“A hard lot has been created for human beings, a heavy yoke lies on the children of Adam from the day they come out of their mother’s womb, till the day they return to the mother of them all.” Sirach 40:1
After the sin of our first parents, God has laid on all of humanity the yoke of earning their daily bread by the sweat of their brow. This heavy yoke however is made light in Christ when we accept this yoke in a spirit of penance, and in reparation for our sins. Rebelling against this yoke or trying to throw it off is of no use, we would only be getting in the way of our own sanctification.“But in so far as you share in the sufferings of Christ, be glad, so that you may enjoy a much greater gladness when His glory is revealed.” 1 Peter 4:13
To share in the sufferings of Christ is a great privilege. How can we share in the sufferings of Christ? It is by following Christ who even today carries His Cross and goes in front of us. We are given a place with Jesus on the road to Calvary when we accept sufferings joyously for doing the Will of God.“Her husband Joseph, being an upright man and wanting to spare her disgrace, decided to divorce her informally.” Matthew 1:19
Saint Joseph is called the upright in the Bible - but his uprightness far surpassed that of the Law. From the depths of his upright soul came his altogether noble and praiseworthy action, that of deciding to silently take leave of Mary his betrothed rather than exposing her to disgrace. God who rewards good deeds done in secret and in silence, was swift to intervene and give him a reward beyond compare - His Only Begotten Son.“For if this is what is done to green wood, what will be done when the wood is dry?’ Luke 23:31
Green wood is a sign of Divine Life. The unjust sufferings that the Lord had to undergo are compared to green wood which is treated harshly. If this is so, how much more suffering will there be in store for dry wood, which symbolises those who refuse to repent. The Lord also wanted to tell the world that the sufferings of the upright are much less in comparison with the sufferings of sinners.“Think of the way in which He persevered against such opposition from sinners and then you will not lose heart and come to grief.” Hebrews 12:3
Together with His Mother, Jesus braved the hostile crowd who shouted for His crucifixion and followed Him to Calvary ready to hound Him to death. Even during His Crucifixion and while enduring taunts on the Cross, His forgiveness and meekness never failed. Meditating on the perseverance of Jesus will help us to resolutely and patiently face any persecution we may have to suffer in following Christ Jesus our Lord to the end.“This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: He Himself bore our sicknesses away and carried our diseases.” Matthew 8:17 Unlike other human beings, Jesus came into this world with a very specific mission: all human beings are born to live; but Jesus was born to die. All human beings long to be healthy, but He longs to carry our sicknesses. He is truly the Healer of the whole of humanity, the Divine Doctor to Whom all those afflicted by sin and sickness must go to be healed. The medicine He offers is all powerful - it is His Flesh that He offers for the life of the world.
“I was resolved that the only knowledge I would have... was knowledge of Jesus, and of Him as the Crucified Christ.” 1 Corinthians 2:2
Everyone is thirsting for knowledge, and so we find ourselves spending endless time and effort trying to become learned in this world. But how will this thirst ever be satisfied? Saint Paul, the Apostle of great wisdom, reveals that the only true and worthwhile knowledge is that of Jesus. May we also come to realise this truth, and so resolve to know only about the Crucified Christ - He will teach us everything that we need to gain eternal life.“Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, Who leads us in our faith and brings it to perfection: for the sake of the joy which lay ahead of Him, He endured the Cross, disregarding the shame of it...” Hebrews 12:2
Do we often feel overwhelmed by our daily trials? Are we tempted to run away from our present sufferings? Look at Jesus on the Cross - just one glance with faith is enough. How much Our Lord loves us! In perfect humility, He bears all our pains and sorrows on the Cross. So, with renewed faith, let us fix our eyes on the Crucified Christ, who will give us the grace to endure all suffering.“If the world hates you, you must realize that it hated me before it hated you.” John 15:18 Jesus came into the world as the true light, and yet many hated Him - they preferred darkness to the light because their deeds were evil. We, too, when we try to live in devotion to Christ, will certainly have hardship - people may hate us and speak all kinds of calumny against us falsely - but let us not be discouraged! May we instead realise the fact that “our enemies are our benefactors” - they give us the opportunity to suffer for Christ, by which we gain a great reward in heaven.“If the world hates you, you must realize that it hated me before it hated you.” John 15:18
Jesus came into the world as the true light, and yet many hated Him - they preferred darkness to the light because their deeds were evil. We, too, when we try to live in devotion to Christ, will certainly have hardship - people may hate us and speak all kinds of calumny against us falsely - but let us not be discouraged! May we instead realise the fact that “our enemies are our benefactors” - they give us the opportunity to suffer for Christ, by which we gain a great reward in heaven.“Blessed are those who are persecuted in the cause of uprightness: the kingdom of Heaven is theirs.” Matthew 5:10
Our Lord suffered in the cause of uprightness and left an example for us to follow. Saint Peter explains that Christ was insulted and did not retaliate with insults; when He was suffering He made no threats but put His trust in the upright judge. He was bearing our sins on the cross, so that we might die to our sins and live for uprightness. So let us rejoice when we are persecuted for doing what is right because our reward will be great in heaven.
