Have you ever thought, "I want to be a Saint, but..."

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JamalChristophr

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…I don’t want to suffer?"

Probably a stupid question, but I was thinking / feeling this way today. I suppose I’m not alone in this on the forum??

It seems there are really a million kinds of sufferings and probably a wide spectrum of degrees in which persons suffer in this life according to God’s Will. Many are completely hidden and not comprehended by those around us. Others are more obvious. I suppose all of it is God’s will one way or another.
 
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I kinda like Patrick Coffin’s line…
“Be a saint. What else is there?”
 
LOL, yes.
But living brings suffering anyway.
And I am really really inspired by people who were brave in the face of pain.
I try to be less of a wimp.
 
I was an atheist when I was younger. I still suffered anyway.

I’d rather suffer with Jesus by my side than suffer without him.

Avoiding suffering is not an option in life sadly.
 
It’s normal to be scared of suffering. St. Teresa of Avila worried a lot about her health. For the era when she lived, she ended up having quite a long life.

I would suggest you read the part of “The Hiding Place” at the beginning when Corrie’s father explains to her how he gives her the ticket for a train trip right before they get on the train, and in the same way God gives you whatever you need to deal with a bad situation when you face it.

Also, not every saint suffered, and those who did, didn’t all suffer in the same way. Some had physical ills, some had family problems, some just had the devil popping up to harass them in the night. I also ponder how some saints were horribly martyred and others lived nice long lives up into old age, even reaching their 90s, and died reasonably comfortable deaths in their own beds or monastery cells. St. Timothy and Titus who share a feast day met very different ends. It’s all out of our hands whether we suffer or not. We need to trust God.

Personally, my feeling about suffering is about the same as the political prisoner who used to cry with relief when she heard the guard coming down the hall to torture her (his keys would jingle) because the stress and anxiety of wondering when he would next show up was worse for her than the actual torture. I have spent more time and energy dealing with my dread of it when it doesnt happen than actually coping with the bad situations when it does. It is necessary to rely on Jesus in both cases, as well as when everything is going all right. This past year has definitely taught me that Jesus and his mom, foster father and pals are my best friends and that I can’t do anything without him.
 
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Like the song says: ‘if you stand before the power of Hell, and death is at your side, know that I am with you through it all’. The saints had great faith and trust in God. it makes it bearable.
 
Wasn’t it St. Augustine who prayed, “Make me pure, Lord… but not yet.” 🙂
 
Is it not time to stop putting ‘suffering’ on a high pedestal as if it is a virtue and necessity.Is it compulsory that unless you undergo sufferings you won’t get salvation? Budha correctly said that desire is the cause of suffering.Try to avoid sufferings as far as possible by your actions and desires and live a happy and content life pleasing to God.
 
We are not to go looking for suffering. It will come to us whether we are becoming saints or not, so we might as well try to be saints.

And if/when we do suffer, we can offer it in reparation and for salvation. I can offer it for people contemplating murder, abortion or suicide, and am sure God can use what little I offer.
 
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