Father Stuart Long was a diocesan priest from Helena, Montana who was diagnosed with a terminal illness (ALS) before his ordination. Father Stu became a beloved priest, confessor and friend to countless people. His physical suffering sanctified him. Accepting the pain and weakness of each day he gave thanks to God always.
Father Stu’s witness brought dozens (if not hundreds) of Montanans to Christ. His fascinating life story (before his conversion to his deathbed decree) will be portrayed in a major motion picture set for release later this year, starring Catholic actors Mark Wahlberg and Mel Gibson.
Father Stu’s life story, which appeared in California Catholic as “Boxer, actor, priest” upon his death in 2014, was an inspiration for the film.
The following is part three in a three-part correspondence between Fr. Stu and his parishioners during a pilgrimage to Lourdes and the acceptance of his fate as a dying priest.
DAY THREE
Stu,
Your letter from Lourdes touched me. It seems clear that Christ has allowed this because He is testing your faith. This is a great gift He has given you.
Your mission is now clear. You will (and must) endure hardship for the remainder of your earthly life. Take comfort however, and know that this represents only a small amount of time in the context of eternity.
Be at peace in the knowledge that God will save many souls through your suffering. Souls who will be revealed to you on Judgment Day.
In a sense you are becoming a true man, a true priest. I remember you once told me that every man is called to be a Christ-like man. One who sacrifices all that he has to lay down his life for those he loves. This is a living martyrdom. You also once told me you wanted to die for Christ in the spirit of St Francis. It seems that Our Heavenly Father has not only heard your prayer but is granting your request (we truly do have to be careful for what we pray for).
Accept this tremendous grace with a humble heart. Don’t be puffed up and proud lest Satan sift you like wheat. Continue to allow God’s graces to work through you and touch others, but don’t act as if you are a saint. Be constantly humble and self-sacrificing. When you are ordained, your soul will be infused with these priestly graces.
Time is short. We don’t have much of it left. We are in the middle of some serious spiritual warfare. The Lord is working powerfully through you as He wants souls to go to heaven – period!
God knows that you love Him. That’s what is most important anyway. In order to be a true priest, a true servant, you must be a witness of the true faith, like the apostles. Only then can people even begin to love God as you do. You will be their role model.
You are in the process of being perfected through suffering (be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect). Let God be the judge of your heart, mind and soul. The Blessed Mother is with you. Joan of Arc is with you. St. Francis is with you as are many other saints. Your trip to Lourdes solidified that.
Now that you have an army in heaven looking out and interceding for you, be confirmed in your mission. God will let you know when He is ready to take you from this world. When He does, accept it in the love of the Holy Spirit. In the meantime continue praying for your ordination. Our fellow brothers in the seminary, friends and family will be there to support you. Please throw a few prayers our way too. I’ll bring you up an entire list when I see you.
Your brother in Christ
Click here to read part one – “Father Stu’s story will be told in movie starring Mark Wahlberg and Mel Gibson”
Click here to read part two – “Joan of Arc speaks to Father Stu”
Why does so much of Christianity boil down to this: if something bad happens to you, cheer up because it’s actually a good thing. And those people who have everything going for them? Well, God actually hates them. He loves the people he gives the most suffering to.
How does that make sense?
Time to grow up and learn the Catholic faith rather than whine about what you do not understand.
God does not hate anybody. Everybody is called to conformity to Christ. We are all called to conform to His Passion in various ways. When you offer suffering to the Lord, you are giving Him something that He does not have in Heaven, but that he had a lot of on Earth. Christ chose to suffer for us so that we could have salvation. Sometimes those who have a lot of suffering and bear it patiently, trusting in God, are seen as special and chosen, especially if they are innocents. They are called to offer their suffering for others.
Even people who seem to have everything going for them are not free of suffering. You cannot escape the Cross. Every path has obstacles, every path has pain.
When you offer sacrifices, your voluntary suffering can keep someone from suffering involuntarily. Suffering because of wounds in the Body of Christ is an agony but when you trust Jesus, it can become a source of joy.
Amen
Anonymous,
You poorly characterized the issue, but you’ve touched on one of the Great Issues of Life: Suffering.
The answer to your question lies in another question — why did God, himself, wish to suffer on the Cross? The answer to this second question is found in the central dynamic of the Holy Trinity.
For a good explanation of this, I’ll refer you to the following web page:
https://www.raging-truth.com/divine-love
Fr. Stu was a Catholic priest. A priest is one who offers sacrifice. Fr. Stu sacrificed himself for others as a priest. Sometimes that sacrifice involved personal suffering. What about that is so hard to understand?
He didn’t give himself ALS. God gave him that.
Anonymous,
It’s true that Fr. Stu did not give himself the disease. With that said, he had a choice: Curse God for this wretched disease OR unite his suffering to the suffering of Christ in the service of the Church.
The first path is ugly and can lead to Hell. The second path reflects beauty and can lead to God.
First anonymous, we are not in heaven. There is suffering on earth. We spend our good times worrying; then when bad times come, we can’t believe it is happening to us. At first, then you go through the process. “Why?” “Am I being punished?” “Am I being tested?” “Please relieve me of this.” “Please use this for good.”
Sometimes those of us who have already been through this process just cut to the end.
Everybody has suffering. Maybe it does not last long enough for the process to be completed. Maybe it is just an “Ow, that hurt.” and you are on with life. That is why it is good to do a morning offering so that you do not “waste” you everyday little sufferings. You offer them to God for the intentions of the Pope and the intentions of Jesus. There are several different prayers you can use.
Janes1:2-*8
Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials,
for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
And let perseverance be perfect, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
But if any of you lacks wisdom,* he should ask God who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and he will be given it.
But he should ask in faith, not doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed about by the wind.
For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord,
since he is a man of two minds, unstable in all his ways.
Okay, then let’s stop helping the poor because their trials should be counted as a joy. Why would we want to take that joy away from them?
You think the small amount of help given to the poor is going to take away their trials?
Anonymous, you are being antagonistic and argumentative with the Holy Word of God.
Phil 4:12-13
I know indeed how to live in humble circumstances; I know also how to live with abundance. In every circumstance and in all things I have learned the secret of being well fed and of going hungry, of living in abundance and of being in need.
I have the strength for everything through him who empowers me.
How is this different from Zen Buddhism?
I’m Catholic. I don’t know anything about zen buddhism or any other kind of buddhism.
Anonymous,
The difference is that Christianity is informed by divine revelation whereas Buddhism is not.
Thank you for posting the link to “Is setting boundaries unchristian?” by Rose Sweet. It has helped with a situation I have. She also mentioned to google St. Thomas Aquinas’ 5 remedies for sorrow, which may be helpful.