“I am happy in every way that Jesus wills, and if Jesus wants the sacrifice of my life, I give it to Him at once. If He wants anything else, I am ready. One thing alone is enough for me; to be his victim, in order to atone for my innumerable sins, and if possible, for those of the whole world.” Saint Gemma Galgani
I went to a wonderful conference on healing this past weekend. It was very grace filled. The lay minister who ran the event was filled with the Spirit and proclaimed the Gospel with boldness. He stated, God is good and he wills for us to be healed. I believe all of this. He spoke of Redemptive Suffering and said when we suffer we should unite it to the cross, but that God does not will suffering. This is all true. But as the conference came to a close I asked him about Victim Souls. He said that the theology of the Victim Soul is not Doctrinal, but private revelation and he does not believe it. He believes God wants all of us healthy. It is true that it is not Doctrinal. It is true that we are free to believe or not believe. It is true that God wants all of us healthy. But it is also true that we are not all healthy, and that sin still abounds in the world. I couldn’t get past the fact that virtually every Mystic Saint was a victim soul, or that God spoke to them about it.
When I got home, my friend Rob Marco had posted something about Suffering And The Divine Will. In it he tells a story that says;
A client of St. Thomas Becket went to the saint’s tomb to pray for a cure for his sickness, and he was indeed cured. But upon returning home he thought to himself, “Suppose it would be better for my soul’s salvation if I remained sick, what point then is there in being well?” So he returned to the saint’s tomb and asked for St. Thomas’ intercession again but with a different request: that God would grant him what would be best for his eternal salvation. His illness returned, and it was reported that the client was perfectly content, convinced that God had disposed of him for his own good.
This got me pondering all that had happened over the weekend, and all that I had read from Robs post. As with most things I took it to prayer and then recorded what I felt God speak to me in my journal. Here is what I wrote;
*** Beloved,
I will for health of all people. I want for that. And I will give it to those who ask. But I want to speak to you about victim souls. These are souls who are called and set apart by great grace. They actually don’t look to sickness or suffering as a matter of a lack of faith on their part or as a matter of them doing something wrong. Their goal is a total detachment from sin. They are engaging in the highest level of battle with the devil. They have taken on my enemy with full force. They know suffering is for their soul’s purification on earth. It purges them of sin. They are intensely fighting the devil who is the one who brings suffering, the one who tries to destroy the body. The goal of these souls is not health, but detachment from the world and attachment to me so their acceptance of suffering actually defeats the devil. Their want of me outweighed any want of earthly comfort. They emulate the sacrifice on the cross. Few are chosen for this grace poured down. Their sacrifice “makes up for what is lacking in the afflictions of Me, for the sake of My Body.” Though I lack nothing, my Mystical Body does because of sin. I came to destroy the works of the devil, which is sin. Yet sin still abounds, but grace abounds more. And the few chosen souls rise up in this grace. This can be likened to when the hand of the body places a toxin in it’s mouth, the kidney will root out that toxin. The kidney, which receives life from the heart and the head, are helping to purifying what the mouth and hand have done. This sacrifice of this one part of the body is turned to grace which is used to grant a loud voice to the Communion of Saints so the mouth and hand, which believed the toxin to be a good, can hear instead the voice of love, sacrifice and mercy at their time of judgement. It is the ultimate intercession. It is the way that I, the head and the heart, bring unity to the whole body. And the voice of blasphemy, which is the devil, is defeated, by the working of the body with the head and the heart. When My Will is done on earth as it is in heaven, all will be healthy. Many are called. Few are chosen. Do not be afraid.
- The Sacred Heart of Jesus
We can all unite suffering to the Cross and we don’t need to go looking for suffering, but there are a few who walk so closely in union with God, that they take on His Cross. This is how I view the Mystics. They know God Alone is good, and all healing comes from Him. As an act of their will they surrender to God whatever He asks for out of love of Christ and His Mystical body, knowing His plan is better. I believe wholeheartedly God wants us well, He never intended for suffering, but it was free will that brought it to the world. I also believe we should ask to be well and seek healing from the King of Kings. But, I also think we should seek God first, above all, even before we seek healing. We let God decide how best to purify our souls. For most, healing lights them so on fire for Christ that it purifies them more than anything else would, we see this in the healing stories in the Gospel. For others, I believe they are victim souls. For all, I believe the conversation with God should guide each soul and each soul should act in obedience. Taking on suffering when he hasn’t called you to is actually an act of pride putting yourself above God. Let God guide you. God is often a paradox, and His ways are not our ways.
*** I write in my journal as if God is speaking to me, what I believe the Lord is saying to me. My spiritual director said I can do this as long as it doesn’t stray from Scripture or the Magisterium. It is obviously filtered through my human intellect. I cannot know the mind of God, but I do know He is calling us to total and complete trust.
Veil of Veronica 
this is very interesting because this topic has been on my heart and mind for the past month – the debate over God wanting us to be well and saints’ suffering in sickness….Interesting that this has come across your heart too!
I believe whole heartedly God wants us well, He never intended for suffering, but it was free will that brought it to the world. I also believe we should ask to be well. But, I also think we should seek God first, above all, even before we seek healing. We let God decide how best to purify our souls. For some, healing lights them so on fire for Christ that it purifies them more than anything. For others, I believe they are victim souls. For all, I believe the conversation with God should guide in all and each soul soul act in obedience. God is often a paradox, and His ways are not our ways.
True…I guess His Will can be revealed in countless ways in this diverse world. Each one responds to grace and circumstances in different ways. Who are we to judge?
