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Peace, father!
I thank you for your attention towards me.
I know you celebrated the feast of the Dominican saints.
In the context of saints, how can we suffer for souls to lead them to salvation? I am not a saint… sometimes, my words are not the holiest (I do not blaspheme, I love God).
Might I know how to conciliate my scholastic life with my spiritual life? I aim to see seeds of faith growing in three main friends of mine (two now, as I no longer can speak to the third because of situations).
How can my prayers become more effective? How can I make my praying life more active? I desire a relationship with Christ that is not colloquial and detached as “servant” and “master” (although I see the importance to recognize that, because we are nothing without him), but as “father” and “son” or “lover” and “lover”.
I recently saw some movies about the lives of saints like Padre Pio, Veronica Giuliani and the three children of the Marian apparitions in Fatima, and Ignatius of Loyola as well.
By such watching, one can see how their life was completely dedicated to Christ till founding with Him a more vivid relationship that common lay persons cannot achieve as, in terms of time and efforts, we do not have the same chances to pray and spend time with God and to understand the importance of that.
I thank you in advance for your patience and time.
Martin
The Priest’s answer
Dear Martin,
1. Firstly, I want to point out that suffering, on its own, does not save.
To save means to unite with God.
What unites with God is charity, supernatural love towards everyone.
Insofar, being love, or rather supernatural love, charity is a bond.
Saint Augustine said that love is a unitive force (vis unitiva).
That is why it enables us to unite with God.
2. Suffering has a salvific value when it expresses a greater love.
Next to the cross of Jesus there were two criminals, too.
Both were suffering, although they were not nailed to the cross like Jesus, but only tied.
One of them suffered in atonement for his own sins. That suffering was salvific.
Instead, the other suffered in a wrong way because, even in suffering and close to death, he still had the strength to mock Jesus and blaspheme Him.
3. The one, who suffered in expiation for his own sins, was animated by charity and exhorted the other evildoer to repent.
He said to him: “Have you no fear of God, for you are subject to the same condemnation?
And indeed, we have been condemned justly, for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes, but this man has done nothing criminal” (Lk 23:40-41).
4. Suffering is salvific only when it releases love.
I am glad that the Lord inspired you for an even greater love toward these friends of yours, whom you want to give not just any good, but the greatest of goods: communion with God.
5. Actually, what to do?
I bring you the testimony of Saint Teresa of the Child Jesus, who died at 24 years old.
In The Story of the soul, she addresses Jesus with these words:
“The only way I have of proving my love is to strew flowers before Thee—that is to say, I will let no tiny sacrifice pass, no look, no word. I wish to profit by the smallest actions, and to do them for Love. I wish to suffer for Love’s sake, and for Love’s sake even to rejoice: thus shall I strew flowers. Not one shall I find without scattering its petals before Thee… and I will sing… I will sing always, even if my roses must be gathered from amidst thorns; and the longer and sharper the thorns, the sweeter shall be my song.
But of what avail to thee, my Jesus, are my flowers and my songs? I know it well: this fragrant shower, these delicate petals of little price, these songs of love from a poor little heart like mine, will nevertheless be pleasing unto Thee. Trifles they are, but Thou wilt smile on them. The Church Triumphant, stooping towards her child, will gather up these scattered rose leaves, and, placing them in Thy Divine Hands, there to acquire an infinite value, will shower them on the Church Suffering to extinguish its flames, and on the Church Militant to obtain its victory” (The story of the soul, p.162).
6. Lose no flower, you too, collect it and present it to those in paradise so that they can enrich it with their merits and offer it to Our Lord; combined with His sacrifice, it will acquire an infinite and eternal value.
And so, divinely enriched, let those flowers rain over the souls in Purgatory (the suffering Church) to extinguish their punishment and then on the pilgrim Church on earth (the militant Church) to achieve many victories, many conversions.
7. I am glad that the Lord inspired these desires in you and that He made you longing for a less distracted life, more united with Him to benefit all humanity.
Thinking about what she was doing in her earthly life and what she would continue to do in heaven, Saint Teresa of the Child Jesus so beautifully expressed: “I will spend my heaven benefitting over earth” (Novissima verba).
I heartily wish that for you too.
So, I bless you and remember you in prayer.
Father Angelo