Monday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time

"Jesus Learned Obedience"

Too easily at times we speak phrases about how suffering teaches us patience, courage, compassion, gentleness and on goes the word list. It’s only humanly realistic to face the fact that suffering leads some to bitterness, negativity, self-pity, or great anger. Suffering is no magic educator in virtue. So much depends on our basic attitude. For our suffering to result in a mature and more Christ-like character requires a fundamental trust in God’s ultimate good intentions for us. Given that, we can learn to see how suffering is able to produce some good in us. The Scriptures sum it up as obedience. This English word has its roots in the Latin obedire which literally means “listen to” – “pay attention to” – “become keenly aware of.”

In the Letter to the Hebrews we hear Jesus described as follows: “Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered” (Hebrews 5:8). Obedience (not a very popular word in our contemporary culture) means learning to be attuned to the reality of our life circumstances and finding the Holy Mystery there. I remember being present at a liturgy for the Anointing of the Sick in one of our Jesuit health care facilities. The presider offered words similar to these in his homily: “By assuming the lowliness of our human flesh, Jesus did not come among us to explain the meaning of suffering. He did not come to abolish suffering and make it disappear. No, He came to walk with us through suffering and to help us learn to grow in confidence that our lives are an adventure held safe in God’s mercy. Faith then becomes an act of courage. We can dare to hope.”

Our suffering may go all the way from difficulties and trials resulting from our work environment or from family members and friends to enduring the debilitating effects of chemotherapy for months on end or the aching pain of arthritis. Our Christian tradition does not see obedience as simply rolling over and playing dead before adversity. There’s plenty of evidence in Christ and in our spiritual tradition that we can and must do what is possible to relieve suffering and to get rid of oppression. In this life we don’t have to go searching for the cross of suffering. It will find us. It accompanies our life journey, like it or not. Deep in our hearts we can join our suffering and daily difficulties to the offering of Jesus, the Suffering Servant, trusting that we are held close by a gracious God who filled that first Easter morning with the unexpected surprising light of the Resurrection. Let us “listen to” – “pay attention to” – “become keenly aware” of this great transformation of life as we make our pilgrim way through this world. The Giver has become the Gift!