The Reality Of Human Suffering 3o1y1x

Signs of Times 1. What are the pressing issues/problems our country is facing today? 2. What do these problems tell us about the condition of our country? 3. As a Christian what can you say about this condition?

• What is the most predominant form of suffering in the Philippines? • What is suffering? • Why do we suffer? • Why does God allow us to suffer?

• We suffer in many different ways. • Since we are embodied spirits, there are two kinds of suffering • * Physical S. – is present when the body is hurting, whereas Moral S. is pain of the soul. • Suffering according to John Paul II in Salvifici Doloris states that • “It can be said that man in a special fashion becomes the way for the church when suffering enters his life.

• This happens as we know at different moments in life, it takes place in different ways, assumes different dimensions nevertheless in what ever form, suffering seems to be almost inseparable from man’s earthly existence.”

• The Reality of human suffering • Why do people suffer? Why does God allow suffering? • - These are wrong questions, or we address the question to the wrong person • - We question God. Suffering does not come from God. It is from the world that suffering comes to us. God allows sufferings but He does not will it.

• - Man suffers on of evil which is lack, limitation or distortion of good. • - He suffers when he a ought –in the normal order of things- to have a share in this good and does not have it (Salvifici Doloris) • To answer: Why do we suffer? JPII look at the book of Job (see Job 38-

• Questions for Discussion • 1. What forms of suffering did Job experience? • 2. How did his friends tried to explain his suffering? • 3. How did Job learn from his whole experience of human suffering? • 4. If you were Job, what would you think and feel when you experience all those sufferings? Why?

Story of Job • - A just man, without any fault of his own is tried by innumerable sufferings • He loses his possessions, his sons, and daughters, and finally he himself is afflicted by a grave sickness • -In this horrible situation 3 old acquaintances come to his house.

• And each one in his own way tries to convince him that since he has been struck down by such varied and terrible sufferings, he must have done something seriously wrong. For suffering they say – always strikes a man as punishment for a crime; it is sent by the absolutely just God and finds its reason in the order of justice.

• It can be said that Job’s old friends wish not only convince him of the moral justice of evil but in a certain sense they attempt to justify to themselves the moral meaning of suffering • Sufferings appear as justified evil, suffering as punishment for sin, “Those who plough iniquity, and sow trouble reap the same (Salvifici Doloris)

Why do bad things happen to good people? • Job challenges the truth of the principle that identifies suffering with punsihment for sin (his opinion) he is aware that he has not desreved such punishment and he speaks of the good that he has done during his life. • God himself, reproves Job’s friends for their accusations and recognizes that Job is not guilty.

• His suffering is the suffering of someone who is innocent and it must be accepted as a mystery which the individual is unable to penetrate completely by his own intelligence(Salvifici Doloris) • It is true that suffering has a meaning as punishment when it is connected with a fault but it is not true that all suffering is a consequence of a fault and has the nature of a punishment.

How do Christian’s View Human Suffering?(what is a mature Christian attitude toward God amidst our suffering?)

• -Our Holy Father in his apostolic letter, Salvifici Doloris on the Chrisitan meaning of human suffering addressed this question • In the ion of Jesus something new has been added to uur understanding of suffering • -It has been linked to love

• - Because of the ion of Jesus there is a new situation for all human suffering just as job was able to say in his sufferings..”I know that my redeemer lives.” • Therefore, when we suffer, we can also become sharers in the redemptive suffering of Christ. • When we share the sufferings with Christ, we suffer for the kingdom and grow in virtue and complete..Christ’s afflictions..for the sake of the Church.

How should we respond to suffering? • 1. By worshipping God • 2. By examining our hearts (..whether you are in the faith) • 3. By offering our sufferings to God • 4. By giving thanks (..this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus) • 5. By rejoicing that we have been counted worthy to suffer for Christ.

