Can you offer suffering if it is pre planned?

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Amac1

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The concept of offering up suffering is fairly new to me.
I have been wondering… can we offer up suffering if the suffering is something we do to ourselves, and know it’s going to happen before it happens.

I’ll give a few simple every day examples…
  • A period of abstinence or fasting offered up for Holy souls in advance.
  • When experiencing a difficult workout, eg a 5k race, marathon, or just trying to cycle up that difficult hill. During that difficulty, can we think “ok this is tough, but I will offer this up for priests…” (just an example).
  • For someone with a phobia of public speaking, having to give a talk at work and thinking “ok I will do this, and offer up the discomfort to pray for those affected by coronavirus”.
    Etc etc.
I find it hard to word my question but I hope you understand what I mean.
Are these examples acceptable ways of “offering suffering”, or is it only suffering that God sets on us, that we don’t plan ourselves, and we don’t foresee happening that counts?

Thanks.
 
You would want to research penance and mortification, I believe.

Whatever suffering you offer up, it’s best to try to be in a state of grace (Confession beforehand).
 
You can absolutely offer up what you listed.

I fast every day and it is planned. So whatever hunger and difficulty I feel, I offer it up.
 
In principal you can offer up anything during your day. My life is very plain, sometimes the only thing I can offer up is cleaning up something without complaining or cooking even if I don’t feel like doing it.
I usually don’t ‘plan’ it in advance, but there are tons of possible small mortifications to choose from in everyday life.
All what you listed can be certainly offered up.
 
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This is great - thank you. Yes I plan on researching mortification etc, but I love to hear people’s opinions on these things too.
If anyone has any good resources on where to look into these things it would be really appreciated.
 
Sure. Most of us who fast plan in advance to fast on a certain day and offer it up. Fasting is a form of doing a little suffering.
You can also offer unplanned hardships you encounter during your day.
Either one is fine.
 
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If you can, you may want to get a spiritual advisor.

They can oversee your mortifications.

If you can’t get a spiritual advisor, you can tell the priest you confess too about your planned mortifications.
 
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