Suffering leads to faith leads to evangilization 2-4-2024: Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Job

Have you ever felt like Job? look what he writes:

Job 7:6 My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle;

they come to an end without hope.

7 Remember that my life is like the wind;

my eye will not see happiness again.

Holy Job had a difficult marriage. But that difficulty didn’t come to light until the suffering came. When holy Job had everything taken away, except his wife (!), his health, kids, wealth…she said those eerie and tempting words…

Job 2

9 Then his wife said to him, “Are you still holding to your innocence? Curse God and die!”

10 But he said to her, “You speak as foolish women do. We accept good things from God; should we not accept evil?” Through all this, Job did not sin in what he said.

We have to be made perfect before heaven, suffering is often the way, to be united with Christ in our suffering. Our great temptation in this life is to think, “Why me?”

Why Not Me? - Winona Judd

I would like to speak on marriage now as a sort of context within which to suffer and prosper. We do our best to marry a good person and lead the person to heaven. All will struggle with themselves and their mate. Good, marriage is purifying! Its supposed to be! You’re just the person to become a saint within the context of your marriage!

Marriage is lovely and demands everything…until death do you part, in riches and in poverty, health and sickness, in good times and in bad… easy to be married in the good times, you make the vows for the bad times!

Nathaniel and Mariana

Married on Oct 28, 2023

Met at Franciscan University, she was a part of the Daughters of Zion, he was a part of the Disciples of the Word. They met through friends in October ‘21. Started courting and this couple is just precious! That’s what happens sometimes in college right? You meet people… “wait you’re Catholic?!?!?! like I’m really Catholic though…wait you too! and you’re pretty! Will you marry me?!?!?!”

Beautiful wedding photos. Grinning from ear to ear. I saw in one a picture with his parents and hers, but I didn’t see a father, so I’m guessing she has already suffered the loss of her father.

On November 1, the fourth day of their wedding, they were on their honeymoon down in Sta. Lucia islands. He was a water skier in high school and was on a slalom ski, something my dad tried to get me up on, but dang that’s hard. He fell, no big deal, got back up and fell again, the boat pulled over to the shore and to the horror of everyone had suffered drowning.

Four days into the marriage and the marriage was over. She married the love of her life, and she, his.

What did they do wrong? Why them? Why him? Does God really need another angel, as the proverb goes?

They had his funeral in November.

St. Peter

His wife is missing from the narrative. What if our first Pope had undergone this tragedy before meeting Christ. That suffering was seen by God.

https://www.catholic.com/magazine/print-edition/did-peter-have-a-wife

The same too with his mother-in-law, she was a slave to her sickness, she was freed, she used her freedom to assist Jesus and His little Church. That’s what our freedom is for! for serving Christ and spreading the good news.

Mark1:36 Simon and those who were with him pursued him 37 and on finding him said, “Everyone is looking for you.” 38 He told them, “Let us go on to the nearby villages that I may preach there also. For this purpose have I come.” 39 So he went into their synagogues, preaching and driving out demons throughout the whole of Galilee.

Simon’s availability enabled him to go with Christ to other towns. You all might not have that freedom, But you preach Jesus with your choices, lifestyle, and words…and this is not optional for eternal life!

Paul

1 Cor 9:16

woe to me if I do not preach [the Gospel]!

St.Paul VI - Evangelii Nuntiandi

If those other people don’t receive the Gospel, they’ll probably still be saved…yea, maybe, but will YOU? 1 Cor 9:16

1 Corinthians 9:16 NABRE

If I preach the gospel, this is no reason for me to boast, for an obligation has been imposed on me, and woe to me if I do not preach it!

Conclusion

On thanksgiving day Mariana took a pregnancy test. It came back positive. In those all too brief days of marriage God saw to it that she conceived, a boy I think. She’s due in July and she wrote online: “God is good, God is love, and he is a God of miracles... Since the first day I met you I always told you how much of a blessing and gift you were to my life, and that is still true…you are truly the prince Charming in the story of my life and in the epic love that we shared God has given us, given me, the greatest gift of my life. Clearly, God had a plan bigger than anything we could have ever imgained. He answered our prayers, and prayers of those around the world, just in a different way than we had expected, but still the GIFT OF LIFE; the miracle we are so overjoyed to finally share with you all!” - itsmarikuhlman instagram

This just happened. God didn’t tell us life would be easy, just that he would be with us through it all. She can use her story to preach the Gospel and the goodness of God through it all. Even if she hadn’t gotten pregnant, God is still Good and True and Beautiful working everything for His glory. She finishes her post “May the Lord pursue your heart in a new way and may you rejoice in the truth that in death there is new and eternal life.”

Her suffering now proves her faith, makes it more, tangible even. Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel!

She looks like Christ now, like Mary, in her sorrow and joy.

Oh happy fault that sin of Adam’s Pride has given us a redeemer.

And Holy Job said, I know that my redeemer lives and that my own eyes will look upon him in the flesh, my own eyes and not anothers!

Suffering is not the enemy, but a trial. Pleasure is not the greatest good. Suffering patiently allows us preach the Gospel with maturity earned.

God help me to live what I have asked you to live today. May you rest in peace Nathaniel Kuhlman. Thank you for your life, and God bless your widow Mariana, and your little baby.