Episode 2453: The Restless Heart and the Suffering of the Cross - Nightly Episode

“O my God, at the end of this day I thank You most heartily for all the graces I have received from You. I am sorry that I have not made better use of them. I am sorry for all the sins I have committed against You. Forgive me, O my God, and graciously protect me this night. Blessed Virgin Mary, my dear heavenly mother, take me under your protection. St. Joseph, my dear Guardian Angel, and all you saints in heaven, pray for me. Sweet Jesus, have pity on all poor sinners, and save them from hell. Have mercy on the suffering souls in purgatory. Amen”
The Restless Heart and the Suffering of the Cross
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Introduction:
Welcome to today’s podcast episode, where we will explore the profound wisdom of St. Augustine, who famously said, "You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you." Along with this, we will reflect on the deep suffering of Christ on the Cross, as described by mystics and saints, and how this suffering invites us to a deeper union with Him. Through the lens of traditional Catholic teaching, we will seek to understand how the Cross and our restlessness both lead us to God.
Let us begin with an opening prayer.
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The Restless Heart Seeking God
St. Augustine’s famous quote from his Confessions encapsulates the human condition:
"You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you."
In this simple yet profound statement, Augustine recognizes that the deepest longing of every human heart is for God. We are made by God, and our souls will not find peace until they return to Him. The restlessness we experience in life—the dissatisfaction with worldly pleasures, the sense that something is missing—is a divine invitation to seek God, who alone can fulfill our deepest desires.
This restlessness is part of our journey toward sanctification. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that "the desire for God is written in the human heart, because man is created by God and for God; and God never ceases to draw man to himself." (CCC 27) This divine drawing, this yearning for something greater, points us to the only place where we can truly find rest: in God.
The saints understood this reality deeply. St. Augustine, after years of wandering in sin and searching for truth in various philosophies, ultimately found peace in God. His conversion was a testament to the truth that nothing in this world can satisfy the human heart apart from God. This is the traditional Catholic understanding of the soul’s journey toward God—a journey marked by restlessness until we finally rest in Him.
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The Suffering of the Cross and Its Mystical Depths
Our restlessness finds its answer not only in the peace of God but in the suffering of Christ on the Cross. In His Passion, Christ embodies both the ultimate restlessness of humanity and the solution to that restlessness. On the Cross, Jesus experiences the fullness of human suffering, yet His suffering is redemptive.
The Catholic mystics have often reflected on the torment of the Cross, and how this suffering draws us into the mystery of God’s love. A.G. Sertillanges, in his reflection on the Cross, describes how the mystics have understood the agony of Christ:
"We may understand how the cross can have been called a 'bed of terror,' and how the contemplation of Jesus suffering this torment has made the mystics cry out with pity. Love is ingenious in constructing its scenes; and the lover reproduces with torment in fidelity every spasm of his suffering beloved."
This reflection shows us that the suffering of Christ is not simply a historical event but a mystical reality that continues to draw souls closer to God. The Cross is where the restless heart finds its answer, not in comfort, but in sharing in the suffering of Christ. This suffering becomes redemptive when it is united with Christ’s sacrifice.
Sertillanges continues by quoting the hymn "Vexilla Regis," where the poet implores the Cross to soften its branches for the suffering Christ:
"Bend thy branches, mighty tree, relax the body strained upon thee; be thy natural rigor softened, that the members of the sovereign King may rest more lightly on thy wood!"
This tender plea to the Cross reflects the deep love and compassion that the mystics have for Christ’s suffering. It is a love that seeks to share in that suffering, to lighten the burden of the Cross, even as we know that it is through the Cross that our salvation is won.
This mystical contemplation brings us into the very heart of the Passion, where Christ’s suffering becomes the source of life and redemption for the world. As Psalm 22 describes:
"I am poured out like water; and all my bones are scattered... For many dogs have encompassed me... They have dug my hands and feet. They have numbered all my bones." (Psalm 22:14, 16-17)
This prophetic psalm foreshadows the agony of Christ on the Cross, where His suffering becomes the means by which our restless hearts are healed and brought to peace.
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Finding Rest in the Cross
The journey from restlessness to rest in God is intimately connected to the Cross. In our lives, we are often tempted to avoid suffering, to seek comfort in worldly pleasures, or to find rest in things that are ultimately passing. However, true rest is found only in Christ and His Cross.
The traditional Catholic understanding teaches us that suffering, when united with Christ, becomes redemptive. It is through suffering that we are purified, that our restlessness is transformed into peace. St. Paul understood this well when he wrote:
"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me." (Galatians 2:20)
By uniting our sufferings with Christ’s, we participate in His redemptive work. Our restlessness is not removed, but it is transformed. The Cross becomes not a burden, but the means by which we find rest in God.
St. Augustine, after his conversion, found this rest in God. His journey of restlessness culminated in a deep peace that could only be found in surrender to God’s will. This is the invitation to all of us—to take up our cross and follow Christ, knowing that in Him, our restless hearts will finally find rest.
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Conclusion:
In today’s episode, we have reflected on the words of St. Augustine and the mystical contemplation of the Cross. We have seen that our restlessness is a divine invitation to seek God, and that true rest is found only in Christ and His Cross. As Catholics, we are called to embrace the Cross, to unite our sufferings with Christ’s, and to find our peace in Him.
Let us take to heart the wisdom of the saints and the teachings of the Church, and may we find rest in the loving arms of our Savior.
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Closing Prayer:
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
Lord Jesus, we come before You with restless hearts, seeking the peace that only You can give. Help us to embrace the Cross and to unite our sufferings with Yours. May we find rest in Your love, and may our hearts be drawn ever closer to You. Through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and all the saints, may we persevere in faith and find our eternal rest in You. We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.