“Offer it up!”
Has your mom or friend ever said this to you when you’ve complained of some pain or suffering in your life? It’s become a cliche line that many Catholics use as a reminder of the redemptive power of our sufferings (no matter how small) when we offer them to God in union with our Lord Jesus Christ.
In the words of St. Pope John Paul II, in Salvifici Doloris, “In bringing about the Redemption through suffering, Christ has also raised human suffering to the level of the Redemption. Thus each man, in his suffering, can also become a sharer in the redemptive suffering of Christ.”
Powerful stuff.
However, if you’re anything like me, when it comes to actually putting this in practice it can be difficult to be mindful of this call to sacrifice when actually in the middle of suffering. So, how can we do this well?
I don’t have all the answers, but I want to share with you a prayer that I have found to be both very powerful and helpful in these moments of suffering. It’s one of the prayers given to the three shepherd children at Fatima, this one in particular coming from Our Lady:
A Prayer for Sacrifice
O My Jesus, I offer this for love of Thee, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation for the sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
That’s it. Short and sweet.
I encourage you to memorize this prayer and, then, when you find yourself in a moment of suffering (big or small) you can pray this prayer as an intentional acknowledgment of your desire to turn your suffering into a sacrifice of love. I have no doubt that such an act would be very pleasing to both Our Lord and Our Lady.
RELATED: The Prayers I Pray Every Morning
Do you have any tips for how one can suffer well?
Let me know below in the comment box!
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