The Value of Suffering

One thing that can add immeasurably to the feelings of despondency of those who are sick and suffering is the sense that their pain is futile. What our faith has to offer to the sick is a sense of purpose, to see that whatever they endure is not in vain, and, in fact, can be of great value; salvific value even.

The world sees pain as pointless - I suppose that if you limit your horizons to believing that this life is the be-all-and-end-all, then pain is the futile cousin and pre-cursor to the absurdity of death and annihilation. For us Christians on the other hand, pain is full of potential - we know that the sufferings of Christ were the very means of our salvation, we know too that when united to the sufferings of Christ the pains that we experience also take on supernatural value and can help to atone for sins and to win graces from the good God. How consoling it can be to encourage a suffering soul by telling him that what he is undergoing can bring comfort to the souls in Purgatory, or help some other soul to be saved - it means, then, that suffering becomes something immensely positive in so far as we accept it in faith.

We should remind those who are sick of the great contribution they have to offer to the salvation of souls, and encourage them in their privileged vocation of sharing the burden of our Lord's own suffering for the sins of the world. Whilst in charity we do what is necessary to alleviate the pains of the suffering our view is wholly different from that of the world - we see that the suffering, the disabled, and so on,  have something tremendous and beautiful to offer mankind.

Preparation for Holy Mass

Whilst recognising the centrality of the Holy Eucharist to our faith and our relationship with the Almighty we can, at times, be remiss in the the manner in which we prepare to participate in the Sacred Mysteries. We must remember that in order to be properly disposed to participate in Holy Mass we should take some time to recollect ourselves, to pray, to examine our conscience. Rushing in to Mass at the last minute (under normal circumstances) will never be the right kind of preparation, as it takes at least a few minutes for us to calm ourselves, and to recognise what it is that we are about to engage in. Even some moments of quiet before Mass begins will  help us to be better disposed. This is why it is important, too, that we respect the silence of the Church in order that those around us can make their personal preparation to welcome Jesus. If we have the opportunity we should also try, perhaps even the night before if we know we will be rushed in the morning, to look over the next day's Scripture readings, so that we don't hear them 'cold'. It's all common sense, but now and again it helps to remind ourselves of these basic principles that will help us to participate in Holy Mass in a more fruitful manner.

The Medicine of Immortality

Saint Ignatius of Antioch says that in the Holy Eucharist, we: "break the one bread that provides the medicine of immortality, the antidote for death and the food that makes us live forever in Jesus Christ." (Taken from the Compendium Catechism, pg. 97)