Jesus, Companion in My Suffering: Reflections for the Lenten Journey

By Joyce Rupp

Lent can be a time of bearing heavy burdens, of carrying the worries, pains, and sorrows that weigh on our hearts. Joyce Rupp reminds us that even though we may feel alone during these times of personal distress, we have the loving, empathetic, and ever-present companionship of Jesus by our side.

In Jesus, Companion in My Suffering, Rupp—bestselling author of several books on grief, loss, and suffering, including Praying Our Goodbyes and Jesus, Friend of My Soul—will guide you to see Jesus not only as someone who understands deeply what you have experienced but also as a teacher whose wisdom you can apply to your own life. By allowing Jesus to accompany you in times of trial, Rupp says, you’ll be encouraged to move toward more compassion for yourself and others.

For each of the forty days of Lent, Rupp offers a brief reflection on a story from the life of Jesus, applying his actions and teachings to our own experiences. She also includes a prayer and daily intention that invites us to spiritual growth and to reach fuller depths in our faith. Questions for personal reflection or group discussion are included.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ave Maria Press
• Release date: Jan 27, 2023
• ISBN: 9781646801930

Joyce Rupp

Joyce Rupp is well known for her work as a writer, retreat leader, and spiritual midwife. She serves as a consultant for the Boundless Compassion program. Rupp is the author of numerous bestselling books, including Praying Our Goodbyes, Open the Door, Return to the Root, Jesus, Friend of My Soul, and Jesus, Companion in My Suffering. Her award-winning books include Boundless Compassion, Fly While You Still Have Wings, and Anchors for the Soul. She is a member of the Servite (Servants of Mary) community.

Book preview

We all suffer, and we are all called at times to minister to others who are suffering. Reading and sharing these reflections will help us reflect on our own suffering and also to bring the love of Christ into the lives of people who are suffering.

Deacon Ed Shoener

Compiler and editor of When a Loved One Dies by Suicide

"Joyce Rupp is a soul midwife, guiding us with a gentle but strong hand as we struggle to birth something new from the depths of ourselves. Our griefs, large and small, are safe here; we can trust they will be tended with care. Jesus, Companion in My Suffering is the Lent book we have long needed."

Shannon K. Evans

Author of Rewilding Motherhood

Visiting the heart of Joyce Rupp remains a pleasure. She owns her limitations, which make mine feel less lonely, and her God-names are inventive: ‘Surprising Healer,’ ‘Unexpected Visitor,’ ‘Keen Listener.’ The quick daily plunge of spiritual direction in this book is bracing. Disappointment, failure, and being out of control are never taboo.

Alice Camille

Author of Working Toward Sainthood: Daily Reflections for Lent

Excerpt from Praying Our Goodbyes by Joyce Rupp is from pages 91 and 93 of the 2009 edition. Copyright ©1988, 2009 by Ave Maria Press®, Inc., P.O. Box 428, Notre Dame, IN 46556, www.avemariapress.com.

Scripture quotations are from New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

____________________________________

© ٢٠23 by Joyce Rupp

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever, except in the case of reprints in the context of reviews, without written permission from Ave Maria Press®, Inc., P.O. Box 428, Notre Dame, IN 46556, 1-800-282-1865.

Founded in 1865, Ave Maria Press is a ministry of the United States Province of Holy Cross.

www.avemariapress.com

Paperback: ISBN-13 978-1-64680-192-3

E-book: ISBN-13 978-1-64680-193-0

Cover image © gettyimages.com.

Cover and text design by Brian C. Conley.

Printed and bound in the United States of America.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.

CONTENTS

Introduction

Ash Wednesday to First Sunday of Lent

Ash Wednesday: Healing for Everyone

Thursday: Willing to Approach Suffering

Friday: Preventable Complaints

Saturday: Disappointments

First Week of Lent

Sunday: Tempted Away from Good

Monday: At the Mercy of Another

Tuesday: Poverty

Wednesday: Anxiety and Worry

Thursday: Judging Others

Friday: Trusting the Healing Process

Saturday: Failure

Second Week of Lent

Sunday: Grief

Monday: Dismissing Those Who Suffer

Tuesday: Out of Control

Wednesday: Fear

Thursday: Less Than We Hoped to Be

Friday: Compassion Fatigue

Saturday: Embarrassment

Third Week of Lent

Sunday: Loneliness

Monday: Helpful, Healing Hands

Tuesday: Weeping for What Is to Come

Wednesday: Depression

Thursday: Hypocrisy

Friday: Moved with Compassion

Saturday: Poor Self-Image

Fourth Week of Lent

Sunday: Admitting Wrongdoing

Monday: Rejection

Tuesday: Exasperation

Wednesday: A Healing Touch

Thursday: Burdened

Friday: Finding Fault

Saturday: Ending Relationships

Fifth Week of Lent

Sunday: Accepting the Dying Process

Monday: Carrying the Cross

Tuesday: Betrayal

Wednesday: Comforting Caregivers

Thursday: Our Own Worst Enemy

Friday: Shame

Saturday: Recognizing the Truth

Sixth Week of Lent (Holy Week)

Passion (Palm) Sunday: Unfinished Work

Monday: Violence

Tuesday: Standing by the Cross

Wednesday: Powerless

Holy Thursday: The Hour of Anguish

Good Friday: Feeling Abandoned

Holy Saturday: Giving Our Life for Another

Easter Sunday: Joy beyond Suffering

Questions for Reflection

Notes

INTRODUCTION

You will have pain, but your pain will turn into joy. When a woman is in labor, she has pain, because her hour has come. But when her child is born, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy of having brought a human being into the world.

—John 16:20–21

In Lucy Hone’s inspiring TED Talk on grief and resiliency, she begins by asking her audience to stand if they have experienced the adversities she is about to name. Eventually, almost all of the large group are standing. Look around, Professor Hone suggests, see that you are not alone.¹

Although unwanted, suffering exists as one of humanity’s commonalities. Whether this harsh intruder derives from personal experience or from a global perspective, everyone knows what it is like to hurt. Childhood disappointments, adolescent struggles with self-image, adult heartaches, pandemics, hostile political divisions, and dangerous climate change—there’s little doubt that suffering finds its way to us.

Not only do we benefit from the strength of our kinship with other humans who know loss, illness, and defeat, but also we have a guide at the heart of Christianity to assist us in being with those pains. In Jesus, we find insight and inspiration to encounter our struggles, along with the assurance of being able to move through and beyond those heartaches.

Sometimes it is best to step aside from suffering to protect our mental and emotional health, but usually when we disregard what upsets the mind and heart, it just digs in more deeply. Teachers of spirituality and psychology tell us that this resistance leads to more, rather than less, discomfort. Unattended hurts fester and work against joy and satisfaction. While suffering in itself has no transformational value