• 6. By looking to Christ example, who suffered for us, to demonstrate to us both the magnitude of our sin, the greater magnitude of his infinite love for us. • 7. By looking to Christ ‘return and the life to come

• Following the example of Job, that the right attitude to God is trust and teaches us that before God, who is the Lord of the earth, we are of little

Who am I? Casting Crowns • • • • • •

Who am I, that the Lord of all the earth Would care to know my name Would care to feel my hurt Who am I, that the Bright and Morning Star Would choose to light the way For my ever wandering heart

• • • • • • • • • • •

Not because of who I am But because of what You’;ve done Not because of what I’ve done But because of who You are I am a flower quickly fading Here today and gone tomorrow A wave tossed in the ocean Vapor in the wind Still you hear me when I’m falling Lord you catch me when I’m falling And You’ve told me who I am

• I am Yours, I am Yours • Who am I, that the eyes that see my sin • Would look on me with love and watch me rise again • Who am I, that the voice that calmed the sea • Would call out through the rain • And calm the storm in me

• • • • • • • •

Not because of who I am But because of what You’ve done Not because of what I’ve done But because of who You are I am a flower quickly fading Here today and gone tomorrow A wave tossed in the ocean Vapor in the wind

• • • • • • •

Still You hear me when I’m calling Lord, You catch me when I’m falling And You’ve told me who I am I am Yours Not because of who I am But because of what You’ve done But because of who You are

• • • • • • • •

I am a flower quickly fading Here today and gone tomorrow A wave tossed in the ocean Vapor in the wind Still, You hear me when I’m calling Lord, You catch me when I’m falling And You’ve told me who I am I am Yours

• • • • •

I am Yours Whom shall I fear Whom shall I fear ‘Cause I am Yours I am Yours

Trusting in God’s love • How do Christians view human suffering? • What is the right attitude to ward God when we are confronted with pains and afflictions?

Footprints in the Sand • To Last night I had a dream. I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord. Across the sky flashed scenes from my life. For each scene, I noticed 2 sets of footprints in the sand one belonged to me, the other to the Lord.

• After the last scene of my life flashed before me, I looked back at the footprints in the sand. I noticed that at many times along the path of my life, especially at the very lowest and saddest times, there was only one set of footprints.

• This really troubled me so I asked the Lord about it, ‘Lord you said once I decided to follow you, You’d walk with me all the way. But I noticed that during the saddest and most troublesome times of my life, there was only one set of footprints. I don’t understand why when I needed You the most, You would

• The Lord replied,” My Son, my precious child. I love You and I would never leave You. During your times of suffering, when you could see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.” • (Moments of silence)

Questions for Discussion • 1. What is the message of the story? • 2. what does it tell us about suffering or the lowest point in our lives?

• God’s Message • - Christ promised that he will be with us always, especially when we are at the lowest point in our lives. It tells us to trust God, that He will never abandon us especially at the most difficult part in our lives

Trusting in God’s love pp. 7-11 • God’s love • - God hears the cry of the poor and suffering. He is not indifferent to the pains that we are experiencing because of sin in the world.

Jesus offered liberation • - God acts upon the suffering of His

people by sending his Son Jesus Christ. • -God is not a God who is just up above watching over us but a God who wants to be with us.. God sent his son to be one like us and suffer with us to bring us to God’s kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.

• - Jesus frees us from enslaving sins to bring us to holistic liberation • Freedom from • Enslaving sins – freedom for holistic liberation • The Call of chrisitans • -Read and analyze the story of the Transfiguaration on p. 12 • What is the instruction to listen means on pp. 12-13?

• 1. First, it is an order • 2. Second, it means to be attentive and alert to what is being revealed. • REFLECTION • Journal Writing • An experience of God is very basic if one is to deepen his/her faith in God. • *Recall an experience/event in your life. What was the effect of this experience in your life?

Reflecting on our Social Responsibilty • What is Social Responsibilty? • -It is an obligation of an individual or a group of people to act to benefit the of the society at large. It is a duty every person or organization has to perform to maintain and sustain a balance between the economy and the ecosystem.

Stress the ff. points pp.14- 18 • - The common Filipino reasons for helping others: • 1. Reward and punishment • 2. Pity • 3. Moral Obligation • 4. Christian Faith • - Social Responsibility for them is a response to Christ who calls us to follow him

Christian Faith includes Social Responsibilty • What is the link between faith and work for Social Justice? • -Our faith and love of God gives meaning to our working with peace and justice. • * the Life of Bobby Gana • - what do you find to be the most striking in his life? • - How was his faith connected to his work for the poor?

The link between faith and Social Responsibilty • * Reason and Meaning – Our love for

God flows out to desiring to love our neighbours • - An experience of faith is an experience of being loved by god through Christ. • - this love has the power to move us to love others in return.

• * Norm • - Jesus is our norm, our moral standard • -We look upon Jesus as our example. We follow him and the way he served others too. • * Power • - If we are called to serve others and work for peace and justice, Jesus gives us the grace to be able to do so. He sends us the Holy Spirit, for without the grace of God we will not be able to sustain our work for the coming of the kingdom here on earth.