Forever will we find grace that can only come through Suffering!

Grace must be the essence of God and can only become part of each person’s suffering just like Jesus in his Passion. How does one find grace without suffering? St Joan of Arc Replied to a question posed by her captors as a trap by her ecclesiastical judges: Asked if she knew that she was in God’s grace, she replied “If I am not, may it please God to put me in it; If I am, may it please God to keep me there.” (taken from Acts of the trial of St. Joan of Arc ) listed in the CCC following # 2005.

Grace is first and foremost the gift of the Spirit who justifies and sanctifies us. (CCC 2003). The Holy Spirit gives to some a special charism of healing so as to make manifest the power of the grace of the risen Lord. But even the most intense prayers do not always obtain healing of all illnesses. Thus St. Paul must learn from the Lord that “my grace is sufficient for you, my power is made perfect in weakness,” and that the sufferings to be endured can mean that “in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his Body, that is, the Church.” (CCC 1508).

When we memorialize the Passion of Christ and his ultimate crucifixion, we see untold grace as he shed his Blood for all humanity. Yes, we accept that grace also includes the gifts that the Spirit grants us to associate us with his work, to enable us to collaborate in the salvation of others and in the growth of the Body of Christ, the Church. There are sacramental graces, gifts proper to the different sacraments. There are furthermore special graces, also called charisms after the Greek term used by St. Paul and meaning “favor”, “gratuitous gift.””benefit.” Whatever their character - sometimes it is extraordinary, such as the gift of miracles or of tongues - charisms are oriented toward sanctifying grace and are intended for the common good of the Church. They are at the service of charity which builds up the Church.” (CCC 2003).

Why am I implying suffering connected to grace? The very Passion of Christ stands as the most gratuitous action that God intended via the Incarnation. Through The death/resurrection of Christ, we are saved, and the graces that are born through his suffering are manifested in the Body and Blood that redeemed us by his suffering.

“In the Christian life, the Holy Spirit himself accomplishes his work by mobilizing the whole being, with all its sorrows, fears and sadness, as is visible in the Lord’s agony and passion. In Christ human feelings are able to reach their consummation in charity and divine beatitude.” (CCC 1769).

“So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and then the other one who was crucified with Jesus. But when they came to Jesus and saw he was already dead, they did not break his legs, but one soldier thrust his lance into his side, and immediately blood and water flowed out.” (Jn 19: 32 - 34). John said these elements represented baptism and eucharist; graces that are the Church; through the suffering and death of Christ.

Ralph B. Hathaway