The Son of God came into the world and saved mankind by assuming the weaknesses of our nature, through which he atoned for our sins; by his suffering he sanctified all the sorrow of the human race.
In order to join him, we in our turn, must accept suffering.
But the Christian endurance of suffering cannot simply turn into resigned patience one almost forced upon us because we cannot get out of it.
In imitation of Christ, Christian patience is the willing acceptance of whatever in our lives crucifies us, in loving conformity with God’s will.
The Christian becomes like the patient Christ through this willing adherence, and suffering becomes a participation in his mystery.
This understanding makes him capable of voluntarily embracing all the suffering that God permits in his lite, with a positive attitude of love and of union with Christ, crucified and resurrected.
The consciousness that we are sharing in the Lord’s passion gives us courage, makes us serene and even happy in tribulations.
Christ took it upon himself to suffer our griefs, our distress and our anguish in order to make them less bitter for us, and to encourage us in tribulations.
Strengthened by the example and grace of Christ, and sustained by his love for us, we learn to live with our personal suffering without losing heart, and we also learn to offer it up for the salvation of our brethren, as a humble contribution to the work of redemption.
“In my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body . . . the Church” (Col 1: 24).
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