Wasted Suffering
by Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, Ph.D.,
D.D., LL.D., Litt.D.
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Think of how much suffering there is in
hospitals, among the poor, and the bereaved. Think also of how much of that suffering goes to waste!
How many of those lonesome, suffering, abandoned,
crucified souls
are saying with Our Lord at the moment of consecration, "This
is my body. Take it"? And yet that is what we all should be saying at
that second: |
 I
give myself to God.
Here is my Body. Take it.
Here is my Blood. Take it.
Here is my Soul, my Will, my Energy, my Strength,
my Property, my Wealth - all that I have. It is Yours.
Take it! Offer it! Offer it with Thyself to the heavenly Father
in order that He, looking down on this Great Sacrifice,
may see only Thee, His beloved Son, in Whom He is well pleased.
Transmute the poor bread of my life into Thy Divive Life;
thrill the wine of my wasted life into Thy Divine Spirit;
unite my broken heart with Thy Heart;
change my cross into a Crucifix.
Let
not my abandonment, and my sorrow, and my bereavement go to waste.
Gather up the fragments,
and as the drop of water is absorbed by the wine at the Offertory of the Mass,
let my life be absorbed in Thee;
let my little cross be entwined with Thy Great Cross,
so that I may purchase the joys of everlasting happiness in union with Thee.
Consecrate
these trials of my life which would go unrewarded unless united with Thee;
transubstantiate me so that like bread which is now Thy Body,
And wine which is now Thy Blood, I too may be wholly Thee.
I care not if the species remain, or that, like the bread and the wine,
I seem to all earthly eyes the same as before.
My station in life, my routine duties, my work, my family -
all these are but the species of my life which may remain unchanged;
but the substance
of my life, my soul, my mind, my will, my heart -
transubstantiate them, transform them wholly into Thy service,
so that through me all may know how sweet is the love of Christ.
Amen.
"Freely accepted suffering is the
greatest force in the world." -- Ghandi
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"All my sermons are prepared in the presence
of the Blessed Sacrament. As recreation is most pleasant and profitable in the sun, so
homiletic creativity is best nourished before the Eucharist. The most brilliant ideas come
from meeting God face to face. The Holy Spirit that presided at the Incarnation is the
best atmosphere for illumination. Pope John Paul II keeps a small desk or writing pad near
him whenever he is in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament; and I have done this all my
life—I am sure for the same reason he does, because a lover always works better when
the beloved is with him."