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| Rev. Fr. Augustine Vallooran V.C. |
Opposites rule our life. Failure and success, pleasure and pain, agony and ecstasy toss us around. Life often seems a struggle to maintain the balance between the pattern of sunny days and dark nights, bright hopes and lonely frustrations, sinful pressures and holy longings. Now the big question: Are we forever condemned to this dichotomous destiny? Is there a light at the end of the tunnel?
The gospel message is clear
that it is through these oscillations that the Holy Spirit is working in us.
Suffering has always been a part and parcel of our earthly sojourn. The
difference however is that with the Calvary event all of us are brought to the saving
shadow of the Cross. It is indeed the pattern of death and resurrection that is
being played out in our lives. The great hope of this saving pattern is clearly
manifested in the Paschal Mystery of Jesus. The three occasions Jesus predicted
His imminent Passion and Death, He concluded that He will be raised up to
glory. “Jesus began to explain to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem
and suffer many things… and that He must be killed and on the third day be
raised to life.” (Matthew 16:21)
St. Paul tells us that the Holy
Spirit is in control of this saving pattern in our own lives leading it all to
the same glorious end. “If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is
living in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your
mortal bodies because of His Spirit who lives in you.” (Romans 8:11) This is the basis of the Christian hope that
should inspire and strengthen us at every moment of our struggle – a hope that
will sustain us in patience for the Holy Spirit to complete His work in us. It
is in this context that Pope Benedict XVI in his first Encyclical exhorted all
those who believe in Jesus Christ to be patient with God.
“The One Who Endures To The End
Will Be Saved” (Matthew 24:13)
Perhaps the one gospel account
that highlights what patience with God requires is that of the Canaanite woman
who seeks a healing for her daughter (Matthew 15:22-28). When Jesus was in the
pagan territory of Tyre and Sidon, this non-Jewish woman came to Jesus pleading
for mercy for her daughter who was sick. Jesus, we are told did, not even care
to look at her or to respond to her. The disciples were amazed at the cold
indifference of the Master in the face of human misery. They came recommending
her case, requesting Jesus to have mercy on her. But Jesus responded by saying
that He would have nothing to do with her for she was not a part of the select
group of Israel that He was sent to minister to. This response again must have
left the disciples bewildered for they had with their own eyes seen Jesus
compassionate and ministering to even to the pagans. The woman refusing to be
dissuaded persists in seeking mercy on her daughter. This time the reply of
Jesus is most scandalizing as He speaks in what can be called rude language,
saying, "It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the
dogs." (Matthew 15:26) The word
'dogs' was a term of contempt that the Jews used on the non-Jews. The last
thing the people would have expected to hear from the Lord was such objectionable
language! Equally amazing was the fact was that the woman refused to give up on
Jesus or take offence at His words. She persisted in her appeal - "Yet,
Lord, even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table."
(v. 27) It is at this moment that this
bewildering sequence of events fall in place and begins to make a salvific
sense. Jesus turns to her saying, "Woman, great is your faith! Let it be
done for you as you wish." (v. 28)
This is the one place where
Jesus commends a person’s faith as great. What is the greatness of the faith of
this woman? Even when she met with apparent indifference and painful
rejections, she refused to give up on the Lord. She had a deep trust in Jesus
and His compassion. She was not so concerned about her feelings as she was
about what God could do for her.
As we meditate on the incident,
we realize the Lord is building up her faith step by step in order to make her
an icon of faith for all generations to come that they may not lose heart in
the tiresome patterns of life but may be held firm in faith and prayer. When we
are preoccupied with our own responses to the situations of life, we tend to
take offence at the apparent rejection and indifference of God. That is when we
shout at God and even deny His existence.
We may claim to believe in God
but the fact is we do not expect Him to intervene in those difficult moments.
