He who is not ready to suffer all things and stand resigned to the will of the Beloved is not worthy to be called a lover.[1]
God so loved man that He sent His only Son to suffer and die as a fitting sacrifice in satisfaction for the sins of man, and to regain for mankind the gift of being children of God and heirs of heaven.
Sin offends an infinite God, and therefore, would need infinite satisfaction. Thus, Someone Infinite, Jesus Christ, had to offer that satisfaction. Only the Blood of God Himself could accomplish this.
We can never repay Him in this life or the next. The only way we can show our appreciation is to live according to His will. Here is how My Catholic Faith explains this truth:
Our Lord looked forward to His agony, saying to His Apostles, “That the world may know that I love the Father, and that I do as the Father has commanded Me. Arise, let us go from here.” (St. John’s Gospel, 14:31). In the garden, Jesus felt so sad at the sins of men and at what would befall Him that He said, “My soul is sad even unto death” (Matt. 26:38).
To His Father, He cried out in pain: “Father if Thou art willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Thine, be done.” (Luke 22:42).
Jesus pleaded three times this same prayer. In His agony, “His sweat became as drops of blood, running down upon the ground.” (Luke, 22:44).[2]
Jesus Christ suffered and died as Man; as God He could neither suffer nor die. He suffered excruciatingly in order to make full reparation for sin. Even only one sin is so abominable to God that not all the deluges and fires can wipe away the stain. Only the blood of God Himself can do so. “The Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” (Is. 55:6).[3]
From the Passion of Christ, we learn the evil that sin is, and the hatred that God has for it. Here is how My Catholic Faith explains this truth:
St. Augustine says that on the cross Our Lord bent His Head to kiss us, extended His Arms to embrace us, and opened His Heart to love us. How thankful we should be to Christ for His love! “He humbled Himself, becoming obedient to death, even to death on a cross” (Phil. 2:8).[4]
It was not necessary for Jesus to suffer so intensely in order to redeem all men. As His merits are infinite, He could have wiped away the sins of a thousand worlds by shedding one drop of His blood. But He chose to suffer agonies because He loves us.[5]
The sufferings of Christ, in addition, serve as an example for us, to strengthen us under trials. Christ gave us an example of patience and strength. If we receive trials, we should accept them with resignation, in imitation of Our Lord, Who suffered so willingly for our sake. We can never have as much suffering as He did.[6]