Thursday, August 21, 2008

Suffering Co-workers

God did not want me to suffer. He hates it when I suffer. But since this is a fallen world, pain is a fact. But he can and will redeem it and make it into Grace. So in a way I've received my vocation: to be a suffering member of the body of Christ. To live in Joy with, in and for Christ Crucified. I am fulfilling that call by my work as a Sick & Suffering Co-worker of the Missionaries of Charity.

The Sick & Suffering Co-workers are a group of people that offer their prayers and sufferings for the poorest of the poor and for the Missionaries of Charity, Mother Teresa's sisters. Since many times they are unable to join in activities in the service of the poor they are spiritually linked to the Order. Thus they become life-giving partners in the service of the poor.

Mental illness is a hard Crown of Thorns to bear. Yet it can be such a fountain of life, light and love. Joining a prayer group, a group like the Sick & Suffering Coworkers or simply making the point to offer your sufferings in your daily prayers is such a source of life and meaning for our pain. There is Life, Love and Light even in the Cross! let us rejoice!

Dear Lord, I offer you all my prayers, works, joys and sufferings specially those relatedto my illness. I offer them for __________. I accept everything as coming from your Loving Hand. Let me walk through this Calvary with you so that I might rise with you in the Resurrection. Amen.

Painting by Mariano Cammisuli from Argentina

3 comments:

Staying in Balance said...

I think the daily offering is very important. I pray it before the first Our Father during my Rosary. One of the things I offer my sufferings for is for all those who struggle with mental illness.

Rosario said...

Thans Dymphna... we totally need all the prayers we can get! ha! :)

joannaB73 said...

Thank you for this link to Mother Theresa and the 'sick and suffering co-workers'. I think that it is something very positive about the Catholic Church that we can offer up our suffering and that it has a purpose. Unlike the evangelical churches who focus on health, wealth and prosperity. Not that I don't believe that God can give us these too but that when we are going through difficult times our faith can be enriched.