There is a human arrogance that makes us inward looking and controlling. When
we are stuck at the dead ends of our life, we slip into despair as we realize
that on our own ability it is impossible to find a way ahead. This practical
atheism renders religion irrelevant for people. We complain about the silence
of God. This in fact reveals that we have grown into an over-dependence of our
own thinking and we have come to imagine that God should toe our line of
reasoning. We are incapable of waiting on God or seeking His Will to be worked
in our lives. It is only in a trusting relationship with a loving God that we
will be able to gauge God's ways. It was this trust that made the faith of the
Canaanite woman great - a faith that supported her all the way through to
receive her blessing and become a blessing.
“Perfected Through Sufferings”
(Hebrews 2:10)
Jesus asked us to pray for the
Heavenly Father's Will to be done in our lives. In the Letter to the Hebrews,
there is a very significant teaching that all the trials that come our way are
to be looked at as the disciplining will of our Heavenly Father. "My son,
do not disdain the discipline of the Lord or lose heart when reproved by Him;
for whom the Lord loves, He disciplines; He scourges every son He
acknowledges." (Hebrews 12:5-6) The
words used are disciplining, reproving and scourging and each of these express
in an intense way the trials and troubles we go through in life. However
negative these experiences sound, the word of God exhorts us to look at them in
the context of the warm relationship between a father and son. The father loves
the son to such an extent that he is ready to run the risk of being
misunderstood in order to ensure the son’s growth to maturity and excellence.
One can almost say that traditionally God is represented as a punishing God who
is so exacting as to inflict pain for every failing. We often complain at the face
of sufferings that God is being vengeful in order to keep the moral order
intact.
One thing is definite however -
both punishment and discipline are equally painful. Nevertheless punishment is
meted out with a deathly motive of repaying us for our evil past while
disciplining has a noble and hopeful motive of preparing us for a grand future.
Again punishment is taken grudgingly as it looks back to the mistake of the
past. Discipline however looks forward to the crown waiting at the finishing
line of the race. The Word of God emphatically teaches us "Endure your
trials as discipline; God treats you as sons. For what son is there whom His
father does not discipline." (Hebrews 12:7) Let us not harbour the thought of a punishing
God that can only depress our minds when we face trials. We must be grounded on
the assurance that it is not a punishing God whom Jesus came to reveal to us;
but a Father who has lavished love on us by giving His own Son to make sure
that we should not perish - "For God so loved the world that He gave His
only son that whosoever believes in Him may not perish but have eternal
life." (John 3:16)
This revelation of hope in
every shadow is strewn across the pages of the New Testament. St. James tells
us, "Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials,
for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. And let
perseverance be perfect, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in
nothing." (James 1:2-3) He
continues to say this is the wisdom of God and if anyone lacks this, he should
ask for it and it will be given by God. Especially when storms toss us around
we can question everything and lose sight of God and the meaning and goodness
of life. It is here that we must wait on God to grant us His superior wisdom
that we may persevere and receive the fruit of this trial.
“It Is Good For Me That I Was
Afflicted” (Psalm 119:71)
The Word of God speaks about a
disciplining process detailing that the trials of our life lead us to
perseverance and such perseverance moulds us to perfection and completeness in
our faith in God - a faith that see us triumphant in the trials that must come.
St. Paul following this vein of thought, writes - "We even boast of our
afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance, and endurance, proven
character, and proven character, hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because
the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit
that has been given to us." (Romans 5:4-5)
The New Testament unveils the
mysterious purpose of God behind every trial in our life. Jesus spoke of the
Father as the vine dresser who comes to the vineyard with a sharp knife meant
for cropping the branches that thrive (Gospel of John Chapter 15). It is not an act aimed at destroying but to
foster growth and life. The Father knows that the branch should not be growing
wild for it will only be burdensome for the branch. It has to be pruned in
order to bear fruit. Jesus wants us to understand every painful experience of
our life as a pruning at the Hands of a God whose one concern is that we should
attain the goal of life in all its fullness. Pruning is not for death but for
growth. Every cut will yield another bunch of juicy fruits. Pain is the
precondition for fruit-bearing.
