The biblical basis of showing the sense of suffering in school catechesis

Abstract

In its many dimensions, suffering has not only affected the human being, but also stimulated them to seek answers about the meaning, origin and purpose of all painful experiences. As an existential experience, suffering remains in the special field of interest for catechesis, whose task is to show the Christian standpoint on this issue. This position stems from fidelity to the Bible, which is, as St. John Paul II said, in the literal sense of the word, „a great book about suffering” (Salvifici doloris, 6). The Word of God contained in the Holy Scriptures is the most important source of catechetical teaching and, also, of reflection on suffering. When speaking about suffering during catechesis, one should do so in such a way as to reveal its deep meaning in the context of the Holy Scriptures, especially in the light of the Paschal mystery – the passion, death and Resurrection of Christ.