Friday Gospel Recharge
A reflection on John 16: 20-23
(6th Friday of Eastertide, Year B of the Liturgical Calendar, 2024)
Hope in Suffering
The question of why do good people suffer is an
ancient one and has puzzled humanity for centuries. Various attempts to answer
this complex question have been made, but none has satisfied everyone. From a
Catholic point of view, suffering is seen as meaningful, as it allows us to
participate in the saving work of Christ. Conversely, modern atheistic views
reject this perspective, arguing that if God exists and is good, suffering
would not exist. Thus, secular thinkers tend to view the phenomenon of
suffering purely a natural and social factor, addressed solely by human effort
alone.
Suffering in itself is inherently linked to
evil. However, evil is found within us rather than outside us as an existing
force. The definition of evil isn’t the devil, or some other being; it’s more
accurate to think of it as a deprivation of a good within us. An apt analogy is
the hole in a sock; just as a hole deprives a sock of its function, evil
deprives us of goodness. This evil has persisted since the fall of our
first parents and is an inevitable part of our temporal existence, ceasing when
we die.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus forewarns his followers
about the suffering they will endure, likening it to the pain of childbirth
followed by the joy of new life. Here Jesus speaks to them about the sorrow
they will experience of his crucifixion, but also the joy they will
experience afterwards. Similarly, as modern day believes, we are called to
endure suffering for our faith in Christ, knowing that it is temporary and will
ultimately lead to joy.
Dealing with suffering demands an
outward-thinking perspective on life. We should refrain from harbouring desires
for vengeance or bitterness towards the hurt we have endured or may yet endure
in or devotion to God in Christ. Instead, we must bear it like the woman in
childbirth, maintaining an inner serenity while fixing our gaze on the promise
of the resurrection, where joy awaits us despite the inevitability of our
suffering, Jesus accompanied us through it and awaits us at its conclusion.
In recent events, the stabbing of Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel, an Iraqi-born bishop head of the Assyrian Church in Australia, served as a stark reminder of the reality of suffering by believers. Despite controversy surrounding him, Bishop Mar exemplifies unwavering faith in the face of adversity, refusing to respond to violence with hatred but instead clinging to the hope of the resurrection.
As Catholics, we are reminded that suffering,
though inevitable, is without hope. By embracing our crosses for the sake
of Christ, we can find peace amidst the struggles of life. As an exercise this
week, let’s ponder on areas in our lives where we have abandoned hope and
shunned our crosses, and look towards Christ’s example of enduring suffering
with faith and hope.
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