The saints on suffering 4

When IF and my other crosses are feeling extra heavy, I find encouragement reading words from the saints, especially when they speak about suffering.

For previous posts in this series, go here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

"To love God’s will in consolations is a good love when it is truly God’s will we love and not the consolation wherein it lies. Still, it is a love without opposition, repugnance, or effort. Who would not love so worthy a will in so agreeable a form? To love God’s will in His commandments, counsels, and inspirations is the second degree of love and it is much more perfect. It carries us forward to renounce and give up our own will, and enables us to abstain from and forbear many pleasures, but not all of them. To love suffering and affliction out of love for God is the summit of most holy charity. In it nothing is pleasant but the divine will alone; there is great opposition on the part of our nature; and not only do we forsake all pleasures, but we embrace torments and labors." ~St. Francis de Sales

"I am suffering, and suffering very much, but thanks to our good Jesus I still feel a little strength, and when aided by Jesus what is the creature not capable of doing?" ~St. Padre Pio

"You should humble yourself before God instead of becoming dejected when He sends you His Son's sufferings and makes you aware of your weakness." ~St. Padre Pio

"As regards the spiritual trials to which the paternal goodness of the heavenly Father is subjecting you, I beg you to be resigned and if possible tranquil on the assurances of he who takes the place of God, and who speaks to you in his name; who loves you in Him and who desires every blessing for you. You are suffering, it is true, but with resignation, because God is with you and you don't offend Him, but you love Him. You are suffering but believe, also, that Jesus is suffering within you, with you, and for you." ~St. Padre Pio

"The greatest grace God can give someone is to send him a trial he cannot bear with his own powers—and then sustain him with His grace so he may endure to the end and be saved."
~St. Justin Martyr

"Let us go my soul, go and speak with the good Lord, to work with Him, to walk with Him, to fight and to suffer with him. You will work, but He will bless your work; you will walk, but He will bless your steps; you will suffer, but He will bless your tears. How great, how noble, how consoling it is to do everything in the company and under the gaze of the good Lord, and to think that he sees everything, counts everything!" ~St. John Vianney

"If you suffer with him, you will reign with him. If you weep with him, you shall rejoice with him; If you die with him on the cross of tribulation, you shall possess heavenly mansions in the splendor of the saints and, in the Book of Life, your name shall be called glorious among men." ~St. Clare

(about the apostles in a boat all night during a storm - Matthew 14:22-33) "Jesus suffers them to be tossed the whole night so as to inspire them with greater desire for him. This the Lord ever does: when he is to rescue from any evil, he brings in things terrible and difficult. When divine aid is near, the Lord permits us to be afflicted all the more, so that then we may receive his help with more devotion and thanksgiving." ~St. John Chrysostom

"Nothing unites us so closely to the Sacred Heart of our Lord Jesus Christ as the cross which is the most precious pledge of His love." ~St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

"Abandon yourself blindly into the hands of this Heavenly Father Who loves you better and more than you love yourself. . . He will take care of you despite every difficulty." ~Bl. Columba Marmion

"In times of desolation, God conceals Himself from us so that we can discover for ourselves what we are without Him."
~St. Margaret of Cortona

"I would, then, that I could convince spiritual persons that this road to God consists not in a multiplicity of meditations nor in ways or methods of such, nor in consolations, although these things may in their own way be necessary to beginners; but that it consists only in the one thing that is needful, which is the ability to deny oneself truly, according to that which is without and to that which is within, giving oneself up to suffering for Christ’s sake. . . For progress comes not save through the imitation of Christ, Who is the Way, the Truth and the Life, and no man comes to the Father but by Him." ~St. John of the Cross

"You must believe in truth that whatever God gives or permits is for your salvation." ~St. Catherine of Siena

"You will save more souls through prayer and suffering than will a missionary through his teachings and sermons alone." ~Jesus to St. Faustina

"If the angels were capable of envy, they would envy us for two things: one is the receiving of Holy Communion, and the other is suffering." ~Jesus to St. Faustina

“You will be consoled according to the greatness of your sorrow and affliction; the greater the suffering, the greater will be the reward." ~St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi

