Here’s what we covered:
- What do we first need to know in order to understand the purpose of suffering?
- How does understanding the purpose of suffering help us as parents to use it powerfully?
- What are some practical examples of suffering we can now powerfully offer up?
July 10, 2024 Radio Interview & Podcast
What do we first need to know in order to understand the purpose of suffering?
- We were made for never-ending joy.
- Suffering entered the world as a result of sin and as a gift to repair the damage of sin!
- Sin is defined as 1) Disobedience and 2) Guilty Pleasure (taking a legitimate pleasure in a guilty way- like overeating or marital relations outside of marriage).
- Christ’s suffering perfectly repairs the damage of sin because He did the opposite of sin: 1) Perfect Obedience and 2) Innocent Suffering. The innocent Lamb of God suffered unto death as He obeyed the will of His Father.
- So, Innocent Suffering powerfully repairs the damage of sin and merits grace for souls!
How does understanding the purpose of suffering help us as parents to use it powerfully?
- Since, “All things work together for the good for those who love Him” -Rom 8:28 and “No man has greater love than this, to lay down his life for his friends” -John 15:13, we can trust God’s greater plan being accomplished through the sacrifices of our daily life.
- Our Lord told St Faustina that more souls will be saved by prayer and sacrifice than by a preacher and his sermons alone.
- Every sacrifice, difficulty, and repugnance takes on eternal value to win graces for souls when offered along with Jesus’ sacrifice on Calvary.
- Jesus said “Take up your cross and follow Me.” So, either Jesus is a jerk and asking us to do something senseless, or, carrying our crosses is eternally significant!
- We can actually find joy amidst our sufferings because “in our flesh we are making up for what is wanting in the sufferings of Christ on behalf of His body.” – cf. Col 1:24
- As the best Father, God doesn’t want us to just receive His love, but love as He loves- sacrificially giving our lives to free our children for the never-ending joy of Heaven.
What are some practical examples of suffering we can now powerfully offer up?
- Being misunderstood by our kids
- Being taken for granted
- Being rejected
- Being wounded emotionally
- Tiredness
- The monotony of our mundane duties: dishes, laundry, changing diapers, housework, yard work, and our employment
- Listening attentively when we are battling interior turmoil
- Loving in the way a child receives love, especially when it is unsatisfying to us
What’s one way we can find some joy in our relationship with God and our family?
Do the Free Weekly Family Conquests. Subscribe to the Email list to receive a short, super-engaging video to watch together each week, along with Q&A’s that help us see God’s wisdom and awesomeness revealed through the video. This approach connects us to God and each other, and teaches God’s language of parable, so we can discern God speaking in our prayer!
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Many of the Family Conquest supporters are parents and grandparents who have suffered from their own children rejecting the Faith and, often times, rejecting them. They want to spread far and wide this approach to parenting of “Feed That Fire Today…before it’s too late!” – the fire of love of God and of family, intentionally fed each day.
