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

Stations of the Cross - IF style

This is a repost from last year. I wrote reflections on the Stations of the Cross. The text indented in italics is from a booklet used at our parish (author unknown).


Station 1: Jesus is condemned to death

Jesus, our brother, we stand in silence as you are condemned by Pilate. Standing in silence is not new to us. We have stood silent as you went hungry by our tables, as you were orphaned in our wars, as you walked powerless in our world. We always stand in silence for we, like Pilate, are bowed, broken and afraid. Break the chains of this silence which lies so heavily on our lives. Give us the courage to speak in your behalf.

Jesus was completely innocent, and yet He was sentenced to torture and a cruel death.  I am not innocent.  My sin is always before me, and while I know infertility is not a punishment for sin, it is a consequence of living in a fallen world, and it is my present reality.  In moments when I am tempted to think that I don't deserve to be infertile for whatever reason, help me, God, to remember that I am not innocent like Jesus was and give me the humility to accept my infertility.

~*~

Station 2: Jesus accepts his cross

Jesus, our brother, we watch you bear the cross and do not understand. Our hearts are hardened. Everyone tells us that suffering is evil and must be avoided at every cost. We flee sickness, sorrow and pain. Your carrying your cross says something different about suffering. Help us to follow you even when we do not understand.

There are many aspects of life that cause suffering for the infertile—BFNs, difficult or untreatable diagnoses, dashed dreams, lack of compassion from others, and watching others get pregnant easily.  My first instinct is to try to run from this cross.   But Jesus redeemed the world through the Cross, and He allows me to participate in that redemptive work through my sufferings.  St. Paul says, "...I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ..." (Colossians 1:24)  Jesus gave suffering value and power, so I will follow His example, take up my cross willingly, and offer my sufferings for the good of others.

~*~

Station 3: Jesus falls the first time

Jesus, our brother, you have fallen with your cross. We wonder if you have not fallen again today. Everywhere we see signs of weakness: in our church, in our nation, in our world. We see dissension, controversy, turmoil. We are scandalized. We do not understand. Our faith begins to falter. Help us to find you hidden in your weakness. Help us to find you beneath the cross.

By the time Jesus fell the first time, He had been deprived of sleep, food, and water; scourged; crowned with thorns; and physically abused.  With a heavy weight on His shoulders, it is not surprising that, after all that had been done to weaken His body, He fell.  There are many things in my life, both big and small, that weaken my resolve to carry the cross of infertility faithfully.  Reminders of what I don't have can be especially painful, like sitting next to family with a baby at Mass, passing by a pregnant woman in the grocery store, receiving an invitation to a baby shower, or seeing pictures of the children of friends married for less time than me.  God, help me to be grateful for all the blessings you have given me, and help me to get up after I feel crushed by the weight of infertility.

~*~

Station 4: Jesus meets His mother

Jesus our brother, we are moved by Mary’s love for you. We are amazed by Mary's love for us. It is hard to believe she has not lost confidence in us. But we know she has not. She saw beneath your grime and agony. She saw your hidden beauty. We trust she can do the same for us. We need to be understood these days. We so often feel alone.

My life isn't going according to my plan.  I would have had X (number of) kids by now if I had my way.  Mary's life did not go according to her plan.  Once she gave her fiat, she opened herself up entirely to God's will, but that did not mean she was spared from suffering.  The first two of her seven sorrows happened when Jesus was just a baby and continued throughout her life.  God, following Mary's example, help me to pray, "Not my will, but your will be done," and open my mind and heart to what You desire of me.

~*~

Station 5: Jesus is aided by Simon

Jesus, our brother, We have to admire Simon. He took up your cross and followed you. He had so little doubt, so little hesitation. We see you suffering in all around us, in the poor, in the powerless, in the misunderstood. We are so hesitant to come to your aid. We find so many excuses. We remain aloof. Grant us the wisdom and the courage to help the least of your brothers and so help you.

Infertility can be such a personal and private cross.  No two people facing infertility respond to it in the exact same way.  But crosses are not meant to be carried alone.  What I learn from carrying this cross may help me to better support a friend going through her own struggles.  God, let infertility teach me to have a more compassionate heart so that I might be Simon to others as they carry their own crosses and grant me the humility to accept help from others who offer to be Simon to me.

