“God had one Son on earth without sin, but never one without suffering.” St. Augustine
Author: Cathy Loh; Diocese of Palm Beach, Director of Marriage, Family Life, Faith Formation and Youth Ministry
This quote from St. Augustine was not one I ever thought I would choose for a blog reflection. However, personal events during the last month drew me to ponder this quote. On September 15, the memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows, my father passed into eternal life after a lengthy illness. He was almost 90 years of age, and he had a full life with its share of joys and sorrows, successes and challenges. He certainly experienced his share of suffering. Two weeks later, my mom was sent to the Emergency Room with breathing challenges, and she spent the week hospitalized in the Progressive Care Unit. As I write this in early October, she is being cared for in an acute rehabilitation hospital, and we still have more questions than answers.
In the midst of all of this, I was reminded of a quote from the Book of Job: “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21). Unfortunately, suffering is part of our human experience, but unlike our Hebrew forebearers, we now understand that suffering is not punishment for sin or wrongdoing but is a result of original sin entering the world. We know that Jesus was like us in all things (c.f. Hebrews 2:17), except sin (cf. Hebrews 4:15), and yet he suffered intensely, “even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8). Suffering invites us to consider its purpose and to question why it is an inevitable part of our lived experience. As St. Paul encourages us in Romans 5:3-5: “More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance proven character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” Perhaps suffering is meant to draw us closer to God, or strengthen our faith, or purify our character. Suffering challenges us to step out of our immediate circumstances and find God in that suffering, trusting that he is there and that he will see us through.
Thinking again about the quote from Job cited above, we recognize that yes, the Lord takes away, but he also gives in so many ways. Surprisingly, the Lord gave us glimmers of hope and joy while mom was in the hospital PCU. Every so often, we could hear the sounds of a lullaby floating over the din of the hospital monitors and call buttons. One day during our stay, the music sounded repeatedly, causing us to wonder what was going on. We learned that the music was meant to announce that a new baby had just entered the world! That particular day, many babies were born, even twins. What unexpected joy that music brought and what perspective it prompted. As the Director of Marriage and Family Life, I found it especially touching and life affirming…new life being joyously announced in the midst of the suffering around us. Indeed, God is with us in every moment, he gives and he takes away, but through it all he gives us hope, hope that does not disappoint.
P.S. On Monday, October 13, the anniversary of the Miracle of the Sun in Fatima, Portugal, my mom went home to be with the Lord and with my dad. “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” Amen.
What does Scripture say?
1 Peter 1:7 -“In this you rejoice, though now for a little while you may have to suffer various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold which though perishable is tested by fire, may redound to praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
Hebrews 2:17 – “Therefore he had to be made like his brethren in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make expiation for the sins of the people.”
Hebrews 4:15 – “For we have not a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sinning.”
What does the Church say?
CCC 467 – “…Following the holy Fathers, we unanimously teach and confess one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ: the same perfect in divinity and perfect in humanity, the same truly God and truly man, composed of rational soul and body; consubstantial with the Father as to his divinity and consubstantial with us as to his humanity; “like us in all things but sin.” ”