A DIFFERENT KIND OF SUFFERING

Twenty Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Wis 2:12, 17-20/ Ps 54/ Jas 3:16-4:3/ Mk 9:30-37

We have always been indifferent to human suffering. We would rather talk about the recently concluded US Tennis Open, o ‘di kaya ang mas kumikilig na kalyeserye ng AlDub, o ‘di kaya ang pagpili ni Ms. Pastillas kay Toffer kaysa nina Jess at Evan than the persecution of Christians in the Middle East and the problem of refugees from Syria. We have always been indifferent to human suffering because in the very first place, we do not want to suffer.

This is also the case of the disciples in our Gospel today. For the second time around, Jesus told his Twelve about his impending passion and death. If last Sunday, Peter immediately reacted to the passion prediction, this time, no one dared to say something because “they did not understand the saying, and they were afraid to question him.” Scholars would also comment that when Jesus talked about his passion, the disciples did not take notice of it because they themselves were afraid of their own deaths. That is why they would rather talk about who is the greatest in the Kingdom of God – a topic which is comfortable and pleasing to the disciples.

In life, we, too, are like the disciples. We do not talk about suffering and death because we are either afraid or simply ignorant about its existence. St. John Paul II, in Salvifici Doloris, has reminded us that “suffering is part of human existence from birth until death, and every human person suffers in a variety of ways (SD 6).” Thus, it is an inescapable feature of human existence.

Despite its being inescapable, John Paul II has offered us an answer to the “why” of suffering. “Love is also the fullest source of the answer to the question of the meaning of suffering. This answer has been given by God to man in the cross of Jesus Christ.” In the face of suffering, we are therefore asked to gaze ourselves on the cross of Christ. Why? Because as we look at the cross of Christ, we do not only see human suffering but also salvation bought by so great a price. When we look at the cross we see a transformation from condemnation to salvation, from death to life, from sin to grace.

This is therefore our challenge today: that our own share of human suffering be united to the suffering of Christ so that it will lead us to becoming a completely new person – a better and stronger Christian. And our saints are the witnesses to such a challenge.

St. John Paul II. We can never forget his endearing and inspiring smile as he meets people anywhere in the world. Yet he was in third grade, when his mother died; three years after, his only brother died; he also discovered his father lying dead on the floor of their apartment. At 20, he was already an orphan. When the Nazis took over his country, he was working in the quarry. Some of his friends were killed for the crime of studying for the priesthood. At 60, he was shot by an assassin and suffered many assassination attempts. When he was old, he was afflicted with Parkinson’s disease that killed him softly. It made him immobile, distorted his physical appearance, and finally took his ability to speak. St. John Paul II was never indifferent to human suffering. Yet such suffering did not make him passive and rebellious to God. Rather, such pain and suffering transformed his life by becoming a joyful witness to the cross of Christ.

We have always been indifferent to human suffering. But God has never been indifferent to it. His Son became one like us except sin and experienced our humanity even to the point of suffering and dying on the cross. How about you? Are you indifferent to human suffering? Or has suffering made a difference in your life? Amen!

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