Our Lord asks us to allow him to work—to allow him to work to reproduce his image in us. Our Lord does not ask us to love suffering in itself, but to love it as a means of salvation, just as a very bitter medicine that will give us back our health can be loved. We are not asked to feel this love in a sensible way, but to give proof of it by persevering, despite tribulations, in the practice of our religious duties, especially prayer. Jesus expects us to turn to him with our prayer, because he has already decided to hear us and to lead us much higher than we ourselves could desire. Therefore, we should love the cross for the love of souls and gladly accept being associated with our Lord in his work of redemption.
FR. REGINALD GARRIGOU–LAGRANGE, O.P.
