God the Father suffers to see the suffering of His Beloved Son on the Cross.
I have been praying very much for the family of a beautiful young girl who died earlier this year, following the unexpected death of her younger brother last year. Theirs is a terrible and unimaginable cross.
And as I pray for these chosen souls, I reflect very often on the suffering of the parents and the family. Effectively, I am reflecting on the suffering of the Father of that family...
Last year I required some surgery and when I first heard this unexpected news my family – most particularly my parents – became very worried about me.
And the crux of their worry was my suffering. They worried for the suffering that I would experience while I awaited surgery, and for my suffering while I recovered from surgery, and then too, they worried about the suffering that had gone before – of which they had been largely unaware…
At the time, my father told me that I had been given my suffering as a Grace to offer for the salvation of souls. Now my surgery is behind me, and my health is restored – through God’s wonderous condescension – and my father worried that he had been too hard on me previously and that his was the easier road.
But he was simply mistaken. You see – at the time of my diagnosis I told my mother that I understood that it would be easier for her if she were sick instead of me. And I can see for my father the same would have been true.
This is not to say that I would wish my parents ill or reject this opportunity for sacrifice in my own life – if it is God’s Holy Will. This is to say, that I can see – even as the person who must carry the Cross this time – the suffering of those who love me in watching me bear the weight of the Cross…
And I have been reflecting on my father’s misplaced feelings of guilt.
Saint Joseph Foster Father of Jesus died before Christ began His public ministry. And He – as an earthly reflection of God the Father – must have suffered such anguish in knowing that he would be unable to help His chaste Spouse and Divine Child by his presence during the Passion.
And as I reflect on these feelings of Saint Joseph, I also reflect on the feelings of God the Father…
Now, it is true that God the Son offered Himself as a sacrifice to atone for our sins. And during the period of the Sacrifice – when Christ entered His Passion and Death from Holy Thursday to His Resurrection on Easter Sunday – He was completely alone. This period is called “The Great Silence” and it was during this time of silence that Christ was completely alone because the other Members of the Most Blessed Trinity were not participating in that sacrifice with Him, They were observing it.
And I have been reflecting – not on Christ right now – but on God the Father and – as a consequence – on the suffering of God the Holy Spirit (who is the PERFECT LOVE between the Father and the Son).
I somehow can see now that though God the Father did not hang on that Cross, He suffered terrible and unspeakable suffering. You see, knowing that His Beloved Only Begotten Son was suffering for OUR SINS and OUR SALVATION, caused God the Father to suffer unspeakable anguish.
Just as Saint Joseph undoubtedly suffered in knowing that he would die unable to stand at the Foot of the Cross at Calvary, and just as my father suffered in knowing I would suffer, so too does God the Father suffer to see the suffering of His Son.
And how God the Father must suffer even now – seeing the sacred wounds on the perfect flesh of His Beloved Son. And how He must suffer in witnessing the perpetual sacrifice of the Cross for all eternity for the salvation of souls. And how utterly magnanimous that God the Father allowed such a sacrifice of God the Son knowing that it would cause such pain to the entire Holy Trinity…
And so, as I continue to pray for the family of those dearly departed souls, and as I continue to pray for the parents of all children who are sick, I think of God the Father – who suffered all things first through the sacrifice of His only Begotten Beloved Son…
And I smile through my tears – for my Father loves me so much that He bears the suffering of my sins for all eternity – just so that I can come home…
Just so that I can come home…
For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.
Beautifully written 👏