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What does it mean to “offer it up”?

February 18, 2013 by  
Filed under Prayer, Suffering, Videos

In this video, Fr. John Bartunek and Dan Burke talk about what it means to join in the redemption of Christ through suffering. If you are alive, you are suffering in some way. With this video you will gain perspective on that suffering and how you can use it to grow in your relationship with Christ and to aid others in their redemption.

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About Dan Burke

Dan is the founder of Roman Catholic Spiritual Direction and author of the award winning book, Navigating the Interior Life - Spiritual Direction and the Journey to God. Beyond his “contagious” love for Jesus and His Church, he is a grateful husband and father of four, the Executive Director of and writer for EWTN’s National Catholic Register, a regular co-host on Register Radio, a writer and speaker who provides online spiritual formation and travels to share his conversion story and the great riches that the Church provides us through authentic Catholic spirituality. Dan has been featured on EWTN’s Journey Home program and numerous radio programs. If you have an interest in having Dan come speak at your parish or Catholic event or group, contact us at rcspiritualdirection@gmail.com or call 818-646-7729.

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  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=718170644 Kathryn Heemskerk

    Wow and wow and wow……….this is probably the video that has most resonates with my soul so far……..in fact I just asked my priest during the last spiritual direction visit about uniting my suffering with Christ, as one of the prayers in the Saint Therese Vocation society talks about offering my sufferings and sacrifices in union with Christ for an increase in vocations……..so wow………thank you………..and  God bless

  • MarytheDefender

    Trust! I never thought about it that way before! Suffering helps increase our trust and makes up for original sin! That makes so much sense!
    My Mom would tell us to offer it up when we were sick as kids but I don’t think we fully understood that meant back then.
    I often wondered about that verse “Offering a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving.” Last Christmas season, I read it meant praising and thanking God in the midst of hardship. Shortly after, He gave me an opportunity to practice it, it was hard. I realized sometimes God inspires us, teaches us about the beauty and glory of the cross before He gives us one to embrace. It’s easier to trust Him and surrender to His will, when we know how wonderful it is!
    Thank you for this video!

    • Becky Ward

      Great insight Mary!!  God does prepare us in advance for the crosses He sends us.  I find that I don’t normally ‘see’ the lesson until after the cross has been given, and His grace comes to help me bear it.

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  • flankus7

    I didn’t think this explanation was very clear.

  • srockers81

    I like this very much. It’s a concept that I’ve tried to teach my young children. When they are hurt, sad, disappointed, etc., I help them pray ‘Jesus, let my pain help somebody else because I love you.’ I have to remind them that this prayer doesn’t take away their suffering, this prayer makes their suffering special. They seem to get it. And, (once the pain subsides) they seem pretty proud of themselves for being so brave. Thanks for this post!!

  • 1spearfish2

    Thank you so much for this reflection and explanation. I am confused though be cause I don’t understand if I suffer physically with a toothach, back pain, cancer or  anything am I suppose to seek relief from a Dr. or do I accept this suffering and do nothing about it? Please help because this always nags at my mind as seeing Dr. and medication as God’s gift to relieve my suffering.

    • LizEst

      Yes, go ahead and seek relief.  In fact, Jesus said that people who are well do not need a doctor but sick people do.  That is meant both physically and spiritually.  Spiritually, all of us need our healing Lord.  Physically, it is fine to seek relief.  Christ himself said “I thirst” on the cross. 

      Pain is our body’s way of telling us something is wrong.  In fact, you can endanger your health if you do nothing about the pain.  And, it can be sinful not to care for your body because it is a temple of the Holy Spirit.  Likewise, pain can keep you from caring for your family and those who have need of your assistance.  Severe pain can make it very, very difficult to pray.  You don’t have to worry that you will have nothing to offer up.  While you are waiting for the medicine to work and the pain to subside, you can offer up the pain you do have. 

      Pain can also be psychological.  It can be stress.  It can be difficulties with relationships, work environment, finances, having nothing to eat, being cold, etc. 

      If you wish to offer up a headache or back pain that you know doesn’t endanger you or your family’s welfare by incapacitating you, then don’t take medicine and offer it up.  Join that to Christ and His holy passion.  You can certainly do that.  And, oh by the way, offering it up also carries with it the implication that you will not complain about it to others and/or make the lives of those around you miserable because of it.

  • http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog Mary@42

    Though, as usual I come late on this Post, it is reassuring to hear Father John and Dan reaffirming that Christ’s call to us to take our cross daily and follow Him becomes redemptive when we offer our Sufferings for the salvation of souls. Saint Faustina did just that, especially during her last 13 years on this earth before she died at the age of 33 years in 1938, and saved millions of souls which pleased Jesus very much.

     I could not help sending this Video to one of my friends who finds it very difficult to accept that suffering, all suffering is not from the Devil as the Charismatics try to teach us.  In their monthly Healing and Deliverance, they exhort us, Eucharistic Apostles of the Divine Mercy and those who attend Prayer Days at our Divine Mercy Spiritual Centre,  to pray that all our illnesses, common colds, high blood pressure, asthma, diabetes, et all, even my back problem which is the result of my 46-year Career working sitting down, be delivered because they are from the Devil!!!!!!!

    I sure pray this Video will convince him just how wrong it is to attribute the Devil such great powers, yet we know God is the Almighty and nothing happens without His Will.

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