~*~

Station 6: Veronica wipes the face of Jesus

Jesus, our brother, you rewarded Veronica for her courage. You left your face upon her veil. You will reward us for our courage; you will leave the imprint of your face upon our lives. "By this will all know that you are my disciples: that you love one another." Help us forget our fears and reach out to serve our needy brothers and sisters.

One way to make the suffering from infertility more bearable is to make an extra effort to serve others. Veronica showed Jesus great kindness, and He rewarded her with an image of His face. When I reach out to others in service, the gift I receive is to see the face of Jesus in those in need. Jesus said, "...whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me." (Matthew 25:40)  God, give me the courage and motivation to serve others despite my pain.

~*~

Station 7: Jesus falls the second time

Jesus, our brother, you must have been discouraged by your second fall. We too, know discouragement. Our best efforts end in failure. Those we love do not seem to love us. Regardless of our efforts, life does not bring peace. What shall we do? We will imitate your example and try again, even in the face of futility.

How many times do I fall because of infertility? Doubt, despair, envy, pride...the list goes on. It's discouraging enough to fall once, but when it happens multiple times, it gets harder to want to get up again. Every new pregnancy announcement around me is a new chance to stumble. I should be able to handle each one gracefully by now—I've had plenty of opportunities to practice this—yet still I fall into envy. But if Jesus can get up again while still under the weight of the Cross, so will I try harder next time.

~*~

Station 8: Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem

"Weep not for me, but for you and for your children." ~Luke 23:28

Jesus, our brother, in the midst of your sufferings you had compassion for others and their pain. We are often so self-centered. We do not see the suffering of others. We want pity, kindness, and understanding. We are willing to give so little in return. Help us forget ourselves. Awaken us to the pain in the lives of others.

How often with infertility do I look inward and only see my own pain? It's so easy to slip into thinking that my suffering is worse than everyone else's around me; others can't possibly be hurting as much as I am. The challenge is to acknowledge the pain in someone else and respond in love, even when it's hard, like listening to a friend complain about how little sleep she's getting because she has a newborn. I thought I was doing well by biting my tongue—I would gladly get no sleep if it meant I had a baby, and I was itching to tell my friend that—but maybe imitating Christ would mean going a step further and showing her some understanding while forgetting my pain for a second.

~*~

Station 9: Jesus falls the third time

Jesus, our brother, your third fall is the beginning of your death agony. Our world is filled with dying people: in war, in famine, in hospitals, on highways. Many this day will die alone. May our prayers become comfort for the dying, especially those who must die alone.

How many times do I want to throw the cross of infertility away because it is just so hard?  How many times do I want to avoid suffering, when I should be trying to avoid sin? When life brings so much pain and sorrow, I have no where left to turn except the arms of Jesus.  The pain can help focus my gaze on the hope in what God has planned for me.  Despite my human weakness, I must remember that my joy comes not from what the world offers me, but from God.  I resolve to pick up my cross daily regardless of how many times I have stumbled in carrying it in the past.

~*~

Station 10: Jesus is stripped of His garments

Jesus, our brother, there is something fearful in thinking of you stripped before the crowd. Even the privacy of clothing is taken. You have given up everything for us. We give so little in return. May we have the grace to give, to give of what we have, to help our brothers and sisters suffering all around us.

I need to die to myself—to my wants and desires, to my selfishness and sin. Sometimes suffering is the main or only vehicle which allows that to happen. God knows all the suffering I endure related to infertility can refine me, but like gold that's tested in a fire, the process is not easy or quick or painless. St. Peter says, "...for a little while you may have to suffer through various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that is perishable even though tested by fire, may prove to be for praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 1:6-7) God sends me graces so that through this suffering my soul might turn into something beautiful, if only I would cooperate.

~*~

Station 11: Jesus is nailed to the cross

Jesus, our brother, the pain of those nails was unjust. Your hands which did such good, your feet which walked on errands of mercy, are now punished. You received little gratitude for the good you did. Why should we expect more for the good we do? Help us give and ask nothing in return.

To the outside world, DH and I are a childless couple.  We could be contracepting.  We could be more interested in careers or spending time as a married couple than having children.  We could be doing IVF.  The assumptions and judgements sting, especially from fellow Christians.  Sometimes I wish I could just wear a flashing neon sign that says, "I'm open to life, and I'm following the church's teaching on how life should be brought into the world."  But I don't need approval or a pat on the back from others for trying to live a moral life, even in ways that remain hidden from others' eyes.  Let God's opinion be the only one that matters to me.  Let me be obedient and do good for Him and Him alone.

~*~

Station 12: Jesus dies on the cross

Lord Jesus, you have the greatest love for us. What can we say in the face of it? We can only try to imitate you, by responding to the sisters and brothers you have given to us to love.

It is easy to feel alone when you're infertile.  I try to open up to friends or family about what I'm going through and they dismiss my pain, so I retreat inward and feel isolated.  But I am never alone.  Jesus gave His life for me, and He, more than anyone, knows what it's like to feel alone.  He knows my pain and my isolation.  He is with me always.  If I am close to Jesus on the cross, I will be with Him rejoicing when Easter comes.

~*~

Station 13: Jesus is taken down from the cross

Jesus, our brother, you are laid in the arms of your mother. The agony is over. But the resurrection is not yet. Your Father's plan requires patience. So it is with us. We reach moments when only patience can carry us on. We know that something better will come. But when? Help us share your patience and the patience of your mother.

We know the ending—Jesus triumphs. But that doesn't mean our life looks like Easter all the time. Much of infertility looks like Good Friday. We've been TTC for so long. How many cycles will it take to conceive? Will we conceive ever? How long will we have the cross of childlessness? Will it be life-long? Patience is so important in learning to accept this cross. I have to trust God that His plans for me are for my ultimate good, even if it doesn't look like what I had in mind.

~*~

Station 14: Jesus is laid in the tomb

Jesus, our brother, the end of life is so definite. We fear it deep within. We do not want to die. Help us understand that our lives are but a prelude to a new life, a life with your Father.

It is so easy to live for this world.  I have my preferences and dreams of what I'd like life here on earth to look like, but getting what I want (i.e., children) doesn't get me to heaven.  I have to keep my eyes fixed on the eternal and remember that God desires my pursuit of holiness and love above all else, whether life is going according to how I want it to or not.

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)

Stations of the Cross - IF style

Last year I wrote reflections on a few of the Stations of the Cross. Now I did all of them. The text in italics is from a booklet used at our parish (author unknown).

Station 1: Jesus is condemned to death

Jesus, our brother, we stand in silence as you are condemned by Pilate. Standing in silence is not new to us. We have stood silent as you went hungry by our tables, as you were orphaned in our wars, as you walked powerless in our world. We always stand in silence for we, like Pilate, are bowed, broken and afraid. Break the chains of this silence which lies so heavily on our lives. Give us the courage to speak in your behalf.

Jesus was completely innocent, and yet He was sentenced to torture and a cruel death.  I am not innocent.  My sin is always before me, and while I know infertility is not a punishment for sin, it is a consequence of living in a fallen world, and it is my present reality.  In moments when I am tempted to think that I don't deserve to be infertile for whatever reason, help me, God, to remember that I am not innocent like Jesus was and give me the humility to accept my infertility.

~*~

Station 2: Jesus accepts his cross

Jesus, our brother, we watch you bear the cross and do not understand. Our hearts are hardened. Everyone tells us that suffering is evil and must be avoided at every cost. We flee sickness, sorrow and pain. Your carrying your cross says something different about suffering. Help us to follow you even when we do not understand.

There are many aspects of life that cause suffering for the infertile—BFNs, difficult or untreatable diagnoses, dashed dreams, lack of compassion from others, and watching others get pregnant easily.  My first instinct is to try to run from this cross.   But Jesus redeemed the world through the Cross, and He allows me to participate in that redemptive work through my sufferings.  St. Paul says, "...I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ..." (Colossians 1:24)  Jesus gave suffering value and power, so I will follow His example, take up my cross willingly, and offer my sufferings for the good of others.

~*~

Station 3: Jesus falls the first time

Jesus, our brother, you have fallen with your cross. We wonder if you have not fallen again today. Everywhere we see signs of weakness: in our church, in our nation, in our world. We see dissension, controversy, turmoil. We are scandalized. We do not understand. Our faith begins to falter. Help us to find you hidden in your weakness. Help us to find you beneath the cross.

