SUFFERING SHOULD not extinguish one’s faith, but should be embraced as a means to achieve spiritual growth and the greater good, a Dominican priest said.
In his homily during the mass for the feast of Thomasian martyrs on Wednesday, Nov. 6, UST Faculty of Pharmacy Regent Fr. Hilario Siñgian, O.P. encouraged Catholics to view suffering as a “blessing” that would inspire self-redemption and compassion for others.
“Don’t waste your suffering; use it for your own benefit and use it for others. It can be redemptive. It can save you, it can save others,” Siñgian said at the Santisimo Rosario Parish.
“It is how to turn suffering into a blessing; how we can make good use of our sufferings to help us grow spiritually, to bring us closer to God and to allow us to participate in the mission of the Church to save humanity,” he added.
Citing his sister who questioned God’s love when she had been diagnosed with cancer despite living a healthy lifestyle, Siñgian lamented that Catholics tend to turn away from God in the face of hardships.
“Some feel resentment towards God and grow cold and weary. They no longer want to attend mass or pray because they’re going through something heavy,” the regent said.
However, Siñgian pointed out that whatever people are going through is nothing compared to what Jesus and the Thomasian martyrs have endured.
According to him, suffering is simply an obstacle that eventually leads to God’s greatest blessings.
“Jesus gave meaning to suffering. To show us how much He loved us, how deep His love [is] for us, He had to undergo the worst possible suffering… [But] He turned it into a blessing,” Siñgian added.
The feast carried the theme, “Thomasian Martyrs: Companions in Prayer and Witness to ‘Truth in Charity.’” It was celebrated after the triduum held on Nov. 4 and 5. Statues of three Thomasian martyrs, namely Saint Vincent Liem de Paz, O.P., Saint Tomás Hioji de San Jacinto, O.P., and Blessed Buenaventura Garcia Paredes, O.P. were displayed near the church’s candle rails as part of the celebration. F
