16th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C (2025)

I remember having a disagreement with someone on the teaching of purgatory. He said that he doesn't believe in it, because Jesus’s death, the perfect sacrifice on the cross, was sufficient atonement for our sins, therefore there is no need for purgatory.

There’s a lot to say in response to that, that his position doesn’t account for. But given his position—which is held by many, if not most, Protestant Christians—I suspect the words of St. Paul in today’s second reading would be confusing: ”I rejoice in my sufferings….in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body”.

We should note that Paul wrote this to the Christians of Colossae letter during a period of imprisonment, but if you know much about the Apostolic ministry of Saint Paul, you know that it involved a great deal of suffering and sacrifice.

So, what does he mean by these words, “…in my sufferings…I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ”? It seems to imply that the atoning sacrifice of Christ was somehow incomplete, as perhaps Jesus didn’t stay up their long enough or receive enough pain and punishment, and therefore Paul is saying, “Because he didn’t do enough, I’m making up for it”.

We know that’s not true. Jesus did offer the perfect sacrifice, and I don’t believe St. Paul regards what happened on Calvary as lacking. So, what does he mean?

I remind us that the Body of Christ is more than just the physical body of the man named Jesus of Nazareth. The Body of Christ can also be understood as the body of his believers. And more than just us collectively, we understand that the deepening in our life of faith means becoming united to Christ, that Christ comes to live in us. And so, just as his life becomes present in ours, so also do his sufferings.

Rejoicing in hardships and suffering is so contrary to what we instinctively feel. And it’s certainly not in accord with the guiding principle of our culture, which is to seek pleasure, avoid pain, as though that’s the goal or meaning of life.

It’s one of the reasons people take drugs and why others choose assisted suicide: to escape suffering. It’s one of the reasons some people choose to contracept, and others choose to abort a child: to avoid the hardship and sacrifice that comes with caring for a child.^[1] It’s why some choose to cohabitate rather than marry: to avoid the sacrifice that comes with commitment. We inevitably desire what is pleasurable and desire to avoid suffering.

In our moments of disappointment and hardship, we sometimes receive the curious guidance, “Offer it up”. I realize those words can sound trite and dismissive. But what they’re saying is: Rejoice in your sufferings for the sake of others, because they are filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of the Body of Christ, his members…and further, they unite you to the suffering of Jesus. Unite yourself to Jesus and his body…Offer it up.

What is the suffering in your life you wish would go away? We all suffer at some point. It’s just a matter of how and for how long. Pray that it can unite you to Jesus and those of his body who are suffering. But further, pray to find trust that it has redeeming value. What is your suffering?

Odd as it might sound, we usually find growth that comes from our periods of suffering. 1) It tempers our pride and reminds us of our need for God; 2) it helps us to be more compassionate; 3) it can enable us to find God and his strength in a new way that we weren’t prepared to experience otherwise; 4) it makes us thankful when we are beyond it; and 5) it makes us more like Christ and unites us to his mystical body, and thus becomes redemptive.^[2]

Again, while we don’t seek out suffering—and even more, we may struggle to say we rejoice in it, the way St. Paul describes—we consider that Jesus tells us: Carry your cross and follow me. Where the head has gone, the body must follow—but not just in suffering, but also in his glory beyond this life’s joys and blessings, as well as its suffering and death.

^[1] Dr. Scott Hahn. Making Sense Out of Suffering. Lighthouse Media.

^[2] Mark Altrogge (Senior Pastor of Sovereign Grace Church). 12 Spiritual Benefits of Affliction and Suffering. https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/12-benefits-of-afflictions.html