Jesus tells us "not to be anxious about your life" (Mathew 6:25). St. Paul tells us "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ."
When we experience pain, we immediately want it to go away. . . and the thought that God, who can make it go away but doesn't, can be too difficult to bear. Therefore our minds come up with all sorts of arguments against God: against his goodness, his power, his love, or his very existence.
Instead of asking "Why, God?" we might ask "Where are you God?" Crying out "Why have you abandoned me?" returns us to the faint echo of our words repeated in the mouth of Jesus who suffered with us. He felt it, too.
Jesus, who did not have to suffer, chose to suffer because we suffer. He looked at us upon our crosses in life, and said to himself, "If that's where you are, that's where I want to be."
Mary held her dead son in her arms and still trusted God's goodness and plan. Joseph also had a share in this as he anticipated the suffering that lay ahead for his beloved wife and son.
"On the Cross, God's Eros is made manifest for us. Eros is indeed that force which does not allow the lover to remain in himself, but moves him to become one with the beloved." (Pope Benedict XVI, Deus Caritas Est)
What hidden pain is holding you back?
The pain of not believing I can be loved for my own sake.
What have you suffered in your life that blocks you from the deepest levels of trust and abandonment to God?
Being abandoned, neglected and misunderstood by my parents.
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