Five Kinds of Suffering
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The first sorrowful mystery, the Agony in the Garden.
In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus experienced the mental and emotional suffering of taking upon himself the consequences of the sins of every person from Adam and Eve to the last person who will ever live. Such was the unimaginable mental and emotional weight that it caused him literally to sweat blood.
If you experience mental and emotional suffering: fear, dread, sorrow, anxiety, disappointment, disillusionment, crippling depression and the extreme of nervous fatigue. If you experience the total abandonment and outright denial by family, friends or even religious leaders.
Know Jesus has tasted your sorrow – He understands.
But More importantly, your suffering is not in vain. God allows it to bring about an even greater good, even if we can’t see that greater good until the next life. Hope in Him. Place your confidence in the fact that God is using this to bring about the greatest good.
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The Second Sorrowful Mystery
Jesus experienced bodily suffering during the scourging at the pillar where his flesh was ripped from his body, lash after lash.
Jesus invites us to unite our suffering to his because He gives meaning and purpose to ours. Our suffering united to his consoles His heart; empties us of vice; fills us with His Life, Strength and Love; and helps him save souls. I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church
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The Third Sorrowful Mystery
With the Crowning with Thorns, Jesus, experienced the extreme of humiliation. The Wisdom of God treated as a madman, dressed up in a garb of ridicule, the King of Kings insulted by a mock coronation. And we get our pride hurt so easily. A doctor once said to Mother Teresa, I struggle with pride.” To which she responded, “You… pride… for what?”
We experience humiliations, defeats, ridicule, attacks on our reputation, slander, gossip, false judgment. Should we respond with the vices of pride, anger and vengeance? Or will we unite our humiliations to that of Jesus in the crowning with thorns to console His Sacred Heart and Help Him save souls.
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The Fourth Sorrowful Mystery, the Carrying of the Cross
Jesus knew what it was to be exhausted. He fell three times on the way of the cross. Simon of Cyrene was forced to help Jesus carry His cross. I am sure Simon wanted to get out of that situation as fast as he could. But there was no way of escape - and because he could not escape, he had a deep encounter with Jesus which forever changed him and his family. His sons were later well known to the whole Christian community for their faithfulness.
What do we do when we suffer from physical, mental and emotional exhaustion? It is a dangerous moment. Temptations rise when we are exhausted and we let our guard down. We can easily give in to anger or discouragement, or like Simon, we may try to escape through sinful activities…gluttony, drunkenness, drug use or sloth, spiritual indifference - wasting precious time by vegging out when really we need sleep or exercise and most of all prayer. When you find yourself in suffering and exhaustion you cannot escape – recognize, this is your moment of deep encounter with God. Let Him embrace you with the Cross.
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The Fifth Sorrowful Mystery: the Crucifixion – Jesus tasted death.
The CCC teaches: Jesus, the Son of God, also suffered the death that is part of the human condition. Yet, despite his anguish as he faced death, he accepted it in an act of complete and free submission to his Father's will. The obedience of Jesus has transformed the curse of death into a blessing.
Teresa of Avila said: I want to see God and, in order to see him, I must die.
Therese of Lisieux: I am not dying; I am entering life.
The five Sorrowful mysteries are the five kinds of suffering which Jesus endured for us, which He wants us to be ready to endure for him:
Mental or emotional suffering;
Bodily suffering;
Humiliations;
Exhaustion;
and Death itself.
Jesus has tasted all of it before us, therefore he can assure us - all will be well.