lighthouse99
New member
I found this written by Fr Paul O'Sullivan (I know nothing about when he lived or whatever, but i agree with what he says). The following is a somewhat truncated version
Suffering is the great problem of human life. We all have to suffer… We shall… tell our readers how to avoid much of this suffering, how to lessen… suffering… 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 [nor]… how to bear it... we are not taught the priceless value of suffering. That is due to the incomprehensible neglect on the part of our teachers [priests/pastors/parents…]
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
First of all… suffering is not simply an evil… [No] one suffered more than the Son of God Himself… Every suffering comes from God. It may appear to come to us by chance or accident or from someone else, but in reality, every suffering comes to us from God. Nothing happens to us without His wish or permission. Not even a hair falls from our heads without His consent.
Why does God allow us to suffer: Simply because He is asking us to take a little share in His Passion. What appears to come by chance or from someone else always comes because [of] God…
Every act in Our Lord’s life was a lesson for us. The greatest act in His life was His Passion. This, then, is the greatest lesson for us. It teaches us that we too must suffer.
God suffered all the dreadful pains of His Passion for each one of us. How can we refuse to suffer a little for love of Him?
SUFFERING IS THE GOLD IN OUR LIVES
… [If] we accept the sufferings He sends us and offer them in union with His sufferings, we receive the greatest rewards. Five minutes’ suffering borne for love of Jesus is of greater value to us than years and years of pleasure and joy… suffering borne patiently brings out all that is good in us.
If we bear these facts clearly in mind, it certainly becomes much easier to suffer.
GOD ALWAYS GIVES STRENGTH TO BEAR OUR SUFFERINGS
… [W]hen God gives us any suffering, He always gives us strength to bear it, if we only ask Him. Many, instead of asking for His help, get excited and revolt. It is this excitement and impatience that really make suffering hard to bear.
HOW TO BEAR SUFFERING
Even the greater sufferings that may fall to [us] from time to time become easy to bear if we accept them with serenity and patience. What really makes suffering difficult to bear is our own impatience, our revolt, our refusal to accept it. This irritation increases our sufferings a hundredfold and besides, robs us of all the merit we could have gained thereby.
We see some people pass through a tempest of suffering with the greatest calm and serenity; whereas, others get irritated at the slightest annoyance or disappointment. We can all learn this calm and patience. It is the secret of happiness.
An eminent physician, in a conference which he gave to distinguished scientists and fellow doctors, told them that he owed all his great success in life to the simple fact that he had corrected his habit of impatience and annoyance, which had been destroying all his energy and activity.
PENANCE
We must all do penance for our sins. If we do not, we shall have long years of suffering in the awful fires of Purgatory. This fire is… the same as the fire of Hell [just temporary rather than eternal].
Now, if we offer our sufferings—the very little ones as well as the greater ones—in union with the sufferings of Jesus Christ, we are doing the easiest and best penance we can perform. We may thus deliver ourselves entirely from Purgatory…
Let us remember clearly that:
Sufferings come from God for our benefit
When we are in the state of grace, we derive immense merit from every suffering borne patiently, even the little sufferings of our daily lives.
God will give us abundant strength to bear our sufferings if we only ask Him
If we bear our sufferings patiently, they lose their sting and bitterness
Above all, every suffering is a share I the Passion of Our Lord
… [We] cannot avoid all suffering… [but it is better to accept it than to revolt]
It is just as if we had a sore arm or leg and rubbed it violently; it would become irritated and painful; whereas, if we touch it gently, we soothe the irritation
…Almighty God could have saved us from all suffering, but He did not… because He knows in His infinite goodness that suffering is good for us.
We have a great… remedy… prayer…
A… doctor… says that “Prayer is the greatest power in the world… I… see that many of our patients whom we have failed to cure… have cured themselves by prayers… the prayers of ordinary Christians.”
Suffering is the great problem of human life. We all have to suffer… We shall… tell our readers how to avoid much of this suffering, how to lessen… suffering… 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 [nor]… how to bear it... we are not taught the priceless value of suffering. That is due to the incomprehensible neglect on the part of our teachers [priests/pastors/parents…]
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
First of all… suffering is not simply an evil… [No] one suffered more than the Son of God Himself… Every suffering comes from God. It may appear to come to us by chance or accident or from someone else, but in reality, every suffering comes to us from God. Nothing happens to us without His wish or permission. Not even a hair falls from our heads without His consent.
Why does God allow us to suffer: Simply because He is asking us to take a little share in His Passion. What appears to come by chance or from someone else always comes because [of] God…
Every act in Our Lord’s life was a lesson for us. The greatest act in His life was His Passion. This, then, is the greatest lesson for us. It teaches us that we too must suffer.
God suffered all the dreadful pains of His Passion for each one of us. How can we refuse to suffer a little for love of Him?
SUFFERING IS THE GOLD IN OUR LIVES
… [If] we accept the sufferings He sends us and offer them in union with His sufferings, we receive the greatest rewards. Five minutes’ suffering borne for love of Jesus is of greater value to us than years and years of pleasure and joy… suffering borne patiently brings out all that is good in us.
If we bear these facts clearly in mind, it certainly becomes much easier to suffer.
GOD ALWAYS GIVES STRENGTH TO BEAR OUR SUFFERINGS
… [W]hen God gives us any suffering, He always gives us strength to bear it, if we only ask Him. Many, instead of asking for His help, get excited and revolt. It is this excitement and impatience that really make suffering hard to bear.
HOW TO BEAR SUFFERING
Even the greater sufferings that may fall to [us] from time to time become easy to bear if we accept them with serenity and patience. What really makes suffering difficult to bear is our own impatience, our revolt, our refusal to accept it. This irritation increases our sufferings a hundredfold and besides, robs us of all the merit we could have gained thereby.
We see some people pass through a tempest of suffering with the greatest calm and serenity; whereas, others get irritated at the slightest annoyance or disappointment. We can all learn this calm and patience. It is the secret of happiness.
An eminent physician, in a conference which he gave to distinguished scientists and fellow doctors, told them that he owed all his great success in life to the simple fact that he had corrected his habit of impatience and annoyance, which had been destroying all his energy and activity.
PENANCE
We must all do penance for our sins. If we do not, we shall have long years of suffering in the awful fires of Purgatory. This fire is… the same as the fire of Hell [just temporary rather than eternal].
Now, if we offer our sufferings—the very little ones as well as the greater ones—in union with the sufferings of Jesus Christ, we are doing the easiest and best penance we can perform. We may thus deliver ourselves entirely from Purgatory…
Let us remember clearly that:
Sufferings come from God for our benefit
When we are in the state of grace, we derive immense merit from every suffering borne patiently, even the little sufferings of our daily lives.
God will give us abundant strength to bear our sufferings if we only ask Him
If we bear our sufferings patiently, they lose their sting and bitterness
Above all, every suffering is a share I the Passion of Our Lord
… [We] cannot avoid all suffering… [but it is better to accept it than to revolt]
It is just as if we had a sore arm or leg and rubbed it violently; it would become irritated and painful; whereas, if we touch it gently, we soothe the irritation
…Almighty God could have saved us from all suffering, but He did not… because He knows in His infinite goodness that suffering is good for us.
We have a great… remedy… prayer…
A… doctor… says that “Prayer is the greatest power in the world… I… see that many of our patients whom we have failed to cure… have cured themselves by prayers… the prayers of ordinary Christians.”
