Holy Thursday Morning Prayer
Heb 2 9b-10
Dc. Larry Brockman
Suffering! All of us face our share of suffering. Whether it is the suffering that comes with poverty, exile, persecution, or natural disaster; or personal suffering due to disease, old age, handicap, stressful relationships, loneliness, or rejection; or any of the other forms of mental or physical suffering, all of us will experience our fair share of it during our lifetimes. But our suffering, no matter how intense, pales by comparison to the suffering that Jesus experienced during his Passion.
I am reminded of a photo I saw on Facebook that shows one of us seated on a bench in obvious mental and physical distress. Our companion is Jesus, who has his arm around us. Jesus is wearing a crown of thorns, is bleeding, and bears obvious physical welts. Jesus is quoted as saying the following to his companion: “Tell me about your problem”. When I saw that, I got it.
And this is a good thing- that while we are all put to the test, our test cannot be compared to what Our Lord went through. It’s what Paul means this morning when he addresses us about how fitting it is that Jesus be made perfect through suffering as he brings his many sons to glory.
Yes, Jesus is leading the way; and we are all about to follow that process during the Triduum services tonight, Friday, and Easter. Let us all reflect on our lives, on the suffering past and future, that we will experience. And let us give glory to God that each of us will receive the graces we need to follow Jesus through redemptive suffering. If we bravely endure God’s will for us, including whatever hardship that entails, then we will experience the joy that comes with the Resurrection on Easter Sunday because we will also be brought to glory and everlasting life. Amen.
Tags: Redemptive Suffering