I’ve been suffering from the flu and a migraine for 4 days now and I have been thinking of Antonietta Meo. I learned about her a few weeks ago and am in awe over how a 6 year old had such a beautiful relationship with God.
Antonietta suffered from tumors, had a leg amputated, and died at 6 1/2 years old. But she wrote phenomenal letters to God and Jesus. Like this one: ‘Dear crucified Jesus, I love you and am so fond of you! I want to be with you on Calvary. Dear Jesus, tell God the Father that I love him, too. Dear Jesus, give me your strength for I need it to bear this pain that I offer for sinners’. To experience more tears of love: http://www.30giorni.it/articoli_id_22702_l3.htm
There is also St. Rita who asked to unite her suffering to Christ and received a thorn wound in her head:“Please let me suffer like you, Divine Saviour.” After her request, a wound appeared on her forehead, as if a thorn from Christ’s crown had pierced her. It left a deep wound, which did not heal, and it caused her to suffer until the day she died.
Two things:
1. I cannot imagine being able to do that because I tend to be very mopey when I’m sick instead of, say, offering it up to God.
2. All of the saints who have requested to unite their suffering to Christ’s as well as what people do every day in their prayers to unite their sufferings – it is like they have taken a small piece of Christ’s suffering away from Him in his crucifixion — but how great was His suffering that despite all the people uniting their suffering to Him and offering to take some away from Him we still can witness to how greatly He suffered and died for us.
When you see Jesus on the cross bearing the weight of all sins of everyone for all time — that suffering is immeasurable, and yet people have removed some of His suffering — which is astounding how much sin there is that all the people who have united their suffering to His have made little difference to His immeasurable suffering. It is just clear from that just how greatly we need Him!
…I’m not expressing this thought well – but I think I’m trying to say — Jesus suffered so much in His love for us! People suffer greatly in their love for Him! And while it looks painful, and is, no earthly pain is worse than God’s love can heal. If your focus is on the joys your will receive of eternal life in heaven then there is no pain or suffering that God’s love cannot help you deal with.
(…I think that’s what I’m getting at…)
Give God Your Yes 