Second Reading: Rom. 12, 1-2
Gospel: Mt. 16, 21-27
Letting pain be pain
Pain has an important role in the way our body works, and in the survival of human beings. Pain teaches us by experience to identify what would be threatening to our well-being and existence, and so empowers us to take care of ourselves by making prudent choices in whatever physical activity we engage in. Just imagine if there were no pain! We would probably be too carefree and unmindful of the risks and dangers to our life, and end up with battered and broken bodies, if we haven’t killed ourselves yet. Pain is the natural message we get from our body that sets limits to what we do.
Pain, however, is not restricted to the physical level. We also experience pain in the psycho-emotional and spiritual realm. Like in the physical level, pain experienced in this facet of human existence forces us to slow down or even stop to reflect and consider our life in a wholly different way. In the process of growing up, we learn that we can bounce back and be healed from our wounds. We also realize and learn to accept eventually that pain is part of our humanity.
There are, of course, unavoidable pains as there are unnecessary pains. But all pains can be used as jump off point to dive more deeply into our being and becoming. Jesus must have seen his passion, death and resurrection from this vantage point. He embraced the pains of his ministry; he embraced his passion and death long before they transpired. And he showed his disciples the way to do it as he announced to them the impending suffering he would have to endure at the hands of the Jewish religious leaders.
In narrating the story, the Gospel writer then used it as an opportunity to encourage the Matthean community, to follow the way of Christ just as Christ himself encouraged his disciples: by denying oneself, taking up one’s cross and following Jesus’ way. We are part of the extended audience invited to accept and carry our own cross by letting our pain be pain. It means allowing the pain to speak to us, and show us the way to a fuller life with greater openness to receive and to let go. It is not wallowing in self-defeat or self-pity. It is facing life head-on with one’s sight at the resurrection, but fully informed by the message of suffering and difficulties about living, relating and loving.
How? By getting at the root of what allowed Jesus to embrace the pain of the world – the love he has for all creation. Receiving Jesus’ love for us, sharing his love for creation, will allow us to endure pain and be transformed into the better persons we can be. Letting pain be pain after all is but part of letting Jesus be Jesus in our life!
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