Embracing the Cross

Even as a lifelong Catholic, I've had trouble grasping the concept of "offering up" my pains and sorrows.

It's hard to offer up sufferings, even annoyances, when you're in the throes of them. Pain and irritability can be overwhelming and consuming, and it can be difficult to reason in such a state. During those times, I have to just skip logic and go straight to faith, trusting that God is in control and somehow can use my pain, as much as I dislike it, to help others.

For me, the Catholic understanding of suffering -- and the offering of my personal pains --  is best established ahead of time, when I'm not suffering. By praying a morning offering, I've already given God whatever I will face that day. And during Lent particularly, praying the Stations of the Cross has helped me understand why Jesus had to suffer -- and why we have to.

The late Caryll Houselander, a Catholic artist and writer, teaches us in her version of the Stations, "The Way of the Cross," that when Jesus receives His cross, we, too, are invited to accept it.

"For Christ receives our cross that we may receive His.

"Receiving this cross, the cross of the whole world made His, we receive Him. He gives us His hands to take hold of, His power to make it a redeeming thing, a blessed thing, His life to cause it to flower, His heart to enable us to rejoice in accepting our own and one another's burdens."

Houselander prays: "Let me realize that because You have made my suffering Yours and given it the power of Your love, it can reach everyone, everywhere -- those in my own home, those who seem to be out of my reach -- it can reach them all with Your healing and Your love.

"Let me always remember that those sufferings known only to myself, which seem to be without purpose and without meaning, are part of Your plan to redeem the world."

Teach us, O Lord, to embrace You and Your cross.

Inspired by the Year of Faith, Susan Szalewski began writing weekly columns for us. Although that year is over, we liked them so well that we asked her to keep writing. Thankfully, she said yes. So watch for these on Thursdays and see the Year of Faith Blog here.