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THE ROLE OF SUFFERING
God had decreed that all must
suffer. Since suffering is necessary for salvation and God wants everyone to
be saved, therefore, God sees to it that everyone has an opportunity for
suffering.
What makes suffering distasteful
is the grief that accompanies it. But grief accompanies only those who
suffer for the wrong reasons or suffer wrongly. Those who suffer for Christ
experience no grief; yes, they still suffer, but joyfully. So, though all
men are destined to suffer, it is up to each of us whether we suffer
miserably like those who are not seeking God or without grief like those who
seek God. Thus when Abraham went about to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, he
suffered greatly; but there was no grief. And so he went about the sacrifice
seemingly without emotions because of the absence of grief; but this did not
mean he loved Isaac less.
God sends suffering for the same
ultimate end, the sanctification of the person, but for different immediate
purposes. He sends suffering to sinners to tell them that they are
ungrateful for all the things they have received from God; this is, sort of,
an invitation to repent, with the veiled threat that if he does not repent
worse suffering will befall him.
God sends suffering to those who
seek Him to help them grow further in virtues and to remind them of their
past sins, even confessed and forgiven sins. Thus, St. Peter, though a great
saint and greatly privileged by Christ, was always conscious of his betrayal
and St. Paul of his being a persecutor of the Church.
As decreed by God, due to the
fall of Adam and Eve, this world is a vale of tears and man is destined to
suffer. And suffering is like a storm dashing a ship. If the captain is
inexperienced, suffering will break his spirit. If he is proficient, he will
bring the ship safely to harbor.
Sufferings are meant to be
tests. If the ship sinks, it is not the storm's fault but the captain's
inexperience. If the captain is experienced he will surely guide the ship to
safety.
We must know how to suffer; we
must suffer like Christ. If we suffer like Christ, we shall surely resurrect
with Christ.
St. Basil the Great
(09-11-02)
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