Easter Meditation

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

Book 3 Chapter 18: That All Temporal Sorrows are to be Borne Patiently after the Example of Christ

Jesus to His Disciple: “My child, I came down from heaven to save you; I took upon Myself your miseries, not because I had to do so, but out of love.”

What a profound opening statement to today’s reading from Thomas a Kempis.  This statement begs the question, “Why did Christ come into this world?”  Jesus tells his disciples, “The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28).  We must realize that “God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him” (John 3:17).  His mission was totally for us.  He completely abandoned Himself to become human so that we could realize that we were truly created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:27).  Jesus was not sent to judge us here, but to help us become more united with His Father in Heaven.  From the time that Jesus set foot on this earth, His life was filled with sorrow and suffering.  In His love for us, He endured these temporal things.  He withstood the brutal punish that man can leash out upon man.  And even through all this, He still loved us.  When He encountered the sinner, He did not condemn them, but He forgave them and healed them of their afflictions.  We are called to live out the same life.  We must learn to endure all the pain and suffering of this earthly life no matter how deep the pain.  We are called to “bear all things patiently according to God’s will” and most importantly, to bear these sufferings as long as God allows us to suffer.  In our suffering, we become more fully united with Christ and all the pain and suffering He experience on this earth and ultimately on the Cross.  We must realize that “this life is tedious and a burden to the soul, but now through His grace it can become meritorious.”  Through His example and that of all the Saints that came before us, we know that suffering has great eternal rewards for our soul in Heaven.  It allows us to begin to understand the love that God poured out for us through His only Son.  What greater way for us to honor God, then to have the patience to endure suffering on this world.  In the words of my Mother, “Offer up your suffering for the souls in purgatory.”  He came not to condemn but to save us through His suffering.  We too can turn our suffering into a joyful experience by directing this suffering to save the souls of others who are suffering in purgatory.

A Simple Prayer

Lord, I am but a mere speck of dust in this great cosmos which you created for me. 

Grant me the gift of patience to endure my suffering.

Let me offer all my suffering up to you who suffered greatly for someone as unworthy as me.

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon