O Suffering...What a Gift!

"Even though Our Lord cries out again and again: Blessed are the poor in spirit, the peacemakers, the meek, they who hunger and thirst for justice. [Matt. 5:3-6], the world cannot embrace this wisdom. It cries out: "Oh! How blessed are the wealthy, the oppressors, those who take vengeance on their enemies, and those who one dares not offend." See how the perfection of the Cross is folly in the eyes of the world precisely because it embraces what is abhorrent to human nature."

 - St. Frances De Sales, Palm Sunday -- Humility and Obedience

Suffering is a common topic on my blog but I don't think I can talk about it enough. We have such a gift! We, as Catholics, are able to take the otherwise oppressive weight of suffering, offer it up to God, and have it returned to us as a gift of purification and strength; patience, obedience and humility. Christ's Passion has turned suffering into a tool and death in to a passage way, a door, a gate.

The secular world misses this completely. Value is equated to pleasure: A life of suffering is seen as a life not worth living. This has led to many evils in our society: assisted suicide, infanticide, euthanasia, and the belief that those with severe handicaps and/or medical problems should be left to die thus "relieving" the family (or other caretakers) of financial, physical and emotional strain and the individual of the life that others have decided for them isn't worth living. How twisted our society is...

My first reaction is to feel anger -- even hatred -- towards some of the lead advocates of such movements but this is would be giving into their thinking regarding the value human life. 

God created each and every person with love and purpose, Mother Mary prays for them and loves them as much as any other of her adopted children. As St. Francis de Sales explains, every created being has perfection because it is made in God's image and imperfection because it is made from nothing. Therefore, "Every man has some imperfection, no matter how holy he may be -- and some perfection, no matter how wicked."

So, to sum up this post in two points: 1.) Take joy in suffering and 2.) There is good even in the wickedest of men. 
[ o, and 3.) St. Francis de Sales is freaking awesome! ]

God bless, keep up the fight & have a wonderful day.