Divine Mercy: The Heart of the Gospel

142 Divine Mercy: The Heart Of The Gospel This document was the first full-length magisterial text addressing this most fundamental human question: the origin and the meaning o f human sufferings. In this work the Holy Father presents a Theologia Crucis, a Theology o f the Cross. Also, he identifies in human suffering something which he calls essential to the nature o f man, something which reveals man’s transcendence and the paradox of his own unique dignity. Moreover, the Pope says, the mystery of suffering becomes the Church’s path of missionary proclamation o f the saving Passion of Christ. So, if we’re going to proclaim the Mercies of God, we have to be ready to pro­ claim them to the sick and the suffering. The Holy Father writes: Born of the mystery o f the redemption in the Cross o f Christ, the Church has to try to meet man in a special way on the path of his suffering. In this meeting, man becomes the way for the Church. And this way is one o f the most important ones. Basing himself on the Pauline theology o f union with Christ’s suf­ ferings as the source o f grace for transforming our sufferings, our human sufferings, into creative and redemptive power, which is a cen­ tral theme in the lives o f the mystics, particularly in the life o f Sister Faustina, the Pope presents this message: at one and the same time Christ has taught man to do good by his suffering, and to do good to those who suffer. In this double aspect he has completely revealed the meaning o f suffering. The Pope does not talk about the origin o f suffer­ ing here. We know that the origin of suffering is intertwined with the presence and fact o f evil and sin in the world. But the meaning of suf­ fering, its significance, is found in doing good for those who suffer and in doing good with our sufferings. For the Pope, it is the Biblical figure of the Good Samaritan who serves as the model for all who are moved to relieve human suffering effectively. Moved by the plight o f the injured man, the Samaritan manifests his own human solidarity as he ministers to the man’s needs and provides for his care and restoration to wholeness and well-being. The Samaritan acts effectively because he does something that makes a difference. There are times when all that we can do is to empathize and to pray; we may be unable to do anything physically, positively, to relieve these physical sufferings that are before us. Nonetheless, that movement of compassion, that interior expression o f mercy, of benevolence that goes beyond justice, is important. It is real; it is actual; it is received by God. One year after the publication of Salvifici Dolores the Pope issued