"I always want to see you behaving like a brave soldier who does not complain about his own suffering but takes his comrades' wounds seriously and treats his own as nothing but scratches." ~St. Therese of Lisieux

“If God gives you an abundant harvest of trials, it is a sign of great holiness which He desires you to attain. Do you want to become a great saint? Ask God to send you many sufferings. The flame of Divine Love never rises higher than when fed with the wood of the Cross, which the infinite charity of the Savior used to finish His sacrifice. All the pleasures of the world are nothing compared with the sweetness found in the gall and vinegar offered to Jesus Christ. That is, hard and painful things endured for Jesus Christ and with Jesus Christ." ~St. Ignatius of Loyola

These last two were written by a priest suffering from terminal cancer:

"Our faith is based on a real, personal encounter with Jesus Christ. How does this happen? For those who believe, this encounter can happen anytime or all of the time. In a particular manner, though, and I would say privileged manner, it happens through suffering. Suffering opens doors that are not open otherwise. My experience of suffering these past weeks has forced me to cry out to God, to cry out to other people for help... The spirit of self-sufficiency and independence must die to give way to the spirit of openness and dependence on others. Along with this comes a brutal fact: I am powerless. I am powerless before the limitations of my humanity and I am powerless before the forces of evil. We know these things on a certain conscious level, but nothing confronts us with these truths like suffering. And here in this place of vulnerability, is where Jesus is most present." ~Fr. Will

"Those who suffer attract the attention of our Lord's Heart in a special way. He desires to come close to those who suffer, because he is mercy. He wants to help us and comfort us and heal us. He is able to come close to those who suffer because the suffering have broken hearts desperate for healing. The desire for mercy makes us capable of receiving it. Those who suffer know of this desire, a desperation for help. While painful to be in that place, it appears the only way possible for us fallen human beings: 'unless you take up your cross you cannot be my disciple.'" ~Fr. Will

Songs for rough days

Because I wanted them all in one place, I compiled a bunch of songs that can give a little comfort, encouragement, or perspective on the hard days, especially CD1 or any other day you're feeling down.

"By Your Side" by Tenth Avenue North
"Why are you looking for love? Why are you still searching as if I'm not enough?"


"Worn" by Tenth Avenue North
"Life just won’t let up and I know that you can give me rest, so I cry out with all that I have left."


"Hold My Heart" by Tenth Avenue North
"Could the Maker of the stars hear the sound of my breaking heart?"


"You Were on the Cross" by Matt Maher
"And where were You when all that I've hoped for, where You when all that
I've dreamed came crashing down in shambles around me? You were on the cross."


"Blessings" by Laura Story
"What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise?"


"Even If" by Kutless
"You are God and we will bless You even if the healing doesn’t come."


"What Faith Can Do" by Kutless
"I've seen dreams that move the mountains, hope that doesn't ever end
even when the sky is falling."


"While I'm Waiting" by John Waller
"I'm waiting on You, Lord though it is painful, but patiently, I will wait."


"If You Want Me To" by Ginny Owens
"I'll remember the suffering Your love put You through
and I will go through the darkness if You want me to."


"Praise You in This Storm" by Casting Crowns
"And every tear I've cried, You hold in Your hand. You never left my side."


"Already There" by Casting Crowns
"From where I'm standing, Lord it's so hard for me to see where this is going
and where You're leading me."


"No One Else Knows" by Building 429
"When all I am is crying out, I hold it in and fake a smile, still I'm broken."


"Help Me Find It" by Sidewalk Prophets
"If there’s a road I should walk help me find it. If I need to be still give me peace for the moment."


"The Hurt and the Healer" by Mercy Me
"Pain so deep that I can hardly move; just keep my eyes completely fixed on You"


"Lay It Down" by Jaci Velasquez
"I know that you know that my heart is aching. I'm running out of tears and my will is breaking.
I don't think that I can carry the burden of it anymore."


"No Matter What" by Kerrie Roberts
"I know that You can find a way to keep me from the pain but if not,
if not, I'll trust You, no matter what."


"Before the Morning" by Josh Wilson
"...'cause the pain you've been feeling can't compare to the joy that's coming"


"All I Can Say" by David Crowder Band
"I didn't know that that was You holding me. I didn't notice You were crying too."


"Need You Now" by Plumb
"How many times have you heard me cry out 'God please take this'?
How many times have you given me strength to just keep breathing?"


"Bring the Rain" by Mercy Me
"I am Yours regardless of the dark clouds that may loom above
because You are much greater than my pain."


"Carry Me" by Audrey Assad
"So, I choose to believe as I carry this cross, You'll carry me."


"Your Hands" by JJ Heller
"When my heart is breaking, I never leave Your hands."


"I Lift My Hands" by Chris Tomlin
"As I pour out my heart, these things I remember. You are faithful, God, forever."


"Tunnel" by Third Day
"You've got your disappointments and sorrows. You ought to share the weight of that load with me."


"Cry Out to Jesus" by Third Day
"When you're lonely and it feels like the whole world is falling on you,
you just reach out, you just cry out to Jesus."


"Never Alone" by Barlow Girl
"I cried out with no reply, and I can't feel You by my side. So I'll hold tight to what I know: 
You're here and I'm never alone."


"Blessed Be Your Name" by Tree63
"Blessed be Your name on the road marked with suffering.  Though there's pain in the offering, 
blessed be Your name."


"For the Moments I Feel Faint" by Relient K
"Never underestimate my Jesus. When the world around you crumbles, He will be strong."


"Safe" by Phil Wickham
"When everything is falling apart, you will be safe in His arms."


"Strong Enough" by Matthew West
"'Cause I'm broken down to nothing but I'm still holding on to the one thing.
You are God and you are strong when I am weak."


"Where I Belong" by Building 429
"So when the walls come falling down on me and when I'm lost in the current of a raging sea, 
I have this blessed assurance holding me."

The saints on suffering 3

For more quotes, parts one and two are here and here.

"One must not think that a person who is suffering is not praying. He is offering up his sufferings to God, and many a time he is praying much more truly than one who goes away by himself and meditates his head off, and, if he has squeezed out a few tears, thinks that is prayer."  ~St. Teresa of Avila

"He who goes to meet the cross, goes in the opposite direction to crosses; he meets them, perhaps, but he is pleased to meet them; he loves them; he carries them courageously. They unite him to Our Lord; they purify him; they detach him from this world; they remove all obstacles from his heart; they help him to pass through life, as a bridge helps us to pass over water..."  ~St. John Vianney

"Whether, therefore, we receive what we ask for, or do not receive it, let us still continue steadfast in prayer. For to fail in obtaining the desires of our heart, when God so wills it, is not worse than to receive it; for we know not as He does, what is profitable to us."  ~St. John Chrysostom

"If you seek patience, you will find no better example than the cross. Great patience occurs in two ways: either when one patiently suffers much, or when one suffers things which one is able to avoid and yet does not avoid. Christ endured much on the cross, and did so patiently, because when he suffered he did not threaten; he was led like a sheep to the slaughter and he did not open his mouth." ~St. Thomas Aquinas

"Thank the good God for having visited you through suffering; if we knew the value of suffering, we would have asked for it." ~St. Brother Andre

"Do not give into fear in the face of the changes and chances of this life. Rather, as they arise, look at them with full trust in God, to whom you belong, who will enable you - through His powerful love - to profit from them. He has guided you thus far in life; so hold fast to His dear hand, and He will lead you safely through every trial. Whenever you cannot stand, he will carry you in his loving arms. Do not be anxious about what may happen tomorrow. The same Eternal Father who takes care of you today will take care of you tomorrow, and every day of your life. He will either shield you from suffering, or give you unfailing strength to bear it. Be at peace then, and put aside all useless thoughts, all vain dreads and all anxious imaginations." ~St. Francis de Sales

"If at times it seems that the Lord is not listening to us, we must be careful not to lose heart. It may be that He wants us to shout a little louder into the ears of His goodness, to prove as a result the greatness of His mercy... When the Lord withdraws His consolations in prayer, He does not do this to discourage us or create a gulf between us, but to force us to come closer to His goodness, to practice perseverance and to give some proof of our patience." ~St. Francis de Sales

