Suffering makes prayers more powerful?

[Spiderman]

One of the messages that the Blessed Virgin Mary left at Fatima Portugal, was that suffering should be offered up as an offering to atone for and make reparations for sin, that suffering makes prayers more powerful.

Do you believe similar concepts?

How does the suffering actually accomplish anything or get converted into an offering, and how does it console a Heavenly being , is what I'm trying to wrap my head around though?

If you can help me better understand, I appreciate it!

 

[Link]

Affliction is an adornment for the believer and a mark of honour for the man of intellect, because facing it directly needs steadfastness and firm-footedness, both of which confirm belief. The Holy Prophet said, 'We, the company of the prophets, are the people who have the hardest trials, then after us come the believers, then the others like them.'

Whoever tastes the food of affliction while under Allah's protection enjoys it more than he enjoys Allah's blessing. He yearns for it when it is not there, because the lights of blessing lie under the balance of affliction and trial, and the balance of affliction and trial lies under the lights of blessing. Many are delivered from affliction and then destroyed in blessing. Allah praised none of His bondsmen, from Adam up to Muhammad, until He had tested him and seen how he fulfilled the duty of worship while in affliction. Allah's marks of honour come, in fact, at the last stage, but the afflictions themselves come in the beginning.

Whoever leaves the path of affliction is ignoring the lamp of the believers, the beacon of those near to Allah, and the guide for those on the right path. There is no good in a slave who complains of a single trial preceded by thousands of blessings and followed by thousands of comforts. Whoever does not show the patience required in affliction is deprived of thankfulness in the blessings he receives. Similarly, whoever does not give the thankfulness owed for blessings is denied the patience owed in affliction. Whoever is denied both of them is an outcast.

Ayyub said in his supplication, 'O Allah, verily seventy comforts and ease did not come to me until You sent me seventy afflictions.'

And Wahb ibn Munabbih said, 'Affliction to a believer is like a bit to a horse and a halter to a camel.' Ali said, 'Steadfastness in relation to belief is like the head to the body. The head of steadfastness is afflictions but only those who act righteously understand that.'

- Imam Jaffar (a), lantern of the path

 

[Revoltingest]

One of the messages that the Blessed Virgin Mary left at Fatima Portugal, was that suffering should be offered up as an offering to atone for and make reparations for sin, that suffering makes prayers more powerful.

Do you believe similar concepts?

How does the suffering actually accomplish anything or get converted into an offering, and how does it console a Heavenly being , is what I'm trying to wrap my head around though?

If you can help me better understand, I appreciate it!

You reminded me of the opening episode of
the TV show, American Gods.
Caution: Much violence.

 

[Sirona]

The last time I attended a Catholic church was 20 years ago but I think the idea that suffering is "valuable" to God is a standard Catholic teaching, given that (according to the Catholic faith) Jesus reconciled believers with God through his suffering and death. AFAIK they believe that followers should strive for saintliness and by consequence suffer like Christ did. I think it's a bit like generating a huge surplus on your "karma account" and then "donating" this surplus to God in place of those unfortunate souls who don't have that much time / inclination etc. towards religion that you possibly have.

The question whether one can earn salvation through acts is a "rift" that divides Catholics from Protestants. And it's just a faith after all so it probably makes no sense to you in case you haven't bought the faith's premise in the first place.

 

[PureX]

One of the messages that the Blessed Virgin Mary left at Fatima Portugal, was that suffering should be offered up as an offering to atone for and make reparations for sin, that suffering makes prayers more powerful.

Do you believe similar concepts?

No. Suffering is just suffering. We all get our share of it both self-inflicted and otherwise. It may help us to become stronger and more able to endure difficulty in the future, or it may weaken us and make us more susceptible to succumbing in the future. As with great good fortune, great misfortune and hardship is a test of our mind and spirit. A way to find out who we are, and who we are not.

How does the suffering actually accomplish anything or get converted into an offering, and how does it console a Heavenly being , is what I'm trying to wrap my head around though?

It (suffering) forces us to confront it, and deal with it. Hopefully, this will make us stronger and better able to deal with in the future, should it arise. "Offering it to God", I think, is then a way of letting go of the struggle to understand and justify it. In the end, it's just our turn to hurt. And realizing this often does make it easier to endure, and to get past it. Because it removes that unresolvable struggle to assess blame, and fault, and wallowing in the idea that "it shouldn't be me!".

 

[viole]

One of the messages that the Blessed Virgin Mary left at Fatima Portugal, was that suffering should be offered up as an offering to atone for and make reparations for sin, that suffering makes prayers more powerful.

Do you believe similar concepts?