Through the struggles and
troubles of our life, the Holy Spirit of God is working to turn everything to
our good. In every pain the seeds of joy are sown. In every failure, the seeds
of victory are waiting to sprout out. The tender green offshoots of hope are
already unfurling in the moments of our despair. Every cross opens the way to
Resurrection. After the Cross of Christ was raised up on Calvary, no cross on
our shoulders should lead us to despair. It is a matter of time before the
Glory of the Resurrection will shine forth.
It is interesting that for a
farmer, as great as the celebration of the harvest, is the day of sowing. The
seeds when sown are lost in the slush of earth but that loss does not grieve
the farmer. He sees the assurance of the golden harvest. It is a matter of time
when the golden sheaves will spring out and dance with the wind! A person who
perceives the mystery of the Cross and the Crown, of the Death and Resurrection
unveiled by Jesus Christ, will be able to praise God even when his body burns
in pain and his minds writhes in distress. Hence St. Paul congratulates the
Philippians - "For you have been granted, for the sake of Christ, not only
to believe in Him but also to suffer for him." (Philippians 1:29) Understanding this mystery to its full
extent, Pope Benedict writes: “The newness of life brought by Easter, must be
spread everywhere so that the thorns of sin, which wound the human heart, leave
room for new shoots of Grace, of God's Presence and of His Love that triumph
over sin and death."
“Crucified with Christ”
(Galatians 2:20)
Since the rays of the Glory of
Resurrection illumine the Way of the Cross, two comforting experiences are
offered to us. Firstly, there is the assurance that every moment of suffering
is a sharing in the Cross of Christ. St. Peter expressed this, "Beloved,
do not be surprised that a trial by fire is occurring among you, as if
something strange is happening to you. But rejoice to the extent that you share
in the sufferings of Christ so that when His glory is revealed you may also
rejoice exultantly… If you are insulted for the name of Christ blessed are you
for Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you." (1 Peter 4:12-14)
The Word of God assures us that
after the Resurrection of Christ, glory is not limited to the end of the tunnel
but enlightens every step of the journey. The Light of the Holy Spirit brings
warmth, strength and guidance to the heart. Therefore, those in pain and
distress are able to feel the Comforting and Healing Presence of the Crucified
and Risen Lord. The consoling thought that “I am not alone to bear the crushing
burden of the cross, rather I am sharing in the Cross of the Crucified Lord
floods our hearts with great comfort.” Loneliness at being abandoned even by
God in the torturing moments of pain is the most unbearable despair. With God
on our side every burden becomes light and worth bearing. Hence the invitation
of Jesus, "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and
humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy and
my burden is light." (Matthew 11:29-30)
A companion priest shared with
me his experience of being comforted at a distressing moment in his life. He
was a zealous missionary doing much good work and having unstinted support from
all quarters. One fine day, everyone turned against him based on information
that was unverified. Even his superiors came hard upon him. He was shattered.
He could not pray any more or concentrate on his responsibilities. He lost his
sleep. All the time the question piercing his heart was, "How could even
my superiors who knew me so well do this to me?" He became a mental wreck.
Unable to continue his pastoral work, he went to make a retreat. Even there he
was unable to pray! At one moment of desperation, he took the Bible and opened
it and the first verse that flashed before his eyes was this exhortation of the
Lord, "Take my yoke upon you... And you will find rest for
yourselves." (Matthew 11:29) It
dawned on him that he was indeed carrying a heavy yoke that was crushing him
and he was not able to find any rest or relief. God is unquestionably true in
His words but the promise was not fulfilled in his hour of need. He was
crushed. He read the verse again and it struck him that rest is promised only
to those who carry the yoke of Jesus: "Take my yoke upon you." It
occurred to him that he was carrying a burden his superiors had placed on his
shoulders. He was all the while questioning their motives and actions. That is
why his heart was not open to the rest that Jesus offered. In repentance he
accepted that yoke from the Hands of the Lord. The series of unfortunate
happenings he understood was part of a pattern that was to lead him to a deeper
experience of glory and salvation. Instantaneously his heart was flooded with
heavenly comfort. He could forgive his superiors and felt free himself. He
confided in me that this anointing of the Word of God moulded his entire
attitude towards the sufferings of life.
