Digital Marian Helper Spring_2018

F ather J oseph W rites That defining moment was not when Christ preached in the syna- gogues or performed miracles. It was when Love itself was nailed to a tree and drained of His blood. In this way, love and suffering became inseparable. Here at the Marian Helpers Center, we’ve been enduring our share of suffering in these pre-Lenten days. I for one was recently diagnosed with pulmonary embolisms (blood clots) that went from my knee up to my lung and posed a very serious health threat. I’m following my doctors’ orders, although they are calling for me to rest, and I am finding that little difficult. More critical is the health of one of our longtime employees, Suzanne Zavatter, a mother, a wife, and our manager of strategic development. Suzanne was diagnosed with breast cancer in December 2015. She had a double mastectomy and underwent chemotherapy. For a year and a half, she was considered cancer free, but in November 2017, the cancer returned. Doctors told her that it had metastasized to her lymph nodes, and they also discovered a few lesions in her brain. Statistically, people with this type of cancer only live about two years. Some live more; some live less. “This is just a daily exercise in trust,” she says. “When any kind of dark doubts start creeping in, I just try and remind myself how much God loves me, and that I need to trust in His plan.” Suzanne’s strength and faith has inspired all of us here at the Center. For us, she underscores what saints of the Church have said all along — that God allows suf- fering; that from it, He will always bring about a greater good. Moreover, we can be both transformed by our suf- fering as well as use our suffering to transform others. Jesus said to St. Faustina: “You will save more souls through prayer and suffering than will a missionary through his teachings and sermons” ( Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska, 1767). He also told her, “If the angels were capable of envy, they would envy man for only two things: one is the receiving of Holy Communion, and the other is suffering” (1804). Indeed, as St. John Paul II told us in his apostolic letter Salvifici Doloris ( Christian Meaning of Human Suffering) , Christ sanctified suffer- ing, making it salvific by His love. By God’s grace, through our suffering we can be partners in His redemption. And as John Paul II noted, the saving work of Jesus is not finished. He needs us to cooperate with His work of redemption. How? Jesus tells Faustina, “Join your sufferings to my Passion and offer them to the heavenly Father for the salvation of sinners” (1032). In other words: Don’t waste your suffering! This is what Christ teaches, what St. Faustina teaches, what John Paul II teaches — and what Suzanne now teaches. With that said, I ask you all to join with us here at the Marian Helpers Center in praying daily for the healing of Suzanne through the intercession of Blessed George Matulaitis ( 1871-1927), the Renovator of the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception. Y ou’ll notice a theme of suffering in this issue of the magazine. With Lent b eginning on Feb. 14, I thought it would be a good idea for us to revisit in these pages the truth of our faith regarding the defining moment of redemption for humanity. SUFFER NOT IN VAIN M arian H elper  • S pring 2018 • marian.org 3 “Father Joseph, MIC,” is the honorary title of the director of the Association of Marian Helpers. The current director i s Fr. Chris Alar, MIC. Father Joseph, MIC, administered the Anointing of the Sick to Marian employee Suzanne Zavatter in January. Please join us in praying for healing for Suzanne, who has cancer.