When I think of the Sorrowful Passions of Jesus Christ two things come to mind, Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich and the Sorrowful Mysteries of the rosary. St. Anne’s graphic descriptions on this topic are disturbing and near unimaginable. The biblical writings about the agonies of Christ are shocking and beyond comprehension. Even today theologians still ponder the mysteries and willingness to accepting horrific torment even to the death if need be.

Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich (1774-1824) was an Augustinian nun at the Convent of Agnetenberg, Dulmen, Westphalia, Germany. During her lifetime Sister Anne received visions about the past, present and future. St. Ann wrote extensively about the, “The Sorrowful (Dolorous) Passion of Jesus Christ.” Some of these sorrows are, The Last Supper, The Agony in the Garden, The Scourging at the Pillar, The Crowing of Thorns, Trial of Pontius Pilate, Carrying of the Cross, and the Crucifixion.

It would be impossible to give readers the full scope of Sister Emmerich’s writings which when published was broken down into volumes. Today there are many books to choose from on specific subjects she wrote about. Many religious scholars who studied her writings believe Sister Emmerich had more visions than any other know visionary in history. Sister Anne was not only a visionary but also a stigmatic, mystic and ecstatic, just to name a few of her gifts.

It is also noteworthy that Anne Catherine Emmerich was no stranger to suffering either. She was sickly and during the last 12 years of her life she lived only on a daily Holy Eucharist and water. From 1802 until her death, she bore the wounds of the Crown of Thorns, and from 1812, the full stigmata of Our Lord, including a cross over her heart and the wound from the lance. Christ like, Sister Anne Catherine willingly accepted all her sufferings. How is it possible Sister Ann could endure such pain?

More recently during the Fatima, Portugal apparitions the 3 shepherd also agreed to accept sufferings. During the May 13, 1917 apparition the Blessed Mother (in part) said, (Lady) "Do you wish to offer yourselves to God in order to accept all the suffering He wishes to send you, in reparation for sin and for the conversion of sinners?" (Children) 'Yes, we are willing.' (Lady) "Than you will suffer much but the grace of God will be your comfort.”

The Fatima children as did Sister Ann Catherine, and thousands of others known and unknown, freely offered and still offer their daily tribulation for the reparation of worldly sin and the conversion of sinners. Those who willingly accept all the torment sent to them seemingly rejoice as if sharing in the Sorrowful Passions of Christ. The gift to rejoice in times of suffering may well be the comfort spoken of by Our Lady of Fatima in May of 1917. (Lady) "Than you will suffer much but the grace of God will be your comfort.”

Romans Chapter 5:3-5 tells us, “Rejoice over tribulation, knowing tribulation becomes endurance and endurance becomes tried virtue and tried virtue becomes hope and hope will never disappoint because the charity of God is poured forth into our hearts by the Holy Spirit that is given us.”  This scripture may well define how the willingly are able to endure suffering for the salvation of poor sinful souls. Just maybe it is possible that suffering can becomes passion and willingness to freely accept and overcomes agony.

St. Teresa of Avila tells us, “Whoever makes a habit of prayer should think only of doing everything to conform his will to God’s. Be assured that in this conformity consists the highest perfection we can attain, and those who practice it with the greatest care will be favored by God’s greatest gift and will make the quickest progress in the interior life. Do not imagine there are other secrets. All our good consists in this.”

Could it be St Teresa has discovered there is only one secret and this is to conform ourselves to the will of God? In such conformity do suffering souls obtain a greater gift which enlightens their being so a higher perfection is obtained? Is it possible a higher perfection lives above and beyond suffering?

A young girl named Bernadette Soubirous (1844-1879) from Lourdes, France received apparitions of the Virgin Mary beginning February 11, 1858, ending July 18, 1858. After the last apparition she entered the Convent of, “The Sisters of Charity.” Bernadette was constantly sickly and her superiors thought it was hers way of gaining attention. Each time Bernadette was asked what was wrong she replied, “Nothing.”

