“He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, ‘Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.’ An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.”
Luke 22:41–44 (NIV)
A treasured sorrow is a life experience that held both grief and joy. It included pain, challenges, hurt, loss, or grief; yet as we look back on it, we also treasure the experience we went through because of what we learned and who we became in the process. While the experience was painful to live through, we know the growth we experienced, the reliance on God we now have, and the new awareness we have about ourselves—awareness we wouldn’t have had we not gone through that hard experience.
There are a handful of events in my life I can now name as treasured sorrows. While I would rather not relive those moments of loss and pain, I know that they changed me in a profound way, so I treasure the lessons I learned.
Because of my treasured sorrows, I am more aware of what others experience. The utter dependency on God during these times grew strong roots of faith that still strengthen me today. I cherish the people I met and the relationships that deepened as we walked the difficult experience together. I know that the tools of my faith offer support and guidance because I leaned on them as I walked the challenging journey.
Our treasured sorrows can be our wise teachers, much as Jesus’ treasured sorrow taught the world about walking through suffering in hope. With the Holy Spirit’s help, we can sift through our experiences and name the sorrows and the treasures. Then, as Ignatian spirituality teaches us, we can offer these experiences to God to be transformed and used by God for the good of others.
Reflect:
Read Luke 22:41–44 and consider Jesus’ own sorrow and suffering. What are some of the treasured sorrows in your life?
Pray:
Offer your heartfelt prayer to God about a tough time you are facing or might have faced in the past. How might Jesus’ example of his prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane support you in offering your heartfelt prayer?
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