St. Monica (333-387), the mother of St. Augustine, is a patron saint for wives and abused victims. Monica suffered a similar fate. Yet she patiently endured all and persistently prayed for all. Her example had already been a moral support for her contemporaries. From her case, we can conclude that when God wants to help a particular category of victims, first of all, He makes one such victim, coaches him/her and gives him/her the grace to persevere. That is the modus operandi of God. When God wants to save mankind, He sends the Son of God to become a man to redeem them. When God wants to help abused wives, He made a St. Monica for them.
At the moment, I have a lot of friends suffering from different kinds of affliction: physical disabilities, mental illnesses, depression, unemployment etc. I pray for them and I am sure they can be God's instruments to bless the world in a way beyond our understanding. God is mysterious.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the LORD.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9).
At the moment, I have a lot of friends suffering from different kinds of affliction: physical disabilities, mental illnesses, depression, unemployment etc. I pray for them and I am sure they can be God's instruments to bless the world in a way beyond our understanding. God is mysterious.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the LORD.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9).
When St. Paul preached to the Thessalonians, he encouraged them in face of afflictions.
and we sent Timothy, our brother and God's servant in the gospel of Christ, to establish you in your faith and to exhort you,
that no one be moved by these afflictions. You yourselves know that this is to be our lot.
For when we were with you, we told you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction; just as it has come to pass, and as you know (1 Thessalonians 3:2-4).
If people wish to lead a peaceful comfortable life, they would be alarmed by this passage and would not choose Christianity. If they have already been baptized, they would work hard to withdraw membership. It is only natural for man to seek pleasure and avoid suffering. Christianity does not provide believers with an escape route, with a life free of troubles. Rather, Christians can only expect a life of hardship.
Given that it is natural for man to seek pleasure and avoid suffering, why would people choose to suffer? Why were martyrs willing to die? The only reasonable explanation is that Christianity promises a happy life after death. Suffering for a short while in order to gain eternal happiness is an excellent investment option indeed. Hasn't Paul taught such a logic?
and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all men, as we do to you,
so that he may establish your hearts unblamable in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints (1 Thessalonians 3:12-13).
Probably when Karl Marx claimed that religion was "the opium of the people", he had this passage in mind. Religion provides an illusionary happiness for the exploited. It promises them heaven and the honour of sainthood at the end of the world (at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints). The government encourages such kind of mentality among the subjects so that they would not complain or rise up in protest about the exploitation they are suffering.
and we sent Timothy, our brother and God's servant in the gospel of Christ, to establish you in your faith and to exhort you,
that no one be moved by these afflictions. You yourselves know that this is to be our lot.
For when we were with you, we told you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction; just as it has come to pass, and as you know (1 Thessalonians 3:2-4).
If people wish to lead a peaceful comfortable life, they would be alarmed by this passage and would not choose Christianity. If they have already been baptized, they would work hard to withdraw membership. It is only natural for man to seek pleasure and avoid suffering. Christianity does not provide believers with an escape route, with a life free of troubles. Rather, Christians can only expect a life of hardship.
Given that it is natural for man to seek pleasure and avoid suffering, why would people choose to suffer? Why were martyrs willing to die? The only reasonable explanation is that Christianity promises a happy life after death. Suffering for a short while in order to gain eternal happiness is an excellent investment option indeed. Hasn't Paul taught such a logic?
and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all men, as we do to you,
so that he may establish your hearts unblamable in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints (1 Thessalonians 3:12-13).
Probably when Karl Marx claimed that religion was "the opium of the people", he had this passage in mind. Religion provides an illusionary happiness for the exploited. It promises them heaven and the honour of sainthood at the end of the world (at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints). The government encourages such kind of mentality among the subjects so that they would not complain or rise up in protest about the exploitation they are suffering.
We should not blame St. Paul for writing it. People like to believe in what they want to believe. Biblical verses are notorious for being open to interpretations. You can pick up a passage and interpret it according to your needs. The same passage may be employed by rivals who champion opposite causes.
On the other hand, some people do live on this promise. They rely on this promise to endure through the afflictions and difficulties in life. In other words, Christianity gives suffering a meaning. Suffering is meaningful. Suffering is redemptive. Martyrs are martyrs, witnesses to the meaning of their faith. We respect them.
On the other hand, some people do live on this promise. They rely on this promise to endure through the afflictions and difficulties in life. In other words, Christianity gives suffering a meaning. Suffering is meaningful. Suffering is redemptive. Martyrs are martyrs, witnesses to the meaning of their faith. We respect them.
Dear Lord, we struggle to make sense of sufferings. Grant us the wisdom to see the world as You see it. We offer up our sufferings to You so that they may become redemptive. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment