Can Pain Be Avoided in Life?

"A tree filled with thorns" Taken on March 28, 2011 during the CFC "Pearlgrimage" to the Holy Land

The thorns that were crowned on Jesus were highly likely to come from this type of tree. Abundant in Jerusalem, one can easily fashion a ring of spikes.  How great was Jesus' suffering! Each were as big as nails!

A particular saint who shared in Christ's passion of the crowning of thorns was Saint Rita of Cascia. When Saint Rita's family died, she became an Augustinian nun and devoted her life to Jesus. She was miraculously given a thorn on the forehead, just as St. Francis had a stigmata on his hands. 

"In contemplation before an image of Jesus that was very dear to her, the Jesus of Holy Saturday or, as it is also known, the Resurgent Christ, she was moved by a deeper awareness of the physical and spiritual burden of pain which Christ so freely and willingly embraced for love of her and of all humanity.  With the tender, compassionate heart of a person fully motivated by grateful love, she spoke her willingness to relieve Christ’s suffering by sharing even the smallest part of his pain.  Her offer was accepted, her prayer was answered, and Rita was united with Jesus in a profound experience of spiritual intimacy, a thorn from his crown penetrating her forehead.  The wound it caused remained open and visible until the day of her death." saintritashrine.org


St. John Paul II in his address to the pilgrims of Saint Rita reflected on this extraordinary physical mark of suffering: "The mark which shines on her forehead is the verification of her Christian maturity. On the Cross with Jesus, she is crowned in a certain way with the love that she knew and heroically expressed within her home and by her participation in the events of her town." (St. John Paul II)

Our minds and even our hearts would naturally reject the idea of pain and suffering when following Jesus, but Saint Rita expressed her willingness to share in the pain of Christ.

I once asked brethren in community: "Can pain be avoided in this life?" Further I detailed, "Can pain be avoided in a Christian Community life?" Outright their answer was "no."

We are actually aware that even in the most special and Christ-centered relationships, there can be pain.  Misunderstandings, difficult decisions, corrections, unintentional hurtful words and difference in views will always happen and may cause pain.  Similar to the story of Job, there is much pain in the loss of life of a loved one; an illness; an accident; and loss of property and resources.  There are situations also as a result of our sinfulness, would cause pain to others: gossip, slander, irresponsibility, prejudgement, and others.

If we go through pain, especially if unjustly caused, we too get a thorn on our crowns (head).  If we cause the pain because of our sins, we inflict the thorns on others affected, and on Christ – and on other victim souls like Saint Rita! Repentance, faith, healing, and forgiveness should too be a part of a Christian's response to pain.

For a Christian, the path of suffering as a way to heaven is not "sugar-coated." The symbol of our salvation is the Christ crucified. As we experience some prosperity and the purest of joys, we too share in Jesus' Paschal mystery -- his life, passion, death, and resurrection!  Yes, pain is unavoidable, but when offered in unity with Christ can work for the salvation of souls and purify us more to be like Jesus:"By his passion and death on the cross Christ has given a new meaning to suffering: it can henceforth configure us to him and unite us with his redemptive Passion." (CCC 1505) After every pain, when shared in Jesus, is the promise of resurrection!