“When he makes himself an offering for sin,
he shall see his offspring,
he shall prolong his days;
the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand;
he shall see the fruit of the travail of his soul
and be satisfied;
by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant.
make many to be accounted righteous;
and he shall bear their iniquities.
Therefore I will divide him a portion with the great,
and he shall divide the spoil with the strong;
because he poured out his soul to death,
and was numbered with the transgressors;
yet he bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors”.
(Isaiah 53: 12 – 10)
The Apostolate of Suffering Love
Trials and sufferings can make us feel marginalized and forgotten. At times we are unable to physically work or take part in Church activities and prayer groups. There can even be times when our disabilities make us unable to attend Mass. We can believe that we are no longer an integral part of our parish community, or of our Universal Church.
But this is not true! We, who suffer, can be more active in saving souls than those who are physically in the mission fields. So says Saint Therese of Lisieux, the Little Flower, who never went into the mission fields, never preached or traveled or counseled others. Yet after her early death at age 24 she was named patron saint of missionaries along with St. Francis Xavier. Why? Because Saint Therese knew that we can make reparation for the sins of humanity and save souls when we consciously offer our sorrows, our family troubles, our mental anguish, our weakness, fatigue, infirmity and disabilities in union with Christ’s sufferings on the Cross. She was not alone. Saint Rose of Lima tells us, “No person would ever complain about the cross or the punishments that may come if they knew the scales on which these are weighed for their distribution to human beings.”
Are you misunderstood, heart-broken, abandoned, persecuted, overlooked, orphaned, home-bound, in a nursing home, or hospital? Pain and suffering of every kind automatically qualifies you to become a member of the Apostolate of Suffering Love.
“We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed;
perplexed, but not driven to despair;
persecuted, but not forsaken;
struck down, but not destroyed;
always carrying in the body the death of Jesus,
so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.
For while we live we are always being given up to death
for Jesus’ sake,
so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh ….
knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus
will raise us also with Jesus”
(2 Corinthians 4: 5 – 14)
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Become a Member of the Apostolate of Suffering Love
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Here’s how:
+Start your day with the Morning Offering
of the Apostolate
+Ask for the grace to recognize and embrace
God’s gift of suffering
+In times of great pain or trial,
make a conscious intention
to unite your suffering to Christ’s
for the salvation of souls
+Steadfastly refuse to give in
to complaining, self pity, bitterness,
hopelessness or despair
+Practice gratitude by gently accepting
the services of others with patience and love
+When God allows, comfort others
+Share, with others who suffer,
the graces you receive from
making this Morning Offering
+Continue to intercede, with Jesus,
at the right hand of the Father
for the salvation of souls when,
in God’s perfect timing,
He takes you to Heaven.
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The Morning Offering
O my Jesus, I adore you and I love you.
Source of all grace,
look upon me with Your great Love.
Through the Immaculate Heart of Mary,
I unite my cross with Yours
and offer You all of my prayers, works, joys and sufferings
for all the intentions of Your Sacred Heart,
for Your priest sons,
and especially for the salvation of all souls.
Amen.
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“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit?”
(I Corinthians 6:19)
There is a reason why Scripture tells us that our bodies are “Temples” of the Holy Spirit, rather than Synagogues.
Temple: The temple was the place of sacrifice. It was the place where the lambs were brought to be slain as sin offerings of the people of Israel; it was the central sanctuary where God dwelt in the midst of His people. In the Old Testament it prefigured the mystery of Christ.
There were no sacrifices offered in Synagogues, however. These were places where services were held on Sabbaths and feast days and served as meeting places for the Israelites and their guests.
(ref. Catholic Bible Dictionary, Scott Hahn, General Editor, pgs 891-894, 877-879)
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“We should not wish for anything but what comes to us from moment to moment…
we have done what good we can,
let us accept all that happens to us by Our Lord’s ordinance,
and let us unite ourselves to it by our will.
Who tastes what it is to rest in union with God
will seem to himself to have won to Paradise even in this life.”
(Saint Catherine of Genoa)
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Fellowship of the Lamb 