{"id":362,"date":"2022-03-16T07:12:10","date_gmt":"2022-03-16T11:12:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/summacatholic\/?p=362"},"modified":"2022-03-17T06:33:35","modified_gmt":"2022-03-17T10:33:35","slug":"the-purpose-of-pain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/summacatholic\/2022\/03\/the-purpose-of-pain\/","title":{"rendered":"The Purpose of Pain"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\"\"<\/p>\n

Perhaps the most universal of all human experiences is pain. No matter what stage of life one may find himself in, pain and suffering are ubiquitous.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The question is what if any meaning does pain have? If God is good and loving, why does He allow suffering? In the following discourse, I will explore these questions. First, we will see how the Bible addresses pain and look at two examples from the sufferings of Job and Saint Paul. Lastly, I will discuss suffering within the context of purification and redemption.<\/span><\/p>\n

Why Is There Pain?<\/span><\/em><\/h2>\n

Before examining how Scripture addresses suffering and whether pain has a purpose, we must ask why God created a world with suffering and pain. The short answer is that He did not.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While it is true that suffering and death are natural to living things, human beings were initially preserved from death by God\u2019s grace. It is only due to original sin that death entered the world (<\/span>Genesis 2:17<\/span><\/a>; <\/span>Romans 5:12<\/span><\/a>).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Nevertheless, pain is not evil per se; it can serve an essential function for all living things. For example, the fear of pain protects living things from danger, while the sensation of pain often indicates a medical problem. As such, it seems that Adam and Eve were capable of experiencing pain. That pain was increased due to original sin (<\/span>Genesis 3:16<\/span><\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n

Therefore, we may admit that suffering and dying are natural conditions. Only God\u2019s grace preserved Adam and Eve from such sorrow, and that grace was lost as a result of original sin.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Having treated why there is pain and death in the world, let us see how Job and Saint Paul dealt with suffering and death.<\/span><\/p>\n

Suffering in Scripture<\/span><\/i><\/h2>\n

Within the Bible, the embodiment of a good person who seems to suffer without reason is Job. Without delving too deeply into the Book of Job, it must suffice to say that Job was a wealthy man who was devoutly religious. According to the Scripture, God allows the devil to take away Job\u2019s children and possessions. God also allows the devil to inflict physical maladies and illness\u2019 upon Job. Despite this, Job remains devout and never losses his trust in God.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As the Book of Job closes, Job demands God tell him why he allowed him to suffer so much. The answer that Job receives does not explain away suffering. What God\u2019s answer does amount to is that human beings cannot fathom God\u2019s design and plan for the universe.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To be sure, this is not the most satisfying answer to Job\u2019s question. But perhaps God\u2019s response provides a clue as to how human beings are to respond to suffering; we are to trust God.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the New Testament, we read of the suffering of Saint Paul. While not particularly specific, Paul writes that \u201cA thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.\u201d The word \u201cthorn\u201d is used metaphorically and may symbolize some chronic medical conditions.<\/span><\/p>\n

Whereas the lesson gleaned from Job was one of trust in God, Paul\u2019s suffering speaks to purification and atonement. Paul\u2019s comment that his suffering was to keep him from arrogance suggests that he viewed suffering as a method to eliminate vice.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Indeed, pain and death play a pivotal role in understanding Catholic soteriology (doctrine of salvation). The suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus provide the path to redemption. It is to this subject that I turn to next.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Suffering Servant<\/span><\/i><\/h2>\n

At the heart of the Catholic concept of redemption and salvation is the rather remarkable assertion that God Himself became a human being, suffered, and died.<\/span><\/p>\n

Accepting the existence of an omnipotent God, it seems that God could have redeemed mankind from original sin by simple Divine fiat. The fact that God descended into human suffering and took it upon Himself is telling. Rather than simply eliminating suffering, Jesus enters into suffering and thereby transforms it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There are, I think, two aspects of suffering to consider. While both can be counterintuitive, they are significant to human development and atonement.<\/span><\/p>\n

The first is to understand suffering as a form of character building. This seems to be what Saint Paul had in mind when he wrote, \u201cWe also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God\u2019s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The second aspect of suffering plays a pivotal role in atonement and salvation. As was said above, suffering and death are consequences of sin. Logically, any process of atonement, therefore, must include some form of pain and death (<\/span>Leviticus 17:11<\/span><\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n

Without getting too far into Catholic soteriology, it must suffice to note that the death and resurrection of Christ provide human beings with the path to salvation. Still, we are allowed to cooperate with the saving act of Christ, and this is where human suffering and death are given meaning.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While human beings cannot save themselves, we can cooperate with the process of atonement by joining our suffering with the suffering of Christ on the Cross. The act of \u201coffering up \u201cone\u2019s suffering allows one to unite ourselves with both the process of atonement, i.e., the suffering and crucifixion of Christ, as well as the fruit of that atonement, which is salvation through the resurrected Jesus.<\/span><\/p>\n

To have compassion is to suffer along with someone, to \u201cfeel their pain.\u201d When we suffer along with Christ, suffering becomes redemptive, and redemption gives pain and death meaning.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/span><\/i><\/h2>\n

To be human is to suffer. However, if it is true that \u201cAll things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose\u201d then our suffering and pain are not in vain.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As difficult and counterintuitive as it is, suffering is a gift. It is the opportunity to unite ourselves with our Savior, and to be united with God must be the goal of all Christians.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Perhaps the most universal of all human experiences is pain. No matter what stage of life one may find himself in, pain and suffering are ubiquitous.\u00a0 The question is what if any meaning does pain have? If God is good and loving, why does He allow suffering? In the following discourse, I will explore these […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4619,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[41,6,9,59,21,51,65,12,62],"class_list":["post-362","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-bible","tag-catholicism","tag-christianity","tag-death","tag-faith","tag-god","tag-pain","tag-religion","tag-suffering"],"yoast_head":"\nSumma Catholic Finding Purpose in Pain and Death.<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Everyone suffers. Can that suffering and pain be given meaning? 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