Is suffering good or bad?

[toasted_bagel]

Am I looking at suffering the wrong way?

I see it as God giving us a cross, a physical pain, but then also giving us spiritual/mental joy through the Holy Spirit giving us patience to endure the pain.
I also see it with respect to the opposite; if God gave us a physical pleasure, like a super-fun video game, but did NOT give us spiritual/mental happiness while playing the game, then the game would just be boring.
Thus, I see it as “mind (or spirit) over matter” in the sense that the physical situation is essentially unrelated to our state of spiritual/mental happiness, which God controls.

So, am I seeing this the wrong way?

 

[CompSciGuy]

Here is the thing. There are some people who seem to suggest that suffering in and of itself is intrinsically good and virtuous. This is simply false. Suffering is bad, it is the result of our fallen nature. However, suffering in faith, i.e. gracious suffering that comes to us in life that we cannot avoid, such as illness, death of a loved one, etc., can be redeemed, and can make us holy. Also, when we suffer for doing the right thing, or suffer for the sake of another, that is also very holy and very virtuous and, as Jesus said, great is your reward in heaven.

That being said I would say suffering ought to be avoided if possible. If not possible, then offer it up.

 

[LovePatience]

Am I looking at suffering the wrong way?

I see it as God giving us a cross, a physical pain, but then also giving us spiritual/mental joy through the Holy Spirit giving us patience to endure the pain.
I also see it with respect to the opposite; if God gave us a physical pleasure, like a super-fun video game, but did NOT give us spiritual/mental happiness while playing the game, then the game would just be boring.
Thus, I see it as “mind (or spirit) over matter” in the sense that the physical situation is essentially unrelated to our state of spiritual/mental happiness, which God controls.

So, am I seeing this the wrong way?

No, the mental and spiritual must be distinguished.

Some sufferings are mental. If you see St. Damien Molokai, “An ever-deepening mental distress accompanied Damien’s physical dissolution. A severe depression, as well as religious scruples, now plagued the leper priest. Damien felt he was unworthy of heaven. The rejection by his religious superiors left him in near disarray. Once he claimed: “From the rest of the world I received gold and frankincense, but from my own superiors myrrh” (a bitter herb). His superiors complained about Father Conrardy’s presence on Molokai. Conrardy was not a religious of the Sacred Hearts, and they felt that Damien had encouraged his presence there as a reproach to their ineffectual efforts to provide him with a companion. Soon after Damien’s death, the Sacred Hearts superiors maneuvered Father Conrardy out of the colony.” So he had mental sufferings despite being a saint.

In addition, Fr. Amorth (Chief Exorcist of Rome) was able to relieve some mental sufferings through spiritual means.

ewtn.com/library/MARY/DAMIEN.HTM