Almost unable to walk, Bernadette was asked to show her limping leg. To the shock of her superiors, Bernadette’s leg was in such a gross condition the doctor was immediately requested. The doctor later asked Mother Superior if Bernadette had ever cried out in pain and Mother Superior said, “No.” The doctor told Mother Superior that Bernadette’s leg was the result of a terminal condition that is so painful; he did not understand how Bernadette endured the excruciating anguish of the affliction in silence.  

Bernadette succumbed to those suffering on April 16, 1879 at just age 34. It would seem Bernadette lived above the pain in a place that most people could never understand. Is this the place of comfort told to the children from Fatima? Is the place above pain part of the interior life of those who conform their will to God’s, as St. Teresa tells us is our greatest good?

In 2004 I was diagnosed with a terminal condition which has an average life expectancy of 7 to 10 year life span. I am currently in my 13^th year as of June, 2017. I receive treatment each month which prolongs the condition called Polycythemia Vera. I also visit the cancer treatment center regularly.

When the doctor first told me I was terminal, I said, “Okay.” He replied, ‘Maybe you did not hear me. You are terminal.’ I replied, “I hear you but if it is God’s will, I accept it.”

Over a year later a well know author I’ve known for some year told me she was having an eye problem. She was concerned she may loose her vision. Her email showed me how frighten she was. I thought maybe if I told her I was terminal it would help her see that just maybe losing sight in one eye is not so bad. I did not tell her this as to say, “I am worse off,” but I did it with love and caring, hoping she would see there is always someone who has greater suffering, making our suffering just a little thing by comparison.

So after over a year of silence about my condition, I finally told her I was terminal. The author was very upset at me and asked me why I had not told anyone. She insisted I put something up on my website so people will pray for me. Yet no matter how I tried to explain to her I could not make her understand that I do not need prayer for my afflictions. No matter how I tried, I could not make her understand that I embrace my sufferings.

By no means do I think myself worthy to stand among the chosen few I write about in this article! Yet even so, I know I am of like mind. Let me summarize how I feel about my sufferings and afflictions. I always tell people who are suffering, “Do not count sufferings but count blessings and pray for those who do not believe in God for they have the greatest sufferings of all.” This one sentence is the foundation of how I live my life. I place myself in the hands of God or as St. Teresa say’s; I conform my will to God’s. Here in this place I surrender to divine providence, come what will. Here I have no need but to trust in the tender mercies of God.

Saint Faustina gave us a wealth of information about the mercy of God. She received many apparitions from Heavenly Hosts as a nun in Poland. Sister Faustina kept diaries of her apparitions, as she was instructed by her spiritual advisor. Jesus also taught Faustina the “Chaplet of Divine Mercy,” a devotion which today is said daily in many parishes during the three o’clock hour. The Chaplet of Divine Mercy is in my opinion the only means left by which this world may be saved because I believe without Divine Mercy there is no hope left.

The mercy of God is beyond our understanding. Even if we were to ponder God’s mercy for all eternity we could not comprehend it. Jesus told Sister Faustina, “Encourage souls to place great trust in My fathomless mercy. Let the weak, sinful soul have no fear to approach Me, for even if it had more sins than there are grains of sand in the world, all would be drowned in the immeasurable depths of My mercy.”  This one thought in Sister Faustina’s diaries shows us how inexhaustible the mercy of God can be and how powerful the Chaplet of Divine Mercy is.

In scripture we hear the story of the man who lead his sheep to safe pasture and counted them discovering one was missing. He went in search of the one lost sheep in hopes it was safe and not devoured by the wolves. We are much the same in that, Jesus is Our Shepherd and we the lost lamb. We must remember that above all things, God the Father and Jesus the Son desires not one of us be lost to the wolves or evils that seek to devour us. For this cause Jesus came as the word of God made flesh.  He preached the gospel and suffered on the cross as a perfect lamb sacrificed for our sake. This hope is the hope of all hopes in that, we may reach safe pasture or if you will, enter eternal life.

So for those wishing to enter eternal life there is only one secret, conform our will to God’s in all things. Conforming we become Christ like accepting all things, come what may. Conformed, we offer all things in hope every lost soul is found and brought to safe pasture before the lost are destroyed by the evils that seek ruin. Offering all things conformed to God's will is our greatest good. Understanding these things, we pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy and cry out to the Heavens, “For the Sake of His Sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.”