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| Carl Bloch 1834-1890 |
An article by Steven Ertelt in the June 27th issue of The Wanderer discussed an interesting point he heard at a men's conference. "Suffering is progress:"
Christ gave us [the example] in the Gospels of patiently suffering His disciples' foolishness, the derision of the Pharisees and the crowds, the agony in the Garden, and ultimately the unimaginable torture of the Passion and the cross.
All of this, paradoxically, was progress -- progress toward the redemption of all mankind from our sins. Christ thus gives us a template for what we are called to do in life: progress toward holiness, which will lead us to everlasting life with Him in Paradise. This calling, however, is a tall and uncomfortable order, because it inevitably involves suffering.
In other words, stop moaning and groaning and take up your cross. The message is certainly not a new one, but it's one we prefer to ignore.
