May 13, 2012 – Catechism 1520 – 1525

Suffering in a different light.  Uniting us with Christ’s passion.  Our sufferings are meant for us to join Christ in His sufferings.  They are there to help us and sanctify us.  Receiving this Sacrament gives us the Grace to understand this and accept our suffering in a new way.  It helps us see our suffering as a cleansing of our soul instead of just the destruction of our mortal body. 

Along with uniting with Christ’s Passion, it also provides grace for the Communion of Saints, the rest of the Church.  The grace given to a suffering person can sweep over the whole body of Christ, His Church.  A very public example of this was the suffering of John Paul II at the end of his life.  Many were inspired and strengthened by the way in which he accepted and dealt with his suffering.  That Grace, given to him, spilled over into the entire Church here on Earth and built it up.