October 24 – The Fellowship of Christ’s Suffering
Suffering is the only thing strong enough to dethrone the imperial ego. Richard Rohr
Gregg’s Reflection
When I first came to faith, I didn’t realize the depth of Christ’s invitation to take up your cross and follow me. I thought discipleship was mostly about learning, serving, and working hard for God. But the longer I have walked the path, the more I see that following Jesus inevitably means encountering suffering—whether through loss, rejection, or the painful stripping away of illusions.
Suffering with Christ does not mean we go looking for pain. Rather, it means that when suffering comes—as it does for all—it is no longer meaningless. In Christ, even our struggles become a place of communion. The wounds of our lives, joined with His, become the very channels through which His grace flows.
Paul wrote of carrying in his own body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus might also be revealed. That paradox is as true today as it was for him. When we accept our weakness instead of denying it, when we endure hardship in faith, something of Christ’s presence shines through us. We become living witnesses of the cross and resurrection.
It is not easy, nor is it romantic. Yet the fellowship of Christ’s suffering is one of the most profound gifts of the Christian life. To suffer with Him is to discover that we are never alone—that in our weakness, His strength is made perfect, and in our losses, His life is made visible.
Scripture
Always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies. For we who are living are always being given up to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may be made visible in our mortal flesh.
2 Corinthians 4:10–11
Ancient Quotes
The Lord did not complete His suffering. It has been given to the church to complete the sufferings of Christ. Each one of us—because we are in some mysterious way one with Him—will taste some part of His experience of suffering.
Celtic Daily Prayer, Aiden Reading, April 28
Modern Quotes
Suffering is the only thing strong enough to dethrone the imperial ego. The separate and sufficient self has to be led to the edge of its own resources so it learns to call upon the deeper resource of who it truly is: the true self, the Christ self.
Richard Rohr, A Spring Within, p. 122
Journaling Prompts
- How have you experienced suffering as a way of sharing in Christ’s life?
- Where might your weakness be the very place God is revealing His strength?
- What does it mean to you to carry the cross daily in practical terms?
- How might the fellowship of Christ’s suffering deepen your love for Him and for others?
Go deeper into this week’s theme:
Read the full Week 43 Reflection: Suffering/ Death & Dying