towards God, and to prove to men the genuineness of our convictions and our love.
Don't just think of your own suffering, but consider the suffering of God Himself. Jesus Christ was no stranger to suffering. As God in the flesh, He was certainly willing to take some of his own medicine. He lived, suffered rejection and died a frightening death of agony - and it was for you and me.
Richard Rose once said: "There are basically two kinds of people in the world: Sufferers, and Learners."
If we open the book of Job in the Old Testament, we are faced with another question: “Why do good people suffer?” The book had no answer. It just said: “We don’t know why good people suffer. We just have to keep trusting in God.” God will not lead you where his grace cannot keep you. St. Paul who was suffering from a painful illness was told by God: “My grace is enough for you.” We just have to keep on trusting in God.
Are we doomed to just suffer, and live as "sufferers," or is there any way we can "learn" what to do about it?
Perhaps the best example in the Bible of such a struggle is found in the Book of Job. Job suffers the loss of possessions and family, and is afflicted with a terrible disease. Three friends hear of his plight and come to console him. After Job’s cry of pain (Ch. 3), the discussion begins.
Why is Job suffering? One easy answer that surfaces right away is that Job deserves it, that he is suffering because of his sins (see 4:7-19; 11:4-6). When Job rejects this explanation, his friends counter, in effect, “Don’t give us that! All humans are rotten sinners!” For them, there is no such thing as an innocent sufferer. All suffering is somehow a punishment for sin. Sad to say, Job’s friends have vocal descendants down to our present day. While it is true that our sinful actions can and do have consequences, as an all-purpose explanation, this one is far too simplistic.
Even within the Book of Job, the situation is more complicated. We, the readers, know right from the start that the friends are wrong here. Job is righteous, and his suffering is allowed by God in order to test his virtue (Ch. 1-2). Other answers also appear in the book. Like any good ancient Near Eastern father, God disciplines us through suffering to make us better (5:17-18; 36:15; see also Proverbs 3:11-12). Or, suffering is mysterious, and who are we to understand God’s ways? (11:7-10; 15:8-9).
In fact, maybe the problem with suffering is that ultimately it is not really a “problem” at all. It is, rather, a mystery.
What is the difference? A problem is something “out there.” We can see all the pieces; we can survey all its dimensions. The question is how do we put it together? How do we “solve” it? Problems are solved on the intellectual level. A mystery, on the other hand, is quite different. It is a situation in which I, as a unique human being, am so immersed, am so surrounded, that I can never get far enough away to see it all “out there.” Love is a mystery; so is death. And so is suffering.
We will never “solve” the meaning of suffering any more than we will “solve” the meaning of love.
Nowhere in Scripture do we read, “Have faith in me, and you will understand all things, including [or, especially] suffering!” But we do read, whatever the suffering, “Do not be afraid, for I am with you.” We do not suffer alone. Together, we will survive all suffering, even death itself!
Let us heed the words of Tennessee Williams who said, don’t look forward to the day you stop suffering, because when it comes you'll know you're dead.
The real secret to getting off the cross is in helping others off of their crosses. We are not resurrected bodily from an empty tomb. We are resurrected in spirit when we grasp the hand of another in need. We cannot be transformed alone. We are transformed only with another.
There is a story of a man who once stood before God, his heart breaking from the pain and injustice in the world. Dear God, he cried out, look at all the suffering, the anguish, and distress in your world. Why don’t you send help? God responded, I did send help. I sent you.
It is up to us to not only getting ourselves off the cross but to help others to rise to hope and liberation.
The Bible tells us in Revelation 21:4 that there is coming a time when all sorrow, tears, pain and death will pass away. There's coming a wonderful day when God will wipe away all tears from the eyes of His children, and our sorrow will end forever.
Have you ever thought from where This Suffering and Sorrow came?-There was a time on this earth when suffering and sorrow did not exist. When God first created man upon the earth, everything was perfect. There was no sickness, no pain, and no sorrow of any kind. It was God's plan for man to live in peace and harmony never having to experience sorrow. According to Genesis chapter three, it wasn't until man chose the way of Satan, rather than the way of God, that sorrow entered the world. Man sins against God in Genesis 3:6-7, and God reveals to Adam and Eve the consequences of sin in Genesis 3:16-19. God told Adam and Eve that they would now experience SORROW and DEATH. Therefore, the suffering and sorrow that you and I face today is not the work of an unjust God; it's the consequences of sin. We suffer because we are sinners. Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
We suffer and die because of SIN. You say, "I didn't do anything wrong. Why am I a sinner?" We are all born with a sin nature. We inherited our fallen sin nature from Adam and Eve. Romans 5:12 says, "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:" We read in Romans 3:23 that ALL HAVE SINNED and come short of the glory of God. Why do we suffer? We suffer because we are sinners by nature.
