It seems we encounter pain and suffering wherever we go these days.  It is hard for us not to focus on the suffering that goes on in all our relationships and everywhere we go.  Too often though we give all our time and focus over to suffering and the sacrifices we experience in the human condition.  It is easy for us to become jaded and look at suffering as something unfair and unjust and not look at suffering through the eyes of our Lord.  Through our Lord we can experience suffering and sacrifice as a corridor to new life.

Our focus the 5th Week of Lent now turns from suffering and sacrifice to peace and joy.  Lent is an adventure of faith that leads us to Easter Joy in the Resurrection.  But before we can experience the elation and excitement of Easter we must experience the sadness and desolation of Good Friday.  However, we must remind ourselves that Good Friday is not just about evil and pain and death.  It is the door that Jesus opens to invite us into new life with him in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Certainly, suffering and dying is a big part of our Lenten journey and it includes the sacrifices of fasting and abstinence, alms-giving and spending extra time in church in prayer and devotion.  These are just tools God gives us to help us on our journey.  God uses our daily suffering and dying to self to help us grow in compassion, endurance, and in serving others.

Sacrifice is necessary to help us learn discipline, which is at the foundation of discipleship so that we can purify our will and grow stronger in holiness.  At this point in our Lenten journey, we must remind ourselves that our journey is not our destination.  Lent is about reaching the Resurrection.  Lent brings about renewed faith and a new life free of old sins, reconciled relationships, and living in the Spirit of God more than ever before.

Sometimes we put all our emphasis on Easter joy and skip over the importance Good Friday, but that unspeakable day on Calvary was absolutely necessary for Easter.  The important thing for us to remember and attend to now, is we are living in the Resurrection!  Catholics are an Easter people.  This means that nothing bad can ever happen to us that will not be transformed into blessings if Jesus is the Lord of our lives.  He proved himself to be the Resurrection and the Life, the very life we need, by displaying his power over life and death.  Good Friday is necessary if we are going to rejoice in the joy of Easter and the Resurrection. 

With faith, hope and love,
Father Steven C. Rogers