“Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” -Romans 5:3-4
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." -James 1:2-4
“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth being compared with the glory that is about to be revealed to us.” -Romans 8:18
"Pain is temporary but God's love is eternal." -YFC
"Never waste your pains and sufferings, offer them up for the salvation of souls." -Father Larre
"When we struggle in our lives, we sometimes say, “Lord! Why is it that I must suffer, why is it that I must go through such hardships! Why why why!” Some of us may think that it is possibly some sort of bad karma for what we have done. Some think God is punishing us. However, have you ever thought to yourself that He is simply just answering your prayer? As I listen to the song, ‘Hosanna - Hillsong’, there is a line that prays, “Break my heart for what break yours!”
Our struggle is our blessing. That through the most Holy Eucharist, not only are we physically connected to the true embodiment of our Lord Jesus Christ, we are even blessed enough to experience even a small portion of His pain. When we ask for His love, when we struggle, we learn to (as Mother Teresa says) “love till it hurts”, just as our Lord Jesus Christ loves us. Sunday January 30 2011 gospel says, “Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you (falsely) because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.” (Matthew 5:11-12) Always remember, He suffered first.
Today in RLC, I realized something during an activity where we raised our arms up like our Lord Jesus on the cross. That through His most high love, He hung on the cross, alone. As we raised our arms up, and struggled to keep them as high as possible, I realized our Lord Jesus Christ did not intend that we carry our cross alone. It is through His connecting love, that as we kept our arms up, and joined together to rest our arms upon one another, our struggles became one within the community, His church. And that it was with His crucifixion on the cross, that He truly brought the world together, that we may no longer experience our struggles alone, but that we may rest upon our fellow brothers and sisters, who strive with us every step of the way with our Lord guiding us. When we feel alone, understand that we are not, for His love is infinite and universal, and that through the sacrament of the most Holy Eucharist, His love connects us further than what we can possibly understand. Our struggle is not alone, nor is it impossible to conquer, for we are a stronghold of Christ, lead by the power of the Holy Spirit, and built by the Father Almighty." -Isaac Guevera
"To ask why a good God would allow suffering is to ask why a good doctor would put a needle in the backside of an infant to inoculate them. The infant doesn’t understand it, all he knows is that it is horribly painful. He can’t understand that in a way this inoculation is going to prepare him for something in the future that he is not even aware of. And in the same way, God is a God of intention. He is a God of meaning, of purpose. He is brimming with intention and meaning. So we can rest assured that although the purposes of suffering might be hidden from us in the present life, His reasons are always wise, they are always specific, and they are always good." -Joni Eareckson Tada
"...in suffering love becomes crystallised; the greater the suffering, the purer the love." -St. Faustina
Today in RLC, I realized something during an activity where we raised our arms up like our Lord Jesus on the cross. That through His most high love, He hung on the cross, alone. As we raised our arms up, and struggled to keep them as high as possible, I realized our Lord Jesus Christ did not intend that we carry our cross alone. It is through His connecting love, that as we kept our arms up, and joined together to rest our arms upon one another, our struggles became one within the community, His church. And that it was with His crucifixion on the cross, that He truly brought the world together, that we may no longer experience our struggles alone, but that we may rest upon our fellow brothers and sisters, who strive with us every step of the way with our Lord guiding us. When we feel alone, understand that we are not, for His love is infinite and universal, and that through the sacrament of the most Holy Eucharist, His love connects us further than what we can possibly understand. Our struggle is not alone, nor is it impossible to conquer, for we are a stronghold of Christ, lead by the power of the Holy Spirit, and built by the Father Almighty." -Isaac Guevera
"To ask why a good God would allow suffering is to ask why a good doctor would put a needle in the backside of an infant to inoculate them. The infant doesn’t understand it, all he knows is that it is horribly painful. He can’t understand that in a way this inoculation is going to prepare him for something in the future that he is not even aware of. And in the same way, God is a God of intention. He is a God of meaning, of purpose. He is brimming with intention and meaning. So we can rest assured that although the purposes of suffering might be hidden from us in the present life, His reasons are always wise, they are always specific, and they are always good." -Joni Eareckson Tada
"...in suffering love becomes crystallised; the greater the suffering, the purer the love." -St. Faustina
james 1:2-4 :)
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