My family is often amused at my frequent use of the term, “Just, offer it up.” IT meaning whatever
it is that is bothering them, real pain, sadness, lack of something they see as
a necessity but really isn’t food, water or shelter, or even some person who is
deemed as being a ‘pain in the neck.”
But no matter how hard I try, nor how old my kids and my
loving hubs is, I still feel it necessary to instill good values into them,
hence why I use this term so much. My own mother still tells ME to “Offer it
up!” so why should be own family be exempt?
Offering it up, is a way for us to share in Christ’s
suffering and I read a very good explanation of it today on one of my fav
bloggers, HappyCatholic.
She shares, ” Offering it up” helps us not to“waste the pain!”
of whatever it is we are going through, whether it’s a bad time, sadness or
even an unpleasant medical procedure.
Offering it up essentially means, let’s remember what Jesus
went through, agony in the garden, the way of the cross and the extreme pain of
the dying on the cross.
I once read someone comment on Jesus’ suffering that they
didn’t think it was so much. This person thought Jesus didn’t live in extreme poverty,
he had friends and parents. Surely that “short time” on the cross wasn’t as bad
as being a child in Africa dying of AIDS?
Wow, first I thought, how audace you would even write
something like that, much less think it. Then I thought this poor guy never
really got to experience Jesus’ love for him.
To think Jesus’ sufferings weren’t as great as a child’s?
Our little bit of “offering up” a suffering of ours is of
course nothing like Jesus’ suffering. He hung on that cross, short of breath,
dying by way of drowning from lack of air, knowing people did not believe in
the things He came to share with them, knowing He had tried his very best, yet
there were those people laughing at him, scorning him like a common criminal
while he died there for their sins. They
didn’t even realize what he was doing for their souls. He died for the little
child, dying of AIDS because He knew HE was opening up heaven for that child!
So, next time you have the opportunity to “Offer it up,”
remember, it’s not just a trite little phrase we use lightly as Catholics or
Christians. We offer things up because we DO appreciate what Jesus did for us
on the cross and it’s a tiny way we can say thank you for his suffering, so WE
could have eternal life!
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