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Monday, May 16, 2011

Grace through Suffering

I'm home sick today with a cold.  It's rattling around in my chest, and I thought I'd rest up, drink plenty of fluids and consider it a "P and P Day."  "P & P" stands for "Pray and Play."  Today the "Play" translates into "Read" since I don't feel like Playing.

And the Prayer has become Lectio Divina.  That's because yesterday in Chapter, we  discussed Grace through Suffering.  Specifically, accepting suffering as uniting ourselves with Christ, and by the power of the Holy Spirit suffering is transformed into resurrection.

Huh?

Yeah, you see instead of simply suffering and bitching about it, lumping it, enduring, sucking it up...all bad, accept  it and what you perceive as the "bad," returns as grace.       Think about it.

As a Christian, I can believe it; I can see it.

That was yesterday's Chapter.  Last night, I finished reading Markus Zusak's The Book Thief.  Now, there's a book about suffering.  Wait a minute, upon reflection I'll rephrase that; now there's a book about grace.

Yes, there's untold suffering throughout the book.  I used quite a few tissues--but then I do have a cold.  With every cruel, evil occurrence, there was always a moment of grace.  The very first heart rendering death of Liesel's brother resulted in Liesel's redemption--a book.  That's how the story goes.  The grace is there.

Today, I finished reading The Death of Magister Aycardus, by Fr. Michael Demkovich, O.P.  This is a mystery about Meister Eckhart.  Near the end, Gianna tells everyone, "Only a woman who has given birth truly knows the mystery of suffering."  There you go!  Money quote!  Perfect example of Grace through Suffering.

Oh yeah, also being home sick has givin me this opportunity to post about Grace through Suffering.

God is Good.  All the Time!

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