Pain and Sacrifice

                     Pain  centers one on self;

                    “I”, “me”, “mine”, “self”

                     Becomes the norm: darkness,

                     With little resistance to sin.

                  Sacrifice always involves another:

                  “sacrifice with”, “sacrifice for”,

                  Putting another ahead of self,

                  Becomes motivation for action.

                  Each must decide which to follow;

                 Thought, to grow, to go beyond

                  Self-centeredness, requires

                   Wisdom, courage, acceptance.

                    Another one’s

                    Fully  embracing movement

                    Of his will to to the will of his Father

                    Comes to mind.

           Why?  Men have wondered down the ages.

           To hang upon a cross, to be degraded;

            He suffered, not asking for pain killers,

            Human, yes, but He also must be divine.

               His entire life brings answers:

               Before human birth, He knew all 

               That would be: yet

               Perfect obedience He followed.

              Redemptive suffering 

              Because of love;

              Death and Resurrection for us, 

              Whom He loves.

             To offer Him our aches,

            To join with Him for sin committed-

            Surrendering self to Another

            Acknowledges Love with love returned.

           “It is the sorrow, the contrition,

            And the desire to love God which

            Changes pain into sacrifice.

            For what is pain, but

           Sacrifice without love.”          Fulton J. Sheen