“In The Lord Your Labour Is Not
In Vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58)
The second comforting
revelation of the Paschal Mystery is that as every suffering is our share in
the Cross of Christ, we also get to inherit a share in the salvific effect of
the Cross. The Cross of Jesus was
destined for Him by the Father for the salvation of humankind. When we are
chosen to have a share in that Cross, we become co-saviours with the Lord for
those who are to benefit from Christ’s salvific victory. St. Paul expressed
this clearly when he wrote to the Colossians, "Now I rejoice in my
sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling what is lacking in the
afflictions of Christ on behalf of His body which is the Church."
(Colossians 1:24) When St. Paul says
that there is something lacking in the sufferings of Jesus, he does not imply
that Christ’s atoning death on the Cross was defective; rather he meant that
the salvific effects of the Cross have not reached everyone. In the moments of
his sufferings, Paul felt the call to be mystically united with Christ in order
that the Father's Will that all men and women should be saved through Christ
could be completed. Now it was not merely through his preaching and services
but through his sufferings that he was ministering to the Colossians. This is a
grand revelation that our sufferings are never wasted but have an eternal
value. We can contribute our sufferings to the salvation of our fellow men when
we offer our brokenness to the Cross of Christ.
St. Luke in the Resurrection
narrative gives a detailed account of the journey of the two disciples, Cleopas
and his companion, who were retreating from Jerusalem to Emmaus (Luke
24:13-35). It was indeed a withdrawal in despair. They had come to Jerusalem to
meet Jesus and had committed their lives to Him, with great expectations.
"We had hoped that He would establish the kingdom", they said. They
suddenly found themselves thrust in the dark valley of the shadow of the cross
of Calvary. They had given up on their Master altogether. "Our chief
priests and rulers both handed Him over to sentence of death and crucified
Him...it is now the third day since this took place." The memories of the
horrific death of the Master were fresh in their minds. They felt great angry
and yet could only stand helpless before the unjust and cruel designs of men in
power. They were venting their frustrations about their own inability to move
even a little finger in defense of Him on whom they had placed all their hopes
for the future. In short they had failed just as all around them had failed
them!
This Gospel account typifying
the Resurrection theme generates hope as it presents in their miserable
situation the Risen Lord was Himself present to them listening to them
patiently. "While they were conversing and debating, Jesus himself drew
near and walked with them." Without condemning them He led them gently to
a clear understanding of the mystery of the Cross and Resurrection. "Was
it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and enter into his
glory?" He later broke the bread and fed them with Himself in the Holy
Eucharistic experience. Being rid of all the burden of their hearts, they
rejoiced exceedingly and became powerful witnesses of the Glory of the Lord.
This is the Promise of Easter to every one of the disciples of Jesus! His
Glorious Presence will accompany us even in the most painful and distressing
moments of life. Though we may imagine that we are helpless and are unable to
comprehend the vicissitudes life, we can remain in the assurance that God has
not lost sight of us. He walks with us! He is in control having defeated death
and darkness.
Let Us Pray:
Lord Jesus, we glorify You for
Your Death and Resurrection. You gave Your Life for love of us. There is
nothing that You held back from us. Yet in the moments of pain and failure, we
became desperate imagining that life had failed us and that You too had abandoned
us. We rebelled that You should punish us. Today we look to You, Jesus,
innocent You were, yet You took up the penalty meant for us that in all our
trials we may be vindicated. We thank You for the crosses of our life that
mould us into Your perfect image. You transform that very cross into a crown.
By the cross, we know that You are closest to us and You will make our
sufferings and our very life into a blessing. As we tread this difficult path,
we pray may Your Spirit lead us to hear Your voice and see Your Face and our
hearts will burn with joy.
Amen.
