SUFFERING
How to Make the Greatest Evil in Our Lives Our Greatest Happiness
by Fr. Paul O'Sullivan, O.P.
Suffering is the great problem of human life. We all have to suffer. Sometimes small sorrows, sometimes greater ones fall to our share. We shall now tell our readers how to avoid much of this suffering, how to lessen all suffering and how to derive great benefits from every suffering we may have to bear.
The reason why suffering appears so hard is that, first of all, we are not taught what suffering is. Secondly, we are not taught how to bear it. Thirdly, we are not taught the priceless value of suffering.
This is due to the incomprehensible neglect on the part of our teachers.
It is surprising how easily some people bear great sufferings; whereas, others get excited even at the smallest trouble.
The simple reason is that some have been taught all about suffering; others have not.
SUFFERING IS NOT THE EVIL WE THINK IT IS
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This reminds me of how gracefully St. Bernadette bore her sufferings and a prayer I wrote on a painful day:
ReplyDeleteDear Lord,
I thank you this day
for having been willing to suffer for me,
I thank you this day
for having sanctified suffering,
the gift I can offer back to You,
in grateful love.
You who know the sorrow and suffering
of carrying the worlds sins,
thank you for my sorrows,
that let me know how real
the sacrifice you made was.
Thank you for the pain
that lets me know how hard it was
to carry that cross,
to take the beating,
the curses,
the mockery.
Lord, let me never forget the reality of
what you went through
for the likes of me.
Lord, thank you for letting me
link my sufferings to you,
to have something to sacrifice up,
to have this that lets me remember
never to take you for granted,
and may it bring me ever closer to you.