Exactly
I hardly know how to write my response, because this is a path that few believe in. If you walk that path, that God has chosen you for, the battle will be fierce and intense, and much suffering does indeed accompany it. There was a priest, a few years ago, who gave me the greatest peace I had ever known in my life. I was suffering horrifically. I was done in. Felt I could not go on. Blind, unable to walk so wheelchair bound, and with no feeling in my hands and feet. This followed my serious and advanced cancer. I was in remission, but the chemo had made me blind and unable to walk, through the neuropathy that it caused. Additionally many other terrible things were going on in my life. I felt at the end. I could not go on. I spoke to this priest, whom I hardly knew. He listened to my story, asked one or two questions, and then explained my suffering to me. I had been unable to bear it until he spoke words about my suffering that gave me the greatest peace I had ever known. My suffering was NOT valueless. I had suffered horrifically all of my life. But it had value. He told me the path that I was on. He explained it. He saud few would understand it, but that I was so close to Christ. After that, I started to write things down. Well, that priest is no longer around, and he was right – no one understands me. I am alone. And that is part of the suffering too. I do not have a Spiritual Director but I wish I did. But I know without a doubt that it was not God’s wilk for me to be physucally bealed, but inside, I am bealing more and more and more, as I go through this suffering. I believe in victim souls. But that does not mean we should seek suffering out – enough will come to us. I am so glad to have read this today, for I had begun to doubt my path, in the absence of anyone to suppirt me or Guide me in it. Thankyou for this post.
You are not alone. God is walking with you as you unite to His cross. I will pray for you, especially that God send you a spiritual director. Maybe think about contacting spiritualdirection.com to see if there is a Director in your area. Know I will be praying for you. May God pour grace over you.
Thankyou so much. For the prayers, and your kindness. Your post truly spoke to me just as I was beginning to think it was not all real. Thankyou so very much.
God’s timing is perfect. We are living in a time when the devil is trying to bring despair. Our hope is in Jesus Christ, and you are actually a warrior who is helping us all by offering your suffering for the rest of the Mystical Body. So it should be I who thanks you. Remember to keep your eyes on Christ. Picture in your head that He is the one holding you, because He is.
Bless you my friend. Thankyou so very mych. It is indeed a very lonely path, but so was the path of Our Lord. Yes, I believe utterly what you say. I will indeed keep battling, with Him as my Guide and St. Michael as my Protector. God bless you
Elements of the prosperity Gospel have found their way into some of our churches and into quite a few hearts. Among other things, it makes us turn away from the mystical meaning of suffering. I am one who’d rather not suffer anything because I fear suffering more than anything else, no matter how hard I try not to. But I’ve found remedy in these pure souls. Victim souls like Padre Pio bring Christ’s Sufferings closer to me when I am in danger of thinking myself as above suffering. Their lives help me to accept suffering, not just for myself, but at times, for the sake of others too.
Agreed
To suffering souls… Thank you….. for saying YES, LORD….because there can be no birthing without the distress of suffering. This is true for physical maternity and even more so for spiritual maternity. It is true, little has been written in the Church on this great mystery because mothers and suffering souls do not wish to draw attention to themselves. It is an offering of complete anonymity, humility and trust. Nevertheless, I believe that one day, in Heaven, the Glory that emanates from Victim Souls will be far beyond that of others , because of their more perfect conformity to the Cross of Christ. It is true, rare will be the spiritual directors who comprehend this Mystery of spousal suffering and it is no surprise that such souls have “only” Jesus Himself as their intimate Counselor. I think of Marthe Robin, great stygmatist and victim soul of France: she had no peace in her suffering until the day when a visiting priest came to see her at her bedside and in the Holy Spirit proclaimed to her the inestimable value of her mission to redemptive suffering in Christ. From that moment on, she was filled with Peace and with Joy, in the assured knowledge that she was living in the Divine Will. Ecce. Fiat . Magnificat .
Saint John Paul II on suffering:
http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/apost_letters/1984/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_11021984_salvifici-doloris.html
Saint Therese of Lisieux on suffering :
Click to access St%20Therese%20on%20Suffering.pdf
The smile of Sister Cecilia Maria de la Santa Faz, Discalced Carmelite, Santa Fe , Argentina:
https://www.google.com/search?tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=nFfmW_62BImXjwSh0bTwBg&q=sr+cecilia+maria+de+la+santa+faz+santa+fe+argentina&oq=sr+cecilia+maria+de+la+santa+faz+santa+fe+argentina&gs_l=img.12…210017.224805..226695…2.0..0.190.3334.44j1……0….1..gws-wiz-img…….0i24.3HQnm45iPOg#imgrc=1VEoEe4sTTBfXM:
Susan,
Very well said. What the speaker said made me sad for him. Let us pray for him. There is no better gentle rebuke than the picture of the beautiful st. Gemma you use to preface the article.
It is not pride he suffers from so much as gluttony. That is the door to so many of our problems, and mine, too. Why gluttony, you ask? Because, unlike the other chief passions (or 7 deadly sins), gluttony shrinks from personal suffering and pain. The other sins will tolerate it to achieve their goals.
Thanks James. I never thought about gluttony that way. Gives me much to ponder.
Origen in his commentary on Matthew notes that the devil first tempted Christ with gluttony, that is food, the bread and that Eve’s fall, too started with gluttony, that is food, the fruit. A doorway sin.
Evagrius of Pontus distilled the wisdom of the desert fathers and put gluttony first. John Cassian, a disciple of Evagrius, in his Institutes brought this concept to Latin/western Christianity and Gregory the great, a reader of Cassian per St. Benedict’s recommendation, listed it as the first deadly sin.
I am still combatting this sin, as I like to eat too much.
Me too James. One time I was on a retreat and I was struggling with gluttony in my life. The retreat leader asked us to pray about our vices and ask God for help. Later I realized it was the Feast of Saint Thomas Aquinas and when the retreat leader passed out virtue cards I was given Temperance. I knew God was talking to me and He wasn’t whispering.