It was absolutely necessary for Christ to suffer. His passion was unavoidable. Christ always knew the reason He was born was to die on the Cross. He never avoided His destiny. The Cross is Christ's glorification. We too are called to glory in our own sufferings. Listen to the words of Saint Peter: "When a man can suffer injustice and endure hardship through his awareness of God's presence, this is the work of grace in him. It was for this you were called, since Christ suffered for you in just this way and left you an example, to have you follow in His footsteps. He did no wrong; no deceit was found in His mouth. When He was insulted, He returned no insult. When He was made to suffer, He did not counter with threats. Instead, He delivered Himself up to the One who judges justly. In His own body He brought your sins to the Cross, so that all of us, dead to sin, could live in accord with God's will. By His wounds you were healed. At one time you were straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the shepherd, the guardian of you souls."
In Christ,
Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
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