Sunday, July 13, 2008

The Suffering of Sin


Sin causes such suffering, especially in the soul who is trying to not sin. It comes as a surprise, some sin, and that often is the sin most necessary to get rid of.

Some sin is fairly obvious.

Here is this lovely trunk of a small, Paperbark Maple. A year ago the bark was not peeling like this. Who would suspect that it would begin to exfoliate, unless someone knew that this is the case with Paperbark Maples?

Well, it is true with souls. A Victim Soul of the Sacred Heart of Jesus might look pretty regular at the onset, but once planted into the soil of Jesus' Sacred Heart, and once it begins to root into the vocation as a victim soul, offering its whole life and soul and any sufferings now or to come, to Jesus for His use, the soul begins to exfoliate its sins.

This is necessary. And, it is beautiful, is it not? Just as in the Paperbark Maple, as the tree is noted for this unusual effect of the bark's peeling, so the sins of a victim soul begin to peel. It is a good thing, and of God, and holy to exfoliate sins. It happens for the earthly life of the soul, and on into purgatory. Like the tree, the soul does not die with its sins peeling off; instead, it thrives during its exfoliation process.

What might seem alarming in all this to the soul (or the person tending the Paperbark Maple), is all part of the unique process of growth. And growth is beautiful in its unique attributes.

In some seasons, the growth appears to slow, but within, there is still growth going on. Sometimes sins exfoliate so visibly; other times they are working their way off subtly. A Victim Soul of the Sacred Heart must pray always to have its sins be peeled away, and also to view the process as a unique beauty, of natural, spiritual growth, in the glory of God's providence. Our souls grow this way, and can be utilized for the enhancement and good of others. Such is the desire of a victim soul, as well as God's will for those called to suffer.

Even the sensate suffering of our sins exfoliating, can be offered to Jesus for reparative use.

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