Redemptive Suffering and Colossians 1:24

Last evening I was listening to an old friend telling her missionary stories from the past 6 years and how she felt totally spent and needed an extended time to heal. All I could think of (to encourage her) was a scripture passage in Colossians 1:24:

" I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church."

I didn't say it to her. I was worrying that I myself didn't understand the concept of "Redemptive Suffering", or the concept of "Offering it up" our suffering; and in fact, the understanding of Col 1:24 itself. So I decided to look it up.

First I tried to google "Col 1:24 commentary". The results were mostly from the protestant sources - none of them really explains the concept of Redemptive Suffering at all. I realized that the concept of Redemptive Suffering was really something I learned since becoming a Catholic. So I tried "col 1:24 to offer it up your suffering" and found this very helpful and recent article by Father Thomas Berg in the Catholic Digest: "What does it really mean to ‘offer it up’?":

(1) The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC #618) gives us the theological framework of the practice of “offering it up”: "Christ makes us — members of his Mystical Body — participants in that redemptive self-offering of Christ our head". This is the mystery of the redemptive suffering that Paul describes in Col 1:24.

(2) In his encyclical (Salvifici Doloris, 19) Pope St. John Paul II described the relationship between Christ’s redemptive sacrifice and our mysterious participation in it with these words:

"In bringing about the Redemption through suffering, Christ has also raised human suffering to the level of the Redemption. Thus each man, in his suffering, can also become a sharer in the redemptive suffering of Christ."

(3) Our Blessed Mother in most of her apparitions, particularly at Fatima "... has repeatedly reminded us of this mysterious participation in redemptive suffering. The three visionaries of Fatima received her message as a call, in part, to live the rest of their lives finding frequent opportunities to offer acts of reparation for sinners."

(4) The Daily Offering prayer (which I pray every day) "captures what should be ideally our habitual attitude of offering the “prayers, works, joys, and sufferings of this day in union with the holy sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world.” To live with that attitude is something beautiful in God’s eyes."..."A readiness to offer up sacrifices is the best antidote to a mentality of complaining, irritability, negativity, and cynicism."

Unless you Change and Become like Children

 “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:3)

The scripture reading this morning (Matthew 18:1-5, 10) brought to mind the exchange between Nicodemus and Jesus in John 3:3 “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again”. Nicodemus, who is a very learned man, then asked our Lord Jesus,  “How can someone be born when they are old? Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”

The same is true in understanding what Jesus meant by changing and becoming like children. Gotquestions.com has this to say about it:

"Of course, children are easily fooled and led astray. In their artlessness they tend to miss the truth and be drawn to myths and fantasies. But that is not what is meant by having a childlike faith. Jesus promoted a humble, honest faith in God, and He used the innocence of a child as an example. Emulating the faith of children, we should simply take God at His Word. As children trust their earthly fathers, we should trust that our “Father in heaven [will] give good gifts to those who ask him” (Matthew 7:11)."

"The Bible never exhorts us to have “childlike” faith, at least not in so many words. In Matthew 18:2 Jesus says that we must “become as little children” in order to enter the kingdom of God. The context of Jesus’ statement is the disciples’ question, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” (verse 1)."

"So, as the disciples focus on what constitutes “greatness” in heaven, Jesus provides a new perspective: the way “up” is “down.” Meekness is required (cf. Matthew 5:5). Jesus exhorts the disciples (and us) to seek to possess a childlike modesty in addition to their faith. Those who willingly take the lowest position are the greatest in heaven’s eyes. A young child is destitute of ambition, pride, and haughtiness and is therefore a good example for us. Children are characteristically humble and teachable. They aren’t prone to pride or hypocrisy. Humility is a virtue rewarded by God; as James says, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up” (James 4:10)."

In my meditation I also considered that the process of changing and thus becoming like children cannot happen without the knowledge of who God is and trusting that it is by His grace that we can get there.

This morning I also read Job 38:1, 12-21; 40:3-5 which illustrated this teaching: after considerable suffering, when Job was faced with who God is, His Omnipotence, Omniscience, and Omnipresence, he came to this conclusion:

“I am unworthy—how can I reply to you?
    I put my hand over my mouth.
I spoke once, but I have no answer—
    twice, but I will say no more.”

God knows me and He has provided me with means to receive the grace I need through sacraments and prayers (this month is the Month of the Holy Rosary), and with the help of the Holy Spirit and Angels (today is the Feast of the Guardian Angels!) and Saints.

"For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well." (Psalm 139:13-14)

Praise God!