How does the suffering actually accomplish anything or get converted into an offering, and how does it console a Heavenly being , is what I'm trying to wrap my head around though?

If you can help me better understand, I appreciate it!

I would say that people who do not suffer, do not pray to start with. And not all people who suffer pray. For instance people in coma, or with a severe brain damage.

ciao

- viole

 

[Aupmanyav]

How does the suffering actually accomplish anything or get converted into an offering, and how does it console a Heavenly being , is what I'm trying to wrap my head around though?
Do you believe similar concepts?

Of course not. I keep a fast only on one day in a year. That is in memory of my parents. But that fast means a lunch supplemented by ample quantity of potato chips with tea at three times in the day.

 

[fantome profane]

I would be extremely cautious about a philosophy that tries to make suffering into a good thing.


I could do you a favour and kick you in the nuts just to make your prayers that much more powerful.

And we must immediately stop all attempts to alleviate suffering because is the evil work of the devil trying to weaken prayer.

 

[Spiderman]

Of course not. I keep a fast only on one day in a year. That is in memory of my parents. But that fast means a lunch supplemented by ample quantity of potato chips with tea at three times in the day.

That is awesome you make an offering and observance for your parents. They are looking out for you, praying for you, blessing you, guarding you. Maybe burn a candle or incense in their honor.

 

[Twilight Hue]

One of the messages that the Blessed Virgin Mary left at Fatima Portugal, was that suffering should be offered up as an offering to atone for and make reparations for sin, that suffering makes prayers more powerful.

Do you believe similar concepts?

How does the suffering actually accomplish anything or get converted into an offering, and how does it console a Heavenly being , is what I'm trying to wrap my head around though?

If you can help me better understand, I appreciate it!

I think it makes things worse for people who are desperate as it encourages false expectations.

 

[Spiderman]

Affliction is an adornment for the believer and a mark of honour for the man of intellect, because facing it directly needs steadfastness and firm-footedness, both of which confirm belief. The Holy Prophet said, 'We, the company of the prophets, are the people who have the hardest trials, then after us come the believers, then the others like them.'

Whoever tastes the food of affliction while under Allah's protection enjoys it more than he enjoys Allah's blessing. He yearns for it when it is not there, because the lights of blessing lie under the balance of affliction and trial, and the balance of affliction and trial lies under the lights of blessing. Many are delivered from affliction and then destroyed in blessing. Allah praised none of His bondsmen, from Adam up to Muhammad, until He had tested him and seen how he fulfilled the duty of worship while in affliction. Allah's marks of honour come, in fact, at the last stage, but the afflictions themselves come in the beginning.

Whoever leaves the path of affliction is ignoring the lamp of the believers, the beacon of those near to Allah, and the guide for those on the right path. There is no good in a slave who complains of a single trial preceded by thousands of blessings and followed by thousands of comforts. Whoever does not show the patience required in affliction is deprived of thankfulness in the blessings he receives. Similarly, whoever does not give the thankfulness owed for blessings is denied the patience owed in affliction. Whoever is denied both of them is an outcast.

Ayyub said in his supplication, 'O Allah, verily seventy comforts and ease did not come to me until You sent me seventy afflictions.'

And Wahb ibn Munabbih said, 'Affliction to a believer is like a bit to a horse and a halter to a camel.' Ali said, 'Steadfastness in relation to belief is like the head to the body. The head of steadfastness is afflictions but only those who act righteously understand that.'

- Imam Jaffar (a), lantern of the path

Great post, "many of the righteous long for afflictions when they are not there, and are destroyed by blessings and consolations"! I like that!

 

[Aupmanyav]

That is awesome you make an offering and observance for your parents. They are looking out for you, praying for you, blessing you, guarding you. Maybe burn a candle or incense in their honor.

I do not believe in existence of soul or that their souls are in some heaven. I am a strong atheist. Their memory blesses me, gives me strength. They were nice simple people, very human, with their faults and good points. My family makes a small charity donation on all such occasions.

We Hindus have a fortnight designated to the memory of ancestors (Shrāddha Paksh, Shraddhā means respect - Śrāddha - Wikipedia). I remember all of them on their particular days, paternal and maternal grand parents and those who lived prior to them in a bunch. But fast only on the day of my parents.

" 'Śrāddha' means 'confidence, devotion', stemming from Proto-Indo-Iranian *ćraddʰaH- ('believe, have trust in'), ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European compound *ḱred-dʰeh₁- ('to put one's heart into somebody' > 'to believe'). It is cognate with the Latin crēdo ('to entrust, give credence'), the Old Avestan zrazdā- ('devoted, trusting, believing'), or the Old Irish creitid ('believe')."
Or I suppose English 'credulity' also.