Those Who Share the Suffering of Christ
From the exhortation to martyrdom by Origen, priest
The Martyrdom of Saint Stephen – Painting by PIETRO-DA-CORTONA 1660
Those who share in the sufferings of Christ will also share in his consolation
Narrated by Patrick O’Neill, Newport Beach, California
If passing from unbelief to faith means that we have passed from death to life, we should not be surprised to find that the world hates us. Anyone who has not passed from death to life is incapable of loving those who have departed from death’s dark dwelling place to enter a dwelling made of living stones and filled with the light of life. Jesus laid down his life for us; so we too should lay down our lives, I will not say for him, but for ourselves and also, surely, for those who will be helped by the example of our martyrdom.
Now is the time for Christians to rejoice, since Scripture says that we should rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering trains us to endure with patience, patient endurance makes us pleasing to God, and being pleasing to God gives us ground for a hope that will not be disappointed. Only let the love of God be poured forth in our hearts through the Holy Spirit.
The more we share in the sufferings of Christ, the more we share, through him, in his consolation. We should be extremely eager to share in Christ’s sufferings and to let them be multiplied in us if we desire the superabundant consolation that will be given to those who mourn. This consolation will not perhaps be the same for all, for if it were, Scripture would not say: The more we share in the sufferings of Christ, the more we share in his consolation. Sharing in his consolation will be proportionate to our sharing in his suffering. We learn this from one who could say with all confidence: We know that as you share in the sufferings, so you will share in the consolation as well.
God says through the prophet: At an acceptable time I heard you; on the day of salvation I helped you. What time could be more acceptable than when, for our fidelity to God in Christ, we are made a public spectacle and led away under guard, not defeated but triumphant?
In Christ and with Christ the martyrs disarm the principalities and powers and share in his triumph over them, for their share in Christ’s sufferings makes them sharers also in the mighty deeds those sufferings accomplished. What could more appropriately be called the day of salvation than the day of such a glorious departure from this world? But I entreat you not to give offense to anyone, so that our ministry may not be blamed. Be very patient and show in every way that you are servants of God. Say: And now, what do I wait for? Is it not the Lord?
Source: The Liturgy of the Hours – Office of Readings
Origen, born in 185, witnessed the persecution of the Church in Alexandrian. Early on he evidenced a certain genius while leading a life of virtue. He was well educated and deeply devout in his faith. When his father was thrown into prison and condemned to a martyrs death, Origen wrote him a moving letter encouraging him to persevere courageously in the faith.
The family fortune had been confiscated by the imperial magistrates and Origen became a teacher and so helped support his mother and his six younger brothers. He sold his manuscripts and started a catechetical school which soon became a center of learning through his eloquent exhortations. Origin devoted himself to the study of philosophy, the scriptures and Hebrew.
He was sought out who heard of his teaching. He traveled to Rome, and was invited to Arabia by its governor who wanted to meet him. In 215 he traveled to Palestine, Greece and Caesarea where the Bishop of Jerusalem ordained him a priest. His ordination was invalidated when two councils were held at Alexandria, one of which pronounced a decree of banishment against Origen while the other deposed him from the priesthood. St. Jerome declares expressly that he was not condemned on a point of doctrine.
Before St. Augustine, Origen was the most influential theologian in the church. His threefold plan of interpreting Scripture (literal, ethical, and allegorical) influenced subsequent exegetical works. In spite of Origen’s fame as an apologist for Christianity, there was question as to his orthodoxy. His somewhat recondite blending of pagan philosophy with Christian theology led to his condemnation by Justinian in the Monophysite controversy. There is good reason to believe that he was often the victim of misquotation and unfair interpretation.