WORD ALIVE

A lot of love stories end with the words: “And they lived happily ever after.” Is that really true? Then there’s a young man who got married expecting to get lasting marital bliss.

After a couple of years, he was asked by the priest who solemnized his wedding how things were getting along. He replied, “Father, I’ve found that there are three rings in marriage – engagement ring, wedding ring, suffe-ring.”
 

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The subject of this Sunday’s gospel deals with suffering. Jesus Christ said: “The Son of Man is going up to Jerusalem and  would suffer grievously and be put to death” (Mk 8,31). Peter recoiled at the thought, remonstrating, “Heaven forbid, Lord. This must never happen to you.”

Jesus exploded  with a violence rarely seen of him: “Get out of my sight, you Satan! You are a stumbling block to my path.” Imagine, Jesus calling Peter “Satan!”

Jesus summarized Peter’s whole problem in one  sentence: “You are not judging by God's standards but by man's.” Man's standards say, “Be comfortable; seek security; enjoy life.” How different are God's standards! God shows in Jesus that real happiness and fulfilment come through suffering. As the truism puts it, “No guts, no glory; no pain, no gain; no cross, no crown.”
 

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In his book The Secret of Happiness, American author D. Prager says, “Things that lead to happiness involve some pain like professional achievement, religious commitment, civic or charitable work, self improvement.”

There are, however, sufferings that are inevitable or part and parcel of human life in this “valley of tears.”

Think of the countless victims of calamities like the recent monsoon rains and the devastating typhoon like “Enteng.”

There are emotional and mental sicknesses that bring loneliness, boredom, depression.

If, however, our problems, pains, and sufferings cannot be remedied, despite our best efforts, then let’s pray for serenity and accept the will of God. In the words of the theologian Reinhold Niebuhr puts it thus: “God, grant me the courage to change the things I can change, the serenity to accept the things I cannot  change, and the wisdom  to know the difference between the two."

A friend, whose very loving, caring, and devoted wife died at age 60,  could not accept her tragic death. He was so distressed that he thought life had no more meaning, and even thought of ending it. 

I consoled him and said, “Jesus Christ did not want to suffer, too. While praying at the Garden of Gethsemane, he implored, “Father, take this cup of suffering away from me.” Did he get his wish? No. Jesus could only say, “Father, not my will but your will be done.”

My friend reflected on that and later felt a relief, and kept saying like a mantra, “Yes, Lord, your will be done.”

Just as the cross of Christ was redemptive, so also our crosses, hardships and problems are our instrument of salvation. Let us offer our sufferings with Christ so they will not be wasted but redemptive and meritorious.

As St. Paul said: “If we suffer and die with Christ, then we will also rise in his glorious resurrection.”
 

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The lighter side. A man told his friend, “I am a walking economy during this pandemic time. My hairline is in recession because of worry, my stomach is in state of inflation, and these two cause me depression.” 

The friend replied, “In my case, my assets were frozen, then liquidated, finally evaporated!”
 

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Support seminarians. Help our seminarians who have enrolled for the new school year. Let’s remember how important seminarians are in the church. Without them we cannot have priests, bishops and popes simply because they all start as seminarians. 

Donate any amount or sponsor a seminarian's schooling good for one school year.

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