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Life is tough. Nuns are tougher.

Tuesday, September 01, 2009

Beauty Must Suffer



A question from a reader:




But He doesn't.

He is a hard person to understand.



Then what does it all mean?









I hope this helps relax your snarl a bit.


Sr. Teresa said...

Sister...just wanted to say I love the blog and I try to use your wisdom as I form the novices in our little community of Franciscans...We have had many conversations about how old you really are and what you 'do' but it is all guessing until today you said: 'just sayin' and I thought she is younger than she lets on OR cooler than she lets on...BTW..do the kids still say cool? Either way ...you are younger than you let on..at least in spirit!!!
Thanks for the refresher on 'offering it up' I hope you don't mind if I draw from it for future reference..no copying i promise!

Minkykat said...


That was my question. I had been reading about the visitations at Fatima. Following their vision of hell, the 3 children went out of their way, (some might say that they went a little too out of their way), to offer up all that they could muster up to suffer for the conversion of souls.

I do get about how by offering up our pains or troubles in the moment affords us communion with Christ, my question was, when we "offer it up" for "sinners everywhere", how does work in terms of converting sinners?

Could it be that by offering it up, thinking of those who are suffering, that we develop a deeper compassion and understanding of our fellow man and therefore we are better equipped to be that "only bible that some people may ever read" and thus bring people to Christ thru example?

Perhaps that is what you said but I am too dense to have gotten it the first time 'round.


bill7tx said...

Minkykat: "Offering it up" is, as Sister said, a way to turn suffering into a prayer. By offering our suffering up for the conversion of sinners, we are making that suffering into a much more powerful prayer than (for example) our Morning Offering.

At Fatima, Our Lady asked us to pray for sinners because, she said, many sinners go to hell simply because nobody ever prayed for them. She also asked that we offer our suffering up for sinners. Also, the Angel of Fatima said that we were to say this prayer whenever we offer up suffering: "It is for You, my Jesus, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation for offenses committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary." At other times, Jesus has asked us to offer our prayers for the conversion of sinners.

It doesn't really matter how it works. What matters is that Our Lord and Our Lady have asked us to do it, and it is clear that they really intend that it will save sinners.

Anonymous said...


NCSue said...

I think being a former Methodist may be a bit of an impediment to understanding this "offering it up" concept, as I was one once, too, and have always had a hard time "getting it". But your explanation is the clearest I've read so far. Thanks!

Mary N. said...

The fire is terrible and I hope people are offering it up. I give Him everything. I even unite my breath and heartbeat with His. Nothing sneaks by me. I must drive Him crazy:)

Michele said...

hi sister, iam once again doing the patron saints, this time for the year 2010. if your readers want a saint for 2010, please re direct them to my blog, Saint Philomena's Garden at: http://atraditionalcatholic.blogspot.com

God bless you!

Tami said...

She was right, you gave a great explanation. This is something I have always struggled with, and now I think I may get it. . .well, maybe understand it better. If I truly "got" it, oh wouldn't that be a great day. :)

Minkykat said...

That helps a bit. I realized in the middle of the night last night that "pennance" was the term I was looking for.

I'll keep offering up this maddening bursitis knowing that this pain will do someone some good.

Anonymous said...

Sister Mary Martha,

I have a saint request for you.


I am struggling very much with this.



Thank you for your patience!

Anonymous said...

How about Saint Margaret of Cortona?

Sister Mary Martha said...

by missjames profile shop contact
I wanted to submit a question on your blog, but I couldn't figure out how to contact you there.

Here goes:

I read an article today about nuns in my town leaving the Episcopal Church for the Catholic Church because they disagree with Episcopalians allowing same sex marriages. (http://www.baltimoresun.com/features/faith/bal-md.fa.nuns04sep04,0,7981764.story) The Catholic Church is embracing the nuns defection, so to speak, but it raises a question in my brain that I'm sure you've been asked many times before: Why does the church, which pushes Jesus' teaching of love and understanding, not embrace people who love someone who happens to be the same sex as them?

Arkanabar T'verrick Ilarsadin said...

The Church absolutely embraces people with same-sex attraction! It is her desire, as it is the desire of her Lord, Jesus, that all be saved.

The problem arises when people with same-sex attraction want the Church to change the rules that her Lord, Jesus, set for salvation. Particularly, they want to be excused from the requirement for chastity.

Chastity is not total abstinence from sex. Rather, it is abstaining from all immoral sex. Sex, to be moral, has to be ordered towards the ends for which God created it. Those ends are to help unify a husband and his wife in their marriage, and procreation. Sex between two people who are not each others' husband and wife must therefore be avoided. And when you have two mommies or two daddies, they are not husband and wife.

Anonymous said...

The church DOES embrace people who think they love someone who happens to be the same sex. The church does not CONDONE this misguided (and therefore, self-love which some confuse with real love). REAL love wants what is best for the other person's eternal soul, not 'what feels good for me' in the moment. Key word here= eternal. You don't get to have everything you want in this world. Nobody does. It's not supposed to be that way. Love and lust are not the same thing. Coveting your neighbor's wife (or spouse - it could work either way, here) is no different than coveting anything else that belongs to your NEIGHBOR and not to YOU. Hands off! Carnal love (and we all fall victim to this in some way, shape or form) is the "flesh" in that old saying, "the world, the flesh, and the devil." All three of these, together or separately, keep us apart from God - the God who loved us enough to come and die for us. That didnt feel good, now, did it? Mary stood at the foot of his cross. That didn't feel very good, either. So - whatever your particular sins are - whether it is a same sex attraction, drug addiction, physical abuse, etc. - put on your big boy or big girl pants and learn to say "no" to yourself. Basically, it works the same way in the material world. For example, you can't just smoke like a chimney and then say, "Hey, no fair!" when you're diagnosed with lung cancer. Nobody made you start smoking. You chose that, all by yourself. You don't get to eat as many calories as you want without gaining weight. It's not rocket science, folks! If I decide I love playing with fire, are you going to demand the church embraces that, too?

MaryMartha said...

A totally different kind of question--I hope that is okay. I am not Catholic, but enjoy your blog very much. I have gained some helpful insight and some understanding of your particular faith practices that I've lacked.

My question: In our materialistic society, it's very important to have a lot of possessions. What may nuns "own"? Your clothing? Any jewelry? Books, computer, radio or TV? Real estate you owned before becoming a nun?

By the way, my blogging name being so nearly like yours is an accident. I wasn't even aware of your blog at the time. Fortunately for me, I found you! MM

Anonymous said...

Sr. Teresa, I am a Franciscan Sister, too! You must have a "happenin'" novitiate... I'll pray for yours; please pray for mine!

Anonymous said...

Technically, nuns don't "own" anything. They "have the use of" the clothes they wear, things they use for work (i.e., 'my' laptop, 'my' briefcase) but we usually refer to things as "ours." It belongs to us collectively, not individually. We can ask permission for anything we genuinely need, but not just for anything we want. Some communities collectively own quite a bit more than others (the two extremes in the USA are Mother A's Poor Clares on the wealthy side compared to Mother Teresa's sisters on the poverty side). Every other community is somewhere between those two extremes, most having far more than Mother T and far less than Mother A.

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sherry said...

i alwatys wanted to understand the concept of suffering too. Thenk you sister for casting some light on that subject.... I like your blog too...