I Complete What is Lacking in Christ's Afflictions

I complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions? What can I do to add to what Jesus already did on the cross? Is this even biblical to suggest this? St. Paul says in his letter to the Colossians the following:

²⁴ Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, (Colossians 1:24)

Let’s begin by saying that Christ lacks nothing in the grace and the mercy that he accomplished for us on the cross which is our salvation. He lacks Nothing! His suffering and death for our sake, for our salvation is a gift of mercy poured out for all mankind. No one “lacks” from this free gift of his. So, what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions? It is us! At least many of us. When we refuse to accept this gift, when we fail to trust him, when we fail to love him (or our neighbor) then we “lack” what he has given us in his “afflictions” on the cross. Jesus does not force us to accept this free gift of salvation; rather, we have a choice to accept it through obedience to him.

So then, how can we complete what is lacking? We can when we offer up our suffering, when we unite our sufferings with Christ’s. St. Paul says “I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake”. Whose sake? For the church, the body of Christ. St. Paul also says we are all members of the body (of Christ)-For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. ¹³ For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.(1 Corinthians 12:12-13). Christ through his suffering on the Cross redeemed all these, all the members of the body. As fellow members of this body (His body) we can unite our suffering with Christ’s. In this way we can participate in the salvation of others, the other members of the body of Christ.

Also, let’s consider these:

¹⁶ it is the Spirit himself bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, ¹⁷ and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. (Romans 8:16-17)

⁴ by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, that through these you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of passion, and become partakers of the divine nature. (2 Peter 1:4)

We are “fellow heirs” – if we suffer with him. By suffering with him we will be glorified with him. And in so doing we are able to be “partakers of the divine nature”, and therefore help to complete what is lacking.

I appeal to you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. ² Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:1-2)

By presenting (“offering up”) our own bodies “as a living sacrifice”, in suffering we partake of the sacrifice of Jesus. We complete in some mysterious way the afflictions of Christ.

We should also consider The Catechism of the Catholic Church which says the following:

The cross is the unique sacrifice of Christ, the "one mediator between God and men".⁴⁵² But because in his incarnate divine person he has in some way united himself to every man, "the possibility of being made partners, in a way known to God, in the paschal mystery" is offered to all men.⁴⁵³ He calls his disciples to "take up [their] cross and follow [him]",⁴⁵⁴ for "Christ also suffered for [us], leaving [us] an example so that [we] should follow in his steps."⁴⁵⁵…..(Paragraph 618)

It then goes on to say:

Union with the passion of Christ. By the grace of this sacrament the sick person receives the strength and the gift of uniting himself more closely to Christ's Passion: in a certain way he is consecrated to bear fruit by configuration to the Savior's redemptive Passion. Suffering, a consequence of original sin, acquires a new meaning; it becomes a participation in the saving work of Jesus (Paragraph 1521).

In practice how does this work? We can “offer up” our suffering for the benefit of others. For instance, if we have family members who are “lacking” in a relationship with God, our suffering can affect them, just as if we were to pray for a conversion of heart for them. If we have loved ones that have passed into eternity in friendship with Christ, but yet “lack” perfect holiness (as nothing unclean can enter it-heaven see Revelation 21:27), they can benefit from our sufferings for their sake. Again, similar to our offering up our prayers for them.

We can lead other members of the body towards Christ. That is why St. Paul says “I rejoice in my sufferings”. Because by willingly without complaint offering up our sufferings with Christ’s it can lead other members of the body to Christ. He entrusts each of us to lead others to him. We can intercede through our sufferings and participate in Christ’s work on the cross.