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
