Padre Pio’s letter to Fr. Agostino of San Marco in Lamis, 1913: Jesus tells me that when it comes to love, he is the one who delights in me; when it comes to sorrow, instead it is I who delight in him. For me to desire health right now would be seeking joy for myself and not seeking to comfort Jesus. Yes, I love the cross and only the cross. I love it because I always see it on Jesus’ shoulders. By now Jesus knows full well that my whole life, my whole heart, is dedicated to him and to his sufferings.
When Jesus wants me to know he loves me, he lets me experience his wounds, his thorns, his agonies.
—from the book Padre Pio’s Spiritual Direction for Every Day
by Gianluigi Pasquale and Marsha Daigle-Williamson Ph.D
2 thoughts on “For Love of the Cross”
This reflection is particularly helpful for worries with painful family, friends’ & even beloved pets’ heartaches. Things hurt — but God is always there, especially in our sorrows. Thank you for this reflection!
This is a stumbling block for me. I love JESUS, Who suffered & died on the Cross & rose again, but I cannot say that I love the Cross.
I don’t like suffering & I would never seek it. I want to avoid suffering as much as possible except in cases when it is a choice between doing the right thing that could involve suffering vs doing the wrong thing that would provide avoidance & escape from suffering. And I pray that I will choose doing the right thing at all times.
I don’t like the idea of GOD giving us suffering or seeing suffering as a good thing in itself. In my opinion,.suffering is like manure: it stinks to high heaven & is totally repugnant in itself, but GOD can take what is stinky & repugnant for good (Romans 8:28) & use it to make us grow, the way a farmer or a gardener applies manure to the soil to make the crops, the fruit, the flowers grow. When suffering comes into our lives, if we pray, if we do our best to trust the LORD & do what is good in the midst of suffering, & to cooperate with Him, then He will take this bad, stinky & repugnant thing called suffering, turn it for our good, for the good of others & for His glory, His purposes & His Kingdom, & help us grow & bear good fruit.
GOD is NOT a sadist! To the prospect of GOD imposing suffering & the idea of the more GOD loves us, the more He gives us suffering as a “gift”, my response would be “Please love me less & treat me better!”
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