Suffering and Pain

 Reflection on Today's Readings, 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B, October 17th, 2021
Texts: Is. 53: 10-11; Ps. 33:4-5.18-20.22; Heb. 4:14-16; Mark 10:35-45
Today's message is such a message that no one wants to hear, but the truth it holds manifests everywhere. No man wants suffering, no one wants pain; our nature rejects them. Yet without suffering and pain, we get nowhere. Without suffering and pain we achieve nothing. There is also a saying which goes thus: "No pain, no gain". The fact that suffering and pain are truth of life is what today's message is all about.
Today's first reading tells us that there are some sufferings and pains that are the will of God for us. It is the will of God for us to toil before we eat; it is the will of God that we go through the pain of being offended to learn  how to forgive; it is the will of God for us that we study for academic excellence; it is the will of God that we go by the pain of search and investigation to gain knowledge; it is the will of God that we go through the pain of death to attain eternal life. Whatever suffering and pain we go through for good, for our faith, hope and charity, God wills them. More over, whatever suffering and pain it costs us to reject sin, it is God's will for us. The message is that we should learn to endure suffering and pain for the sake of good: virtues, justice, faith, charity, etc. St. Peter says, "But  if you endure when you do right and suffer, you have God’s approval" (1Pet. 2: 20b).
The reading also focuses on the blessing of man who bow to suffering and pain for the sake of good. There is blessing for whatever suffering and pain we go through to avoid sin. Prophet Isaiah says, "when he makes himself an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring, he shall prolong his days". To say that a person will see his offspring is to say that he will live long and know the joy of having offspring. He repeats the idea in different words: "he shall prolong his days". Many saints and great personalities whose names are with us, today, were those who despise pleasure and bow to suffering and pain to attain great feat in life. We prolong our days as long as our memories remain with humanity. Mind no suffering, mind no pain but live for virtues, live for truth, live for good and you will prolong your days.
Prophet Isaiah also reminds us that the will of God prospers in the hands of him who is ready to suffer, who is ready to let go his will. He continues, "the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand". We are only ready to do the will of God when we are ready to pay the price. Many a time we fail in doing the will of God because we despise suffering and pain. A pleasure-seeker cannot do the will of God.
Prophet Isaiah says, "he shall see the fruit of the travail of his soul and be satisfied". We may ask ourselves: what is the fruit of travail of the righteous? The fruits of his travail are virtues, goodness, endurance, patience, hope, faith, charity, perfection, eternal life, etc. St. James says, "My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing" (1:2-4). The travail of the righteous bears good fruits. The sole end of the travail of the righteous is eternal life.  To say that he will see the fruit of his travail is to say that he will rejoice in it, he will derive pleasure from them. In eternal life is happiness forever.
Isaiah continues to enlighten us on the benefits of the travail of the righteous. He says, "by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous". This brings to mind the words of St. Paul, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all consolation, who consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God" (2 Cor. 1:3-4). With the knowledge gained through the travail, the righteous will be equipped to make others righteous.
 In the reading, prophet Isaiah concludes by saying, "and he shall bear their iniquities". It is clear here that this text was looking forward to Jesus Christ; it is fulfilled in Him. St. Peter says, "He Himself bore our sins in his body on the Cross, so that free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed" (1 Pet. 2:24).
The first reading is perfectly fulfilled in Jesus Christ; it relayed the passion and death of our Lord Jesus Christ before His birth. Jesus Christ reminds us in today's gospel reading that whoever wants to share in His glory will also share in His passion.  He says, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the chalice that I drink, or to be baptised with the baptism with which I am baptised?” If we are to share from the glory of Christ, we must be ready to share from His suffering and pain so the will of God will prosper in our hands, we will see our offsprings and prolong our days and at the end rejoice in the fruits of our travails.
Today's second reading reminds us that Jesus is always our help in time of suffering and pain. He understands whatever we are passing through, our sufferings and pains. The reading says, "For we have not a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sinning."

Lord God, give us the grace to always do your will. Amen.

Fr. Andrew Olowomuke