the meaning of suffering

Question 1

meaning of suffering for catholics

Answer 1

• believe that God understands human suffering because God the Son in Jesus died a horrible death
• christians Isaiah 53 to understand jesus’ suffering. it describes how the acceptance of suffering by the ‘suffering servant’ somehow brought about salvation (being saved)
• when catholics suffer it is a way to bring them closer to an understanding of jesus and a way to bring about a greater god. this shapes how catholics respond to suffering. catholics share their suffering with god in prayer
• during mass, catholics pray for the sick, dying and those who are suffering, they ask god to help those in need
• catholics also help those who are suffering by giving to charity. some catholics feel it is their vocation to be doctors or nurses and fight against suffering

Question 2

suffering is a mystery

Answer 2

• for all catholics suffering is a mystery and god uses suffering to bring about good
• in the book of Job, God tell the suffering job that he is just not capable of understanding the reasons why god chooses to do or not to do certain things
  -catholics just trust that God understands the reasons for suffering. therefore, suffering is a mystery that we may not be able to fully understand in this life

Question 3

Pope John Paul II - Salvifici Doloris

Answer 3

• Salvifici Doloris is a documents that was written by Pope John Paul II. Title is latin, meaning “The Beauty of Suffering”.
• he writes that if christian’s willingly ‘offer up’ their own suffering in prayer for the sake of others, that they can share in the saving suffering of jesus. this is very difficult to understand but Pop John Paul II believes that if we try and bear our suffering patiently and offer it to God in prayer, that God will somehow be able to use it to bring about good for others
• Like Augustine, John Paul II believes that love comes from suffering. It leads people to respond with kindness
  “Those who share in Christ’s suffering have before their eyes the Paschal Mystery of the Cross and Ressurevtion” Salvifici doloris 13&23