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Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Pope John Paul II: Why?

Human suffering is a continent that none of us have reached the borders of: yet, traversing the pavilions of this "Little House," we have covered enough territory to get an idea of its impressive proportions. And the question again rises in our hearts: why?

In this unique environment, let's listen again to the response given by faith: the life of historical man, polluted by sin, unfolds under the sign of Christ's Cross. In the Cross, God turned the meaning of suffering upside down: suffering which was the result and evidence of sin, has now become a sharing in the redemptive expiation brought about by Christ. As such, it carries in itself, even now, the anticipation of the ultimate victory over sin and its consequences, through sharing in the glorious resurrection of the Savior.

A few days ago, with the Liturgy leading us by the hand, we relived the dramatic moments of the Passion and death of the Lord, and we listened again to the triumphal Alleluia of the Resurrection. You see, the paschal mystery contains the ultimate word on human suffering. Jesus assumes the pain of each of us in the mystery of his Passion and transforms it into a regenerative force for those who suffer and for all mankind, with the prospect of the ultimate triumph of the resurrection, when "even so, through Jesus God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep."

- Pope John Paul II the Great