Christian Redemptive Suffering

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J.M.J.

Feast of St. John of Matha

Lord, that I may see (Lk. 18.41).

The Holy Gospel for the past Quinquagesima Sunday announces the approaching Passion and Death of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This is not the first time, though. Holy Church points out what St. Luke noted: the Apostles did not understand and the word was hid from them. The Apostles did not understand, imagining the Savior's mission to be like another pursuit of an earthly conqueror which is for the rebuilding of Israel; they were dreaming only of triumphs and of occupying the first places in the kingdom. The Savior's Passion and Death, then, was a cause of upset and scandal for them.

It is not by chance that immediately after the prediction of the Savior's bitter Passion and a most humiliating Death on the Cross, St. Luke recounts the healing of the blind man of Jericho. We are blind to the mystery of the redemptive suffering by the Cross for it strikes us in what we hold most near and dear - takes away from us what is not God and that which does not lead to God:

Pride of self-excellence and sufficiency - we extol our reason, talents, abilities, good qualities, intelligence on a pedestal of superiority but for which God does not provide a good solid ground; God does not require it yet and with a position in the service of Him and His interests (in which the interest of eternal happiness of others forms part). The Apostles in the Gospel were not so much concerned with the interest of identifying the reestablishment of the kingdom of Israel with the establishment of the reign of God in individuals and societies than as with the great privilege of having a say in the affairs of the kingdom.

Purely material ideal of life - we dream of earthly prosperity the "New World Order" offers with its comforts and pleasures even unto luxury: the fine food for the lusts of the flesh.

These cry out by silent or outspoken complaints against the arrangements of Divine Providence especially communicated to us by our legitimate superiors who stand in the place of our true God; or, by thousand pretexts and excuses of subterfuge or subtly planned ways of subversion to pursue rather their own alternative designs which, because out of the way of God's designs and order and devoid of the word of our legitimate superiors, must run into stupid inconsistencies by contradictions (the foundation of the religion of Antipope Bergogrelio, of the Fellayite 'SSPXism', and sedevacantism).

Let us not run the path of delusion. Can we be imagining that a new road is to built for us? Let us ask not to be exempted from this redemptive suffering of the Cross.