Lumen Fidei - page 77

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trial faith brings light, while suffering and weak-
ness make it evident that “we do not proclaim
ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord”
(
2 Cor
4:5). The eleventh chapter of the Letter to
the Hebrews concludes with a reference to those
who suffered for their faith (cf.
Heb
11:35-38);
outstanding among these was Moses, who suf-
fered abuse for the Christ (cf. v. 26). Christians
know that suffering cannot be eliminated, yet
it can have meaning and become an act of love
and entrustment into the hands of God who
does not abandon us; in this way it can serve as
a moment of growth in faith and love. By con-
templating Christ’s union with the Father even
at the height of his sufferings on the cross (cf.
Mk
15:34), Christians learn to share in the same
gaze of Jesus. Even death is illumined and can
be experienced as the ultimate call to faith, the
ultimate “Go forth from your land” (
Gen
12:1),
the ultimate “Come!” spoken by the Father, to
whom we abandon ourselves in the confidence
that he will keep us steadfast even in our final
passage.
57. Nor does the light of faith make us forget
the sufferings of this world. How many men and
women of faith have found mediators of light in
those who suffer! So it was with Saint Francis of
Assisi and the leper, or with Blessed Mother Te-
resa of Calcutta and her poor. They understood
the mystery at work in them. In drawing near to the
suffering, they were certainly not able to eliminate
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