To Redeem with Christ

The Christian who suffers in association with the sufferings of Christ and in union with him, not only will find consolation in his suffering but also makes up for what is lacking in the suffering of the Lord.

Because of this, we may speak of the creative character of Christian suffering. Put in another way, whoever suffers in silence and peace, like Jesus and for Jesus, does not only confer a meaning upon suffering but also infuses it with dynamism and fruitfulness.

The immediate conclusion that comes to the fore is, if Jesus redeemed the world by accepting his sufferings silently, every Christian who shares in Christ’s suffering participates through his own suffering in the redemptive character of Jesus. He also redeems in union with Jesus.

At the same time complete and always open, this redemption introduces us to the essential mystery of the Church; the Body of Christ. These are the parameters and the very space where whatever is lacking in the sufferings of the Lord is completed, as Paul affirms.

But after what took place on Calvary, after God drew out Life from death and the definitive victory from failure, all rules of normality have been swept away, human logic has been carried off by the wind, the known hierarchy of values has been subverted, the coordinates of common sense have fallen completely. And in the end, our measures are not His measures, or our criteria His criteria.

Finally, everything is a question of faith without which nothing is understandable. It is therefore much better to close one’s eyes, remain in silence and adore.

Extracted from the book “The Art of Being Happy” by Father Ignacio Larrañaga