Prayer for physical suffering

[Arturo_Ortiz]

So I was watching a video in youtube by Fulton Sheen which talks about the Blessed Virgin Mary.youtube.com/watch?v=kgQ_YQCZRFM
Towards the end of the video he talks about how his last prayer that he made when visiting Lourdes was that he prayed to the Blessed Virgin Mary and told her to send him some trial and suffering in order to save a soul. He said that this is a very dangerous prayer for all our prayers are answered.

Yesterday when I was in church for Sunday Mass I prayed to God that if I may have some physical suffering in order to offer it up for something special like the Holy souls in Purgatory, or for the conversion of sinners. I told him if i may have a headache or just some type of physical suffering the next day.

As I was walking home today after I decided to take a jog, I was almost hit by three bikes coming behind me. They were close encounters. Then in my head I was " Well this was close. Then I turned around the street as I needed to to get home. Then the fourth bike which was behind me actually hit me from the back. I got a little read in the skin and it stinged for a little bit.

Has anyone else made a prayer like this and if so what happened? And is it bad to make a prayer or wish something like this?

 

[fred_conty]

There are other options.

On P.180 of St. Faustina’s diary, she had a locution that said the following.

"Call upon my mercy on behalf of all sinners. I desire their salvation. When you say this prayer with a contrite heart and with faith on behalf of some sinner, I will give him the grace of conversion. This is the prayer:

O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a font of Mercy for us, I trust in you."

There is also all sorts of mortifications we may perform especially in the electronic field.

In another thread, this prayer also was given as one which will free a soul from purgatory,
“Jesus, Mary, I love you, save souls.”

The one in the bible is the sinners prayer, “O Lord, have mercy on me a sinner.”
This can be said, “O Lord, have mercy on us sinners.” for others.

Mary at Fatima suggested we end each decade of the rosary with the prayer,
“O Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, take all souls to heaven, and help especially those most in need.”

Anne Emmerich recommended acts of self-abnegation, mortification of self-will, successes over evil inclinations, patience, meekness, humility, forgiveness of injuries.

Just a thought.

 

[Trishie]

May God bless and guide you in your loving intention of the salvation of souls.

Young St Therese tried a penitential suffering, but it caused a wound that became infected, and she was advised to make her penances that of charity, being kind to others even if that was difficult to do.

Allowing yourself to be injured may be foolish, and may cause hardship and distress to others, especially your family.

As Jesus said, “Each day has enough trouble of its own” Matthew 6:34
and each morning we can offer our days with their joys and sufferings to God in union with Jesus’ sufferings and the Mass.

Keep in mind that the Mass is ‘the source and summit’ of the Church’s life, and the greatest possible prayer as it is Jesus offering to the Father, united with the whole Communion of saint, of the Mystical Body of Christ.
Participate in Mass with the best devotion and attention, and offer this for the salvation of souls. There is no greater offering.

A Morning Offering:
Jesus, I offer you my prayers, works, joys and sufferings of this day in union with the
holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world. I offer them for all the intentions of your Sacred Heart: the salvation of souls, the reparation for sin, and the reunion of all Christians. I offer them for the intentions of the Church and the Holy Father.
Amen

 

[midori]

I’ve heard of it, but I’ve never been brave enough to make that sort of prayer on my own. I do get chronic weather-related migraines, and halfway through it usually occurs to me to do something useful with the pain.

I’d definitely recommend reading up on the writings of Victim Souls. It sounds like it would be right up your alley, and I’m sure it would be thought-provoking to read the thoughts and experiences of people who had spent their whole lives doing that sort of thing.

St. Gemma, SoG Consolata Betrone, and Sr. Josefa Menendez are the first names that Google turns up.

The caveat, of course, is that it’s important to be aware there’s a school of thought that frowns very much on this path. For example:

Instead of turning to God to be set free, it is easier for most people to believe that God is pleased with their sufferings, or that God has caused their sufferings and wants to use them for some unknown reason.

It ignores the fact that uniting our sufferings with those of Christ has been an important aspect of our faith for a long, long time. But it does, in its own way, make people look at their motivations, because that sort of path shouldn’t be chosen casually.

Good luck!

 

[Holly3278]

I have, at times, prayed for God to send me suffering so that I can offer it up to God. I usually don’t do that though as I usually have enough suffering on a daily basis due to having a chronic pain condition known as Fibromyalgia. However, I do occasionally ask God to send me some extra suffering and I trust in Him not to send me more than I can handle. This way I can offer it up to Him for the salvation of souls or for the holy souls in Purgatory or for some other intention.

 

[Bob_Crowley]

So I was watching a video in youtube by Fulton Sheen which talks about the Blessed Virgin Mary.youtube.com/watch?v=kgQ_YQCZRFM
Towards the end of the video he talks about how his last prayer that he made when visiting Lourdes was that he prayed to the Blessed Virgin Mary and told her to send him some trial and suffering in order to save a soul. He said that this is a very dangerous prayer for all our prayers are answered.

Yesterday when I was in church for Sunday Mass I prayed to God that if I may