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Dear Emdi —
First, we need to clear up how we
attain salvation.
8 We are saved by grace through
faith, 8-9 that not of ourselves lest
any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Verse 10 then goes on to explain
that we are to continue in the good
works; good works that were
pre-ordained for us to do.
So we don't earn our salvation by
leading a good life. The only reason
we can live a good life is because
God empowers us to do so. Yes, we
must cooperate and work out our salvation,
remembering always that it is God
working in us. We must comply and
cooperate.
In Romans 8, St. Paul instructs us
to put to death the deeds of the
flesh by the power of the Holy Spirit
that dwells in us. (Romans 8:13)
That said, the question of suffering
is often misunderstood.
First, our
Heavenly Father does not inflict
us with sickness and pain. He allows
it to happen because
the point of this life is to purify
us and make us like Christ. Christ
gave Himself completely for us in
order to give Himself to us. He suffered
for us; He was completely selfless.
When suffering comes our way, we
are given an opportunity to offer
this suffering, and unite it to the
suffering of our Lord. We are, after
all, part of the Body of Christ and, as we will reign with Him in the
next life, we sometimes suffer with
Him in this life. That doesn't mean
we go looking for suffering but we
can deny ourselves things from time
to time so that we might learn that
it is not all about us, rather it's
about Him and therefore it's about
our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Most of us will under go suffering
in Purgatory. There, the cleansing
fire of God's love will burn away
all our selfishness. During that
stage of our salvation, we can only
pray for others, not ourselves and
that's exactly what Christ did on
the Cross. In His pain, He prayed
that the Father forgive them: for
they knew not, what they were doing.
(Luke 23:34) He showed concern for His Mother.
He showed concern for the thief who
reached out in faith and asked for
forgiveness and so we too must become
Christ-like in order to inherit the
Kingdom.
Nevertheless, we can't forget that
this is entirely a work of grace.
The strength to withstand and offer
up our sufferings comes from Father
through the Son by the power of the
Holy Spirit who dwells in us.
I hope this helps.
John
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