By the time Jesus fell the first time, He had been deprived of sleep, food, and water; scourged; crowned with thorns; and physically abused.  With a heavy weight on His shoulders, it is not surprising that, after all that had been done to weaken His body, He fell.  There are many things in my life, both big and small, that weaken my resolve to carry the cross of infertility faithfully.  Reminders of what I don't have can be especially painful, like sitting next to family with a baby at Mass, passing by a pregnant woman in the grocery store, receiving an invitation to a baby shower, or seeing pictures of the children of friends married for less time than me.  God, help me to be grateful for all the blessings you have given me, and help me to get up after I feel crushed by the weight of infertility.

~*~

Station 4: Jesus meets His mother

Jesus our brother, we are moved by Mary’s love for you. We are amazed by Mary's love for us. It is hard to believe she has not lost confidence in us. But we know she has not. She saw beneath your grime and agony. She saw your hidden beauty. We trust she can do the same for us. We need to be understood these days. We so often feel alone.

My life isn't going according to my plan.  I would have had X (number of) kids by now if I had my way.  Mary's life did not go according to her plan.  Once she gave her fiat, she opened herself up entirely to God's will, but that did not mean she was spared from suffering.  The first two of her seven sorrows happened when Jesus was just a baby and continued throughout her life.  God, following Mary's example, help me to pray, "Not my will, but your will be done," and open my mind and heart to what You desire of me.

~*~

Station 5: Jesus is aided by Simon

Jesus, our brother, We have to admire Simon. He took up your cross and followed you. He had so little doubt, so little hesitation. We see you suffering in all around us, in the poor, in the powerless, in the misunderstood. We are so hesitant to come to your aid. We find so many excuses. We remain aloof. Grant us the wisdom and the courage to help the least of your brothers and so help you.

Infertility can be such a personal and private cross.  No two people facing infertility respond to it in the exact same way.  But crosses are not meant to be carried alone.  What I learn from carrying this cross may help me to better support a friend going through her own struggles.  God, let infertility teach me to have a more compassionate heart so that I might be Simon to others as they carry their own crosses and grant me the humility to accept help from others who offer to be Simon to me.

~*~

Station 6: Veronica wipes the face of Jesus

Jesus, our brother, you rewarded Veronica for her courage. You left your face upon her veil. You will reward us for our courage; you will leave the imprint of your face upon our lives. "By this will all know that you are my disciples: that you love one another." Help us forget our fears and reach out to serve our needy brothers and sisters.

One way to make the suffering from infertility more bearable is to make an extra effort to serve others. Veronica showed Jesus great kindness, and He rewarded her with an image of His face. When I reach out to others in service, the gift I receive is to see the face of Jesus in those in need. Jesus said, "...whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me." (Matthew 25:40)  God, give me the courage and motivation to serve others despite my pain.

~*~

Station 7: Jesus falls the second time

Jesus, our brother, you must have been discouraged by your second fall. We too, know discouragement. Our best efforts end in failure. Those we love do not seem to love us. Regardless of our efforts, life does not bring peace. What shall we do? We will imitate your example and try again, even in the face of futility.

How many times do I fall because of infertility? Doubt, despair, envy, pride...the list goes on. It's discouraging enough to fall once, but when it happens multiple times, it gets harder to want to get up again. Every new pregnancy announcement around me is a new chance to stumble. I should be able to handle each one gracefully by now—I've had plenty of opportunities to practice this—yet still I fall into envy. But if Jesus can get up again while still under the weight of the Cross, so will I try harder next time.

~*~

Station 8: Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem

"Weep not for me, but for you and for your children." ~Luke 23:28

Jesus, our brother, in the midst of your sufferings you had compassion for others and their pain. We are often so self-centered. We do not see the suffering of others. We want pity, kindness, and understanding. We are willing to give so little in return. Help us forget ourselves. Awaken us to the pain in the lives of others.

How often with infertility do I look inward and only see my own pain? It's so easy to slip into thinking that my suffering is worse than everyone else's around me; others can't possibly be hurting as much as I am. The challenge is to acknowledge the pain in someone else and respond in love, even when it's hard, like listening to a friend complain about how little sleep she's getting because she has a newborn. I thought I was doing well by biting my tongue—I would gladly get no sleep if it meant I had a baby, and I was itching to tell my friend that—but maybe imitating Christ would mean going a step further and showing her some understanding while forgetting my pain for a second.

