Your post reminds me of Rev. Wurmbrand, a Lutheran Pastor, who spent 14 years in captivity, and whom Bishop Sheen called “my very good friend”. When beaten severely by his Communist tormentors, he was then given a mirror and his persecutors said to him: “Now—do you think you look like your Jesus?” And he responded: “Yes, now I do look like Him.”
I was privileged to meet Rev. Wurmbrand.
I also often think of Saul on the road to Damascus meeting Christ, Who said to him: “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?”
Paul was persecuting the new believers. Were they Christ that he was told he was persecuting? If we are told later by Paul (Saul) that “we are the Body of Christ member for member”, then there is a profund mystery here as regards human suffering under the “New and Eternal Covenant”.
Isn’t it Scripturally sound to understand that our human sufferings have eternal value and that “if we suffer with Him, we shall also reign with Him?”
If we allow Him to come into our hearts as He promised, (”My Father and I will come and make our abode in you”) then our sufferings, offered to us by His will and providence, have infinite value. They are not lost sufferings as would be the case of those who would curse because of what they suffer.
“Master, remember me when You come into your kingdom”.
“Amen, amen I say to you, this day you shall be with Me in Paradise.”
Beautifully stated,thank you!
We should be willing to take on suffering,even ask Our Blessed Lord to allow us to suffer out of love for others who have strayed into heresies, fallen away and have wronged us.
This is true unconditional love in its purest form.