It was “for the joy set before Him” that Christ was able to endure the suffering of the cross. The writer of Hebrews exhorts us to consider the suffering our Savior endured so that we ourselves do not grow weary and lose heart in our own trials. Like Christ at Gethsemane, “my” will needs to become “Thy” will. This means we completely subordinate our desires to those of our Lord. In fact, “dying to self” is a requirement for those who seek to follow Jesus Christ (Luke 14:27). Scripture teaches us to offer our bodies as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1). How we react to our trials, including the trial of terminal illness, reveals exactly what our faith is like. Ultimately, God’s will for us is to glorify Him and to grow spiritually. God’s plan for His children includes their death, which is “precious in the sight of the LORD” (Psalm 116:15). Our earthly life is a “mist” at best, and that’s why God has set eternity in our hearts (Ecclesiastes 3:11). Moreover, God will give the strength to endure any trial (Philippians 4:13). We may never understand the reasons for our particular trials this side of eternity, but one thing is clear – for those who love God, trials work for them, not against them (Romans 8:28). Like Christ’s disciples, they were very wrong. Likewise, Job’s three friends were certain that his calamity resulted from sin in his life. But this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life” (John 9:2-3, emphasis added). They asked Jesus, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus responded, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned. Recall the time Jesus and His disciples came upon a man who had been blind since birth. Having a terminal illness is not proof of God’s judgment on an individual. It is good to remember that not everything bad that happens to us is a direct result of our sin. We may not be guaranteed physical health in this life, but those who trust in God are promised spiritual security for all eternity (John 10:27-28). Yet coping with any degree of suffering becomes easier when we understand God’s overall design to redeem our fallen world. Jesus told us in this world we would have troubles (John 16:33), and absolutely no one is spared (Romans 5:12). The Holy Spirit, the Comforter of our hearts, dwells with us, and He will never leave (John 14:16). Our God is an “ever-present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1). Jesus not only cares He is at hand to help His children. Our Savior wept when His beloved friend Lazarus died (John 11:35), and His heart was touched by the sorrow of Jairus’ family (Luke 8:41-42). And there are few things that can stir the human soul more than the news of a terminal illness diagnosis. 2023 SIL Worksheet B 1.It certainly can be difficult to accept some of the sorrowful twists and turns that life brings our way.Christifidelis Laici 35b: Taking Giant Steps into a New Stage.2023 SIL Worksheet B 1.5: Tensions of Exclusion and Question for Discernment.Christifidelis Laici 35c: Relating to Non-Christians.2023 SIL Worksheet B 1.5, Suggestions 1-4.Funeral Lectionary: Psalm 114-115:12a, Part 2.Christifidelis Laici 36: To Live the Gospel Serving the Person and Society.2023 SIL Worksheet B 1.5, Suggestions 5-8. Christifidelis Laici 37a: Promoting the Dignity of the Person.Nothing official or authoritatively connected to the Magisterium. It contains opinion, interpretation, and personal musings. We make no particular claims to have the completeness of a Roman Catholic expression of Christianity. Luke 24:13-35, in three parts: verses 13-24, then verses 25-29, then verses 30-35Ĭatholic Sensibility is a personal blog by a Catholic layperson with comments and occasional other writings by Catholics and non-Catholics.Psalm 91, in three parts: verses 1-7, then verses 8-13, and verses 14-16.Isaiah 35:1-10 (in three parts, verses 1-2, then verses 3-6a, and verses 6b-10).Wisdom 9:9-11 longing to know God’s wisdom.Most of these readings are brief, and address one of the possible Judeo-Christian approaches to the mystery of human suffering and mortality. The links below will send you directly to each post. They certainly could be used by the sick who are contemplating the meaning of faith in their experiences of infirmity. This site is also home to a series on the Scripture readings which could be used in visits to ill persons and those who are dying. There is another page on this site which details a close-up examination of the pastoral care rites. These rites are a collection of prayers and rituals for believers who are sick or dying, and also for their loved ones. In 1983, the second English translation of the pastoral care rites was released for liturgical and pastoral ministry.
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