It's A Privilege To Suffer
Wednesday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary Time
My dear encountered couples:
Jesus may not have cured us of leprosy like he did the ten men in today’s gospel; let us hope he never has to. He may never cure us of cancer or AIDS or diabetes, but we can be sure he is with us at all times to get us through things like that.
Jesus was never taken off the cross by his Father until he died, but because he believed and trusted, the endurance of God, the long-suffering of God, the victory of God was his. He came out winners.
Why we must suffer what we suffer may remain a mystery to us as long as we are in this world, but Jesus has shown us what putting up with it can lead to. As long as we can trust God, keep faith, and hang in there, nothing but the best will come of it all.
The devil might try to get us to give up our trust and give in to despair, but what good would that do? We would still be suffering, but instead of resulting in good, it would all be for nothing.
Let us ask Jesus for cures, but if they don’t happen, let us believe he is suffering right along with us and sharing with us his strength. After all, when we suffer, we suffer with Christ. It’s then a privilege to suffer.
This very thought, that very faith is what will make us winners in this often perplexing and bewildering difficult game of life.