Some People Suffer for the Salvation of Lost Souls.
Perhaps you are thinking, "Well, what's the point? What does God accomplish by allowing us to suffer?" Very simple: He's trying to tell us something. By allowing people to suffer, God is showing us that SOMETHING IS WRONG. If everything were alright between man and God, then there would be no sorrow and death, because in the beginning there was none. God is showing you every day of your life that man has been SEPARATED from Him because of sin, and that man is destined to an eternity in Hell Fire unless he comes to God for help. The fact that God allows suffering and agony today proves that He will allow it in eternity as well.
As someone has said, "Some people won't look up to God until He puts them on their back." This is sad, but true. There are many people who would still be lost in their sins if God had not brought some tragedy into their life to get their attention.
Do you suppose the leper of Matthew 8:2 would have came to Jesus if he'd been in perfect health? What about the blind man of Luke 18:35? II Kings chapter five tells the story of Naman, the Syrian captain who had leprosy. Had this man not had leprosy, he would never have turned to God. The Bible is filled with cases where God reaches people through suffering. Nebuchadnezzar didn't fear God until God humbled him by making his spend seven years of his life on his hands and knees like an animal (Dan. 4:30-37).
Sometimes He will even use the tragedy of one to bring OTHERS to Christ. Such is the case with Lazarus in John chapter eleven. Lazarus was very sick, but before he ever died Jesus said that his sickness was "for the glory of God" (Jn. 11:2-4). Later, in John 11:45, we read that ". . . . many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him." We also read in John 12:11 that many believed on the Lord Jesus Christ BECAUSE OF LAZARUS.
I Peter 2:19-21 tells us that it is our duty to follow our Lord's example in suffering, and I Peter 4:12-16 tells us to be happy when we suffer for Christ, and it tells us not to be ashamed.
Romans 8:18 says, "For I recon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." We read in I Peter 5:10 that our suffering in this present world is only for "a while."
Why does God allow them to suffer? There are many reasons.
One reason is humility. The Apostle Paul didn't live in sin and he didn't lack faith in God, but he DID have to suffer. Why? He tells us why in II Corinthians 12:7: "And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure." Whatever this thorn in the flesh was, verses eight and nine tell us that God chose NOT to take it from Paul. Instead, He chose to give Paul the GRACE to bear the burden. God used this problem in Paul's life to help keep him humble, to keep him from being exalted above measure.
Sometimes God sees the need to put us through some things for the purpose of making us stronger. Paul tells us in II Timothy 2:3 to, ". . . . endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ." You know, many times a drill sergeant will put a soldier through some things just to make him tough, just to see how much he's willing to take--how dedicated he is. There may not seem to be any logical reason for the trouble that we often face, but God always has a reason. Sometimes He's just trying to make us tougher.
God will also use suffering to teach us patience. Romans 5:3 tells us that, ". . . . Tribulation worked patience. . . “Remember Job? God allowed Satan to take Job's oxen, his asses, his sheep, his camels, his servants, his children, and even his health. Yet, the Bible says, ". . . . In all this did not Job sin with his lips?" (Job 2:10) In the latter end God restored to Job TWICE as much as he originally had (Job 42:10).
Some people suffer so that they will be better equipped to comfort others in their suffering (II Cor. 1:3-4). It's always a blessing to know someone who has gone through the same troubles that you are going through, for they usually have some helpful words of comfort and wisdom. Are you going through some pretty tough times? Maybe the Lord is giving you the experience that you'll need to help someone else later. When some of our good parishioners knew that I am going through some difficulty with my lungs and thyroid, each time when they see me they use to ask me “father did you have your biopsy? What is the result? Because I know that they had gone through the same cases. God may give us some suffering:-
To Make Us Realize that We Are Totally Dependent on God: To Cause Us to Call Upon God in the Day of Trouble: To Make Us Realize that We Need Each Other: To Remind Us That Life Is Short: To Sort Out Our Priorities: To Remind Us of the Curse of Sin: To Show God’s Power to Restore:
He always knows what is best, and He never makes a mistake. David said, "It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes." (Psa. 119:71) The Apostle Paul, one who suffered greatly, said these words in Romans 8:28: "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." He also said, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Philip. 4:13)
In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.Amen.