"The most beautiful Credo is that which comes from your lips in darkness, in sacrifice, in pain, in the supreme effort of an unbending will for good. It is this which, like a stroke of lightning, penetrates the darkness of the soul; it is this which in the flash of the tempest lifts you and leads you to God." ~St. Padre Pio

“Those who love God do not protest, whatever He may ask of them, nor doubt His kindness when He sends them difficult hours. A sick person takes medicine without asking the physician to justify its bitter taste because the patient trusts the doctor’s knowledge; so the soul that has sufficient faith accepts all the events of life as gifts of God in the serene assurance that God knows best.” ~Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

"Therefore, I will trust Him, whatever I am, I can never be thrown away. If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve Him, in perplexity, my perplexity may serve Him. If I am in sorrow, my sorrow may serve Him. He does nothing in vain. He knows what He is about. He may take away my friends. He may throw me among strangers. He may make me feel desolate, make my spirits sink, hide my future from me. Still, He knows what He is about." ~Blessed John Henry Newman

"The cross will never oppress you; its weight might cause you to stagger, but its strength will sustain you."  ~St. Padre Pio

"Don't fear adversity because it brings you to the foot of the cross and the cross puts you at the gates of Heaven, where you can find the one who is the champion of death, and He will introduce you to eternity."  ~St. Padre Pio

"The Lord sometimes makes you feel the weight of the cross. Although the weight seems intolerable, you are able to carry it, because the Lord, in His love and mercy extends a Hand to you and gives you strength." ~St. Padre Pio

"In darkness, at times of tribulation and distress of the spirit, Jesus is with you. In such a state you see nothing but darkness, but I can assure you on God's behalf that the light of the Lord is all around you and pervades your spirit. . .You see yourself forsaken and I assure you that Jesus is holding you tighter than ever to His divine Heart." ~St. Padre Pio

“God values your readiness to face suffering and deprivation for love of him more than all the consolations, spiritual visions, and meditations which you may have.” ~St. John of the Cross.

"If you fall into some sin, humble yourself at once and rise again with a more fervent act of love. When something you do not want happens to you, offer it to God immediately by an act of conformity with His holy Will, and acquire the habit of always repeating in all adverse situations the words: 'Such is God's Will and such also is mine.' Acts of resignation are acts of love most dear and pleasing to the Heart of God." ~St. Alphonsus Liguori

"Many people would like to attain union with God but they cannot bear the contradictions he sends them. They hate the sickness which strikes them, or the poverty they suffer, or the insults they receive. Since they cannot be resigned, they never succeed in reaching total union with God." ~St. Alphonsus Liguori

“Holy Communion is the shortest way to Heaven. There are others, innocence for instance, but that is for little children; penance, but we are afraid of it; generous endurance of the trials of life, but when they approach us, we weep and pray to be delivered. Once for all, beloved children, the surest, easiest, shortest way is by the Holy Eucharist.” ~Pope St. Pius X

And some words from a non-saint...

"My child, God will not allow you to be tempted, tested, or tormented beyond your strength. His help will always be equal to the trial He sends. Give heed to His grace, for it already speaks to you, and respond to His inspirations. If God has more crosses in store for someone, He gives greater graces that the person may bear them. Crosses are the most precious gifts God can give His creature; and the creature's acceptance of them is the most pleasing sacrifice it can offer its Creator. If the crosses He intends for you are heavy, that means He has great plans for your sanctification. Do you want to prevent those divine plans being fulfilled?"  ~Alexander de Rouville (The Imitation of Mary)

The saints on suffering 2

Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.  ~Luke 14:27

Those words were a challenge to hear this morning during the Gospel.  Even though I've been IF for years, I still sometimes wonder what "carrying this cross" really looks like.  I thought a little wisdom from the saints might shed some light on things.  I compiled quotes from the saints that I found to be helpful and encouraging.  I found some nice images too.  The previous list of quotes I gathered is here.

