How do you suffer well utilizing Catholic faith alone?

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How do you suffer well? And not just once, but over many years, utilizing ones Catholic faith alone?

Anyone here in unbearable pain and how do you handle it well?

God bless you!
 
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When I am suffering, I thank God. I thank Him for making me more Christ-like. I believe that God allows me to suffer in order to help me be more Christ-like. I thank Him for helping me understand what He went through for me. The devil will try to tell me that God doesn’t care about me, but I know that all of my suffering has a purpose. When I thank God for my suffering, the devil runs away from me like an Olympic sprinter.
 
“You felt unbearable anguish for me during Your crucifixion.
Thank You for experiencing pain for my redemption.
I’m giving this suffering to You to do whatever You like.
Teach me to suffer like You.”

(Off topic, please consult with your doctor)
 
What do you do when your suffering is offered up to the cross and to souls in purgatory, and it does not decrease, but rather continues, sucking the very life out of you?

How does one suffer well, over the long haul?
 
There’s only one way to suffer and that’s one day at a time.

The past is gone and the future is entirely imaginary (as in, an image or idea that only exists in your mind, because it isn’t actually happening.)

So, you have this day and this day only.
 
Oh, and please don’t think I’m minimizing your suffering at all or else holding up myself as a model to follow in suffering.

I’ve learned what I’ve learned through experience and I still collapse under suffering.

And God isn’t “mad” at you when you collapse.

But I’ve learned that leaning into the Cross is a lot less draining than struggling.
 
If you have not, give a read to Arise from Darkness by Fr. Benedict Groeschel† and Making Sense out of Suffering by Prof. Peter Kreeft.



Other than that, pray for the grace to bear your suffering, know the eternal value of temporal suffering and find an intention for your suffering.

Suffering is to bond with Christ. What better condition is there?
 
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@po18guy dear kind friend, if you are up to this, I would like it if you could expound on what it means to have “eternal value of temporal suffering?” I don’t understand what I can earn in this life, that can be applied to eternity. I’m serious.

Also, what does it mean to find an intention for ones suffering? Can you give an example?

Ps-thanks for the book ideas!
 
At least Jesus got to have the sweet release of death, as His body gave out under the duress of His severe wounds. What do you say to enless hours, days and years of extreme duress with no relief?
 
Not for us, but for others. Those who are sick, suffering, dying, in need of conversion, addicted (Holy Father’s intention). Things like that.

Personally, I do not ask for healing or relief. I know when that is coming. I ask only for the grace to bear my suffering with patience and charity.

Archbishop Sheen spoke on suffering. Any of these videos should help.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=sheen+suffering
 
If one is being burned alive, how would one suffer well with the pain?
 
what is the eternal value of temporal suffering?

does one get more “heaven” than others?

or is this about reducing ones time in purgatory?
 
is ones time in purgatory reduced by living an agonizing life?

what is suffering well? never complaining? Is that only an ideal?
 
Golly Mary15, my saint of the year (one of them) is St. Theodoret. Please read about him.
Here is an excerpt…

“Julian ordered that he should be tormented on the rack, and, when the blood was streaming abundantly from his wounds, said to him: “I perceive you do not sufficiently feel your torments.” The martyr replied: “I do not feel them, because God is with me.” Julian caused lighted matches to be applied to his sides. The saint, whilst his flesh was burning, and the fat was melting in drops, lifted up his eyes to heaven and prayed that God would glorify his name throughout all ages. At these words, the executioners fell on their faces to the ground. The count himself was at first affrighted; but, recovering himself, he bid them again draw near the martyr with their torches. They excused themselves, saying they saw four angels clothed in white with Theodoret. Julian in a rage ordered them to be thrown into the water, and drowned. Theodoret said to them: “Go before, my brethren: I will follow by vanquishing the enemy.” The count asked him who that enemy was? “The devil,” said the martyr, “for whom you fight. Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world, is he who giveth victory.” He then explained how God sent his Word into the world to clothe himself with human flesh in the womb of a virgin, and that this God made man, suffered freely, and by his sufferings, merited for us salvation. The count, in the impotence of his rage, threatened to put him instantly to death. Theodoret declared that was his desire, and said: “You, Julian, shall die in your bed under the sharpest torments; and your master, who hopes to vanquish the Persians, shall be himself vanquished: an unknown hand shall bereave him of life: he shall return no more to the territories of the Romans.” The count dictated a sentence by which he condemned the martyr to be beheaded; which he underwent with joy, in the year 362. This saint is by some called Theodore; at Uzez, in Languedoc, and at Apt, in Provence (of both which places he is titular saint and principal patron), Theodoric; but his true name is Theodoret.”

This is part of his history…
 
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My faith is never alone, I have Jesus and well over a billion other Catholics…
 
mary15 said:
what is the eternal value of temporal suffering?
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I think the beatitudes address this.
mary15 said:
does one get more “heaven” than others?
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Maybe. Plain old heaven sounds pretty good though.
mary15 said:
is this about reducing ones time in purgatory?
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I think for someone who joins their sufferings with Christ’s suffering the answer is yes.

I don’t think that joining our sufferings with Christ needs to be difficult or complicated. It just needs to be intended.
 
Seriously how does a regular human being suffer well? I just wanted to get some ideas…looking to saints is not what Im looking for. Just us regular folks.

Being burned alive is akin to being in agony, and a wish for death to get some relief.

How can one suffer well enduring this pain for many years?

Offering it up of course, but the day to day?
 
I thought that “to suffer well” just meant to suffer without lashing out, or being mean to people. Because it can be hard to be nice and somewhat peaceful if we are hurting.
 
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