Feast of St. Paul of the Cross, Oct. 20, 2013
Deacon Robert Banet
What’s wrong, Charlie? You look upset.
Well, not upset. Just a little puzzled.
Go ahead. Explain.
Well, I’ve got this health problem and people tell me to pray and offer it up.
So? What’s the problem? Just do it.
What is this idea of offering it up? I’ve heard it since I was little and I still don’t know what it means.
Charlie, just by chance, I was reading something by St. Paul of the Cross and it might be helpful.
St. Paul of the Cross? I never heard of him.
He said, “Love is a unifying virtue that takes upon itself the torments of the beloved.”
Run that by me again.
The torments of the beloved. Think of a mother looking at her child. The child is suffering from a painful disease. How do you think she would feel?
She would be hurting and wishing she could do something about it. Maybe even wanting to take on the suffering herself for the sake of the child.
Yes, I agree. She loves the child so much and cannot stand to see it suffer.
Go on. I think you’re on to something.
Well, we here on earth love Jesus, and when we contemplate His suffering on the cross, we want to do something to help him. He is our beloved and we want to share His suffering.
So when your man talks about a unifying virtue, he’s talking about how love unites us to Jesus. But how does that happen?
Well, Charlie, you can only say that if you have love, it does happen. The love does unite us to Him. It’s a mystery.
It’s a mystery but it does throw some light on the question. What did you say your man’s name was?
St. Paul of the Cross. His feast is October 20.