~*~

Station 9: Jesus falls the third time

Jesus, our brother, your third fall is the beginning of your death agony. Our world is filled with dying people: in war, in famine, in hospitals, on highways. Many this day will die alone. May our prayers become comfort for the dying, especially those who must die alone.

How many times do I want to throw the cross of infertility away because it is just so hard?  How many times do I want to avoid suffering, when I should be trying to avoid sin? When life brings so much pain and sorrow, I have no where left to turn except the arms of Jesus.  The pain can help focus my gaze on the hope in what God has planned for me.  Despite my human weakness, I must remember that my joy comes not from what the world offers me, but from God.  I resolve to pick up my cross daily regardless of how many times I have stumbled in carrying it in the past.

~*~

Station 10: Jesus is stripped of His garments

Jesus, our brother, there is something fearful in thinking of you stripped before the crowd. Even the privacy of clothing is taken. You have given up everything for us. We give so little in return. May we have the grace to give, to give of what we have, to help our brothers and sisters suffering all around us.

I need to die to myself—to my wants and desires, to my selfishness and sin. Sometimes suffering is the main or only vehicle which allows that to happen. God knows all the suffering I endure related to infertility can refine me, but like gold that's tested in a fire, the process is not easy or quick or painless. St. Peter says, "...for a little while you may have to suffer through various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that is perishable even though tested by fire, may prove to be for praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 1:6-7) God sends me graces so that through this suffering my soul might turn into something beautiful, if only I would cooperate.

~*~

Station 11: Jesus is nailed to the cross

Jesus, our brother, the pain of those nails was unjust. Your hands which did such good, your feet which walked on errands of mercy, are now punished. You received little gratitude for the good you did. Why should we expect more for the good we do? Help us give and ask nothing in return.

To the outside world, DH and I are a childless couple.  We could be contracepting.  We could be more interested in careers or spending time as a married couple than having children.  We could be doing IVF.  The assumptions and judgements sting, especially from fellow Christians.  Sometimes I wish I could just wear a flashing neon sign that says, "I'm open to life, and I'm following the church's teaching on how life should be brought into the world."  But I don't need approval or a pat on the back from others for trying to live a moral life, even in ways that remain hidden from others' eyes.  Let God's opinion be the only one that matters to me.  Let me be obedient and do good for Him and Him alone.

~*~

Station 12: Jesus dies on the cross

Lord Jesus, you have the greatest love for us. What can we say in the face of it? We can only try to imitate you, by responding to the sisters and brothers you have given to us to love.

It is easy to feel alone when you're infertile.  I try to open up to friends or family about what I'm going through and they dismiss my pain, so I retreat inward and feel isolated.  But I am never alone.  Jesus gave His life for me, and He, more than anyone, knows what it's like to feel alone.  He knows my pain and my isolation.  He is with me always.  If I am close to Jesus on the cross, I will be with Him rejoicing when Easter comes.

~*~

Station 13: Jesus is taken down from the cross

Jesus, our brother, you are laid in the arms of your mother. The agony is over. But the resurrection is not yet. Your Father's plan requires patience. So it is with us. We reach moments when only patience can carry us on. We know that something better will come. But when? Help us share your patience and the patience of your mother.

We know the ending—Jesus triumphs. But that doesn't mean our life looks like Easter all the time. Much of infertility looks like Good Friday. We've been TTC for so long. How many cycles will it take to conceive? Will we conceive ever? How long will we have the cross of childlessness? Will it be life-long? Patience is so important in learning to accept this cross. I have to trust God that His plans for me are for my ultimate good, even if it doesn't look like what I had in mind.

~*~

Station 14: Jesus is laid in the tomb

Jesus, our brother, the end of life is so definite. We fear it deep within. We do not want to die. Help us understand that our lives are but a prelude to a new life, a life with your Father.

It is so easy to live for this world.  I have my preferences and dreams of what I'd like life here on earth to look like, but getting what I want (i.e., children) doesn't get me to heaven.  I have to keep my eyes fixed on the eternal and remember that God desires my pursuit of holiness and love above all else, whether life is going according to how I want it to or not.

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