"The more we are afflicted in this world, the greater is our assurance in the next; the more sorrow in the present, the greater will be our joy in the future."  ~St. Isadore of Seville

"We ought to be persuaded that what God refuses to our prayer, He grants to our salvation."
~St. Augustine

"Let us understand that God is a physician, and that suffering is a medicine for salvation, not a punishment for damnation."  ~St. Augustine

"The everlasting God has in His wisdom foreseen from eternity the cross that He now presents to you as a gift from His inmost heart. This cross He now sends you He has considered with His all-knowing eyes, understood with His divine mind, tested with His wise justice, warmed with loving arms and weighed with His own hands to see that it be not one inch too large and not one ounce too heavy for you. He has blessed it with His holy Name, anointed it with His consolation, taken one last glance at you and your courage, and then sent it to you from heaven, a special greeting from God to you, an alms of the all-merciful love of God."  ~St. Francis de Sales

"Through the cross we are united to Him who was nailed to it, our heavenly spouse. Every instant of our lives must be accepted as favor, with all that it brings of happiness and suffering. But we must accept the cross with more gratitude than anything else. Our crosses detach us from earth and therefore draw us closer to God."  ~Bl. Charles de Foucauld

"If you really want to love Jesus, first learn to suffer, because suffering teaches you to love."
~St. Gemma Galgani

"Let us fix our eyes on the crucifix in every difficult moment, and that gaze will renew our courage."
~St. Madeleine Sophie Barat

"Melancholy is the poison of devotion. When one is in tribulation, it is necessary to be more happy and more joyful because one is nearer to God."
~St. Clare of Assisi

"Love that cannot suffer is not worthy of that name."  ~St. Clare of Assisi

  

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"In a time of desolation, never forsake the good resolutions you made in better times. Strive to remain patient—a virtue contrary to the troubles that harass you—and remember that you will be consoled." ~St. Ignatius of Loyola

"It is by means of trials that God binds to Him the souls he loves."  ~St. Padre Pio

"In this life Jesus does not ask you to carry the heavy cross with Him, but a small piece of His cross, a piece that consists of human suffering."  ~St. Padre Pio

"The life of a Christian is nothing but a perpetual struggle against self; there is no flowering of the soul to the beauty of its perfection except at the price of pain." ~St. Padre Pio

"Would that mortal men might know how wonderful is divine grace, how beautiful, how precious; what riches are hidden therein, what treasures, what joys, what delights. If they but knew, surely they would direct their energy with all care and diligence to procuring sufferings and afflictions for themselves. Instead of good fortune all men everywhere would seek out troubles, illness and suffering that they might obtain the inestimable treasure of grace. This is the final profit to be gained from patient endurance. No one would complain about the cross or about hardships coming seemingly by chance upon him, if he realized in what balance they are weighed before being distributed to men." ~St. Rose of Lima

"Without the burden of afflictions it is impossible to reach the height of grace. The gift of grace increases as the struggle increases."  ~St. Rose of Lima

"Apart from the cross, there is no other ladder by which we can get to heaven."  ~St. Rose of Lima

"Tribulation is a gift from God; one that He especially gives His special friends."  ~St. Thomas More

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"He did not say you would not be troubled, you would not be tempted, you would not be distressed, but He did say you would not be overcome."  ~St. Jose Maria Escriva

 

"Pain and suffering have come into your life, but remember pain, sorrow, suffering are but the kiss of Jesus—a sign that you have come so close to Him that He can kiss you."  ~Bl. Mother Teresa

"Suffering is a gift, though like all gifts, it depends on how we receive it. That is why we need a pure heart, to see the hand of God, to feel the hand of God, to recognize the gift of God in our suffering." ~Bl. Mother Teresa

"Ah, how consoling for a Christian is the blessed thought that God sees him, that God witnesses his sorrow and his troubles, that God is by his side! Ah, what is still better, that God presses him tenderly to His heart!"  ~St. John Vianney

"If accepted with love, suffering can be a privileged path to sanctity."  ~St. John Paul II

And here are two from not (yet?) saints but wise words I wanted to include...

"Sometimes my worst day—one filled with pain and suffering—in the eyes of God, is my best day if I've born it cheerfully and I've born it with love."  ~Mother Angelica

"You who say in silence: 'Jesus, I trust in you' teach us that there is no faith more profound, no hope more alive and no love more ardent than the faith, hope and love of a person who in the midst of suffering places himself securely in God’s hands.”  ~Pope Benedict XVI in a visit with the sick on May 27, 2006