Whether our suffering takes the form of child loss, of physical pain, of the small, daily sufferings that come from serving Him through our vocations, or all of these, when we offer them in love, uniting them to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which suffered so much out of love for us, we can be assured that our suffering is the currency of heaven, and that Jesus is using it to purify us and make us like Himself.
Tag Archives: suffering
In the Raw – Our God is in Control
I was overwhelmed. I can remember those feelings every year – trying to be strong and to navigate everything while feeling so emotionally and physically weak. And this year is no different. Except that, despite all of my could be’s and should be’s from the past week, I am reminded, kindly, gently, by a Father who has never been anything but loving and trustworthy and good to me, that He is.
In the Raw – Blessed be the Name of the Lord
When Brigid died, I was challenged by the book of Job. I had people telling me it was okay to be angry at God – that He could take it. And I knew this was true. But I had a lifelong relationship with God and Jesus. I knew that trials and suffering were part of life and that they weren’t to blame for them. I knew that trials strengthened our faith. And I remembered that when, at the end of the book, Job even dared to question, “Why?” God sat him down and told him of all His vast knowledge and power. Sometimes, even sarcastically – “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!” (Job 38:4) I knew what that meant. Sarcasm is my second language.
In the Raw – What Could Have Been
A particularly trying day with my kids on Sunday left me thinking a lot about those things. The two hours spent getting everyone dressed and out the door for, and then sitting through, church leave me feeling steamrolled, and maybe it was because of the girls’ upcoming birthday, but on that particular day, I spent a lot of time wondering if I could have managed if my twins were with us. And if they were, would we still have our sweet youngest daughter? If things are difficult and I feel overwhelmed with four, am I glad that I don’t have two more? Did God know I couldn’t handle it?
In the Raw – Worth It
Whatever it takes to save them, we said, it will be worth it. We will do it.
But Fiona’s heart was no longer beating the day after the surgery, and suddenly our world came crashing down around us.
We’d wanted four children, but not like this. Not five minus one.
In the Raw – Comfort From My Father
I remembered that He refines us by fire, and that when a refiner is working with precious metals, making them pure and perfecting them, he holds them in the fire just until he can see his own reflection and all the impurities are burned away – not for a moment longer. And then, he takes them out. But he doesn’t just leave them. He molds them into something special.
In the Raw – Grieving Other Losses
There are so many facets to our losses that it is no wonder that our grief can spiral back and catch us off guard sometimes, rearing its ugly head and reducing us to tears at different times throughout the year. Years.
The Seventh Sword of Sorrow – The Burial of Jesus
They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths, according to the burial custom of the Jews. Now there was a garden in the place where he was crucified, and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid. And so, becauseContinue reading “The Seventh Sword of Sorrow – The Burial of Jesus”
The Sixth Sword of Sorrow – Receiving the Body of Jesus Taken Down from the Cross
Have you ever accompanied a loved one through their suffering? Whether it is a physical illness, the pain of addiction, or an emotional trauma, bearing witness to the suffering of another is a very difficult thing to do, and the closer the relationship we have with them, the more painful it is.
To understand the intensity of the suffering this sword caused our Blessed Mother, we must first understand how much love she had for her Son.
The Fifth Sword of Sorrow – The Death of Jesus
Have you ever accompanied a loved one through their suffering? Whether it is a physical illness, the pain of addiction, or an emotional trauma, bearing witness to the suffering of another is a very difficult thing to do, and the closer the relationship we have with them, the more painful it is.
To understand the intensity of the suffering this sword caused our Blessed Mother, we must first understand how much love she had for her Son.