Children of Light, Heirs of the Kingdom - What's that got to do with today?

In the last post on suffering we talked about the reality of its presence and the apparently incompatible co-existence of this suffering with our own human dignity. However, we also saw that our own dignity was given to us at creation, and fully (and even more perfectly) restored to us after the fall with the Suffering, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.  We saw that our dignity is not destroyed by our suffering, though perhaps it makes suffering more painful in some ways. It is, rather, our dignity that gives meaning to our suffering.  For the rest of this series we will look more deeply into the meaning of this, which the Church calls “Redemptive Suffering”.  It rests on the Power of the Cross and on our Dignity as Children of God, Baptized into one Body. Today, we will look at our adoption as Children and how it sheds light onto the mystery of human suffering.



St. Paul makes a point of clearly demonstrating that we are children of God…not by birth, but through the Promise; the promise fulfilled in Jesus Christ the Lord. How does this affect us? With the awareness that we were created in the image and likeness of God we recognize our dignity, but redeemed by Christ we are more than that – we are children of God. Our dignity, then, is not linked to what we do or how we do it, but to the very essence of who we are ---- thanks to the power of the Cross of Christ, that is, the suffering, death, and resurrection of the Lord, Our God. 



We thus inherit the whole promise, having come of age in Christ Jesus.  (Galatians 4)  What exactly is our hereditary share?

 

There is no glory, however, without the cross, and so our opening quote reminds us: “If only we suffer with him, so that we may be glorified with Him.”  We inherit the whole Promise, privileged to receive this portion, so that it “has been granted, for the sake of Christ, not only to believe in him but also to suffer for him.” (Philippians 1:29) Suffering for Him, that He may be glorified and praised in us…as St. Paul frequently cites…but also because we are literally (though supernaturally) one with the Lord.