“God had one Son on earth without sin, but never one without suffering.”
- St Augustine of Hippo
 
Whether sinner or saint, there is not a person who has walked this earth who lived without suffering. Even Jesus did not escape the pains of suffering. He didn’t even try to. He did not come to be pain free. He came to free us. He came to be able to whisper two little words to us that I believe are some of the most powerful words in all the universe. “Me too.”
 
Why are these words so powerful? As fallen humanity, we are separated from God. Married, a priest, single, consecrated, no one is spared from the suffering of loneliness due to this separation. But this isn’t the only way we suffer. This is only where it begins. We all have crosses to bear. We struggle with the loss of those we love, illnesses, physical and mental. We struggle with feeling different, or for some people, truly being different for whatever reason. Our loved ones can cause us pain and sorrow. We suffer from abandonment, rejection, betrayal, humiliation, and the list goes on and on. But these only contribute to our feelings of loneliness which ultimately stems from one of our deepest longings, simply to be understood and loved as we are. While we so desire to be loved and understood, the truth is no one on this earth can ever completely understand us. Only God fully knows our pain and can fill that hole and loneliness deep within our hearts. This is where Jesus slowly whispers into our ears the words we long to hear, “I understand you. Me too.”
 
What do I mean by me too? I mean that while we all can comfort and love one another, sometimes, despite our best efforts, this can leave an even greater hole than before, as we long to be truly understood, but cannot be. How can anyone ever completely understand our pain? Someone who has never experienced depression cannot understand what it feels like to be physically unable to get out of bed in the morning versus just feelings of sadness. Someone without disabilities such as autism cannot understand how difficult it is to participate in Mass when every little noise, cell phones, etc., can set off their auditory sensitivity making Church a place of anxiety. I cannot imagine the pain of losing a child. I can show love and sympathy, but I can’t completely understand or help with the desire to be understood in this pain. I can’t but Jesus can. This is why He whispers the words to us, “Me too.”
 
Jesus didn’t only come to this earth to redeem us, He also came to fulfill us. He came to raise us back to the height of dignity and holiness. He came to bring us closer to God and reunite us with the Trinity. Simply, He came to love us. He came to show us that we are never alone. He came not to avoid suffering, but to suffer with us. He gave us His Mother to also suffer with us. He gave us everything He had so that He could hold us close and whisper the words, “Me too,” truly filling that hole in our hearts to remind us that we are never alone.
 
Jesus experienced loss, humiliation, betrayal, and physical pain. Jesus was doubted and cast out by His family. Jesus was different from those around Him in everyway possible. Jesus was let down by His friends and those He loved most. Jesus experienced the death of His earthly father St. Joseph. Jesus watched those He loved suffer as He watched His Mother at the foot of the cross. Jesus worked and labored, He watched those He loved most walk away from Him and abandon His teaching. He wasn’t understood. Jesus experienced anxiety (without sin) when He sweated blood in the agony in the garden. Jesus gave everything for us. He didn’t fight this suffering. He endured it for our sake. He was willing to become everything that we needed. He came to fill that hole in our hearts we try to avoid. He came so that we would believe Him when He says, “Me too. I understand you. I know you. I love you just as you are.”
 
As fallen humanity, we often feel empty and alone. We experience loneliness and a desire to be understood while knowing we can never be completely understood in this life. We sometimes feel alone, but thanks to Jesus’ suffering, we aren’t. This is why the words “Me Too” are so powerful. They are powerful by what they represent, the love of God for us. We are not alone. We have a God who loves us. And only He can fill that need for love within our souls. When you feel alone, unloved, and misunderstood, go to Jesus. Go to His Mother, Mary. Go to God, because it is only in His love that you can also whisper back to Jesus, “Me too. I feel your pain. I know you. I accept your cross. I love you. Me too.” ~ Trisha Trout