Suffering

[Guest Reggie]

Christ's passion and death was enough to save all humanity. He said "It is finished!" on the cross just before he expired.How can our suffewring be joined with Christ's to aid sinners and those is purgatory?

[Apotheoun]

The sufferings of the Church are an extension of the sufferings of Christ the Head; and so, even though the sufferings of Christ are complete in the Head of the Body, they continue in the mystical Body itself until the Parousia at the end of time. That is why St. Paul said that, "Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, [i]and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of His body, that is, the Church[/i]." [Colossians 1:24] Moreover, as St. Paul also points out, a man cannot be glorified unless he suffers in and with Christ, for we are the ". . . heirs of God, and fellow heirs with Christ, [i]provided that we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him[/i]." [Romans 8:17] Thus, the sufferings of the Church, and of all her members individually, are the sufferings of the Whole Christ, that is, of the Head and the Body; for glorification only comes through suffering.