Question: Can You Explain Redemptive Suffering?

By Deacon Nick Schwartz

Few things affect us as deeply as human suffering. It is the universal question of all human history. Pain and suffering has been the subject of countless books and articles, including the Book of Job in the Bible, and more recently an apostolic letter written by Pope John Paul II, entitled "The Christian Meaning of Human Suffering." This will be a "cliff notes" kind of answer to the question of redemptive suffering.

Redemptive suffering is any trial or tribulation, physical or mental (from paper cuts and mosquito bites to the ravages of cancer), that we offer up and unite to Jesus’ suffering in his passion and death. Redemptive suffering brings us closer to Jesus and the suffering may "spiritually repair" our own soul or the souls of others, and thereby help in the work of redemption (Christ allowing us to help Him save souls). But how?

The key to the Christian meaning of suffering is the cross of Christ. Through his passion, death, and resurrection, Christ made suffering the path to eternal life; it brings about our redemption. All of us who are members of the Body of Christ are able, in some mysterious way, to unite our sufferings to those of Jesus. This means that our human suffering can be redemptive. Although the causes of human suffering, such as disease, hatred, injustice and greed, are in themselves evil and should be eliminated when possible, nonetheless suffering can have tremendous value both for our own spiritual lives and for the salvation of others. That is why, in the New Testament, suffering and trials are seen as something to rejoice about, not for their own sake, but for what they can mean when united to the sufferings of Christ.

St. Paul writes, "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." (Col 1:24) How can this possibly be true? Is Paul saying that Christ's sufferings and sacrifice weren’t enough? Is he "taking away from Christ" by saying that we are to "fill up" those things that are "wanting" in His sufferings? No, of course not! He is saying, though, that we are One Body, that we co-operate with God in profound ways, and that, in an unfathomable way, our sufferings benefit one another. We actually help Jesus in His redemption of the world by giving to Him our sufferings to build up the Body of Christ.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church encourages and reminds us of our vocation: "By His passion and death on the Cross Christ has given a new meaning to suffering: it can henceforth configure us to Him and unite us with His redemptive passion." (CCC #1505)

Everyone asks the question (in some form or another), why suffering? Every human being undergoes pain, and we all want it to have meaning (and so not despair). With this in mind, always remember that for Christians there are two kinds of suffering: redemptive suffering and wasted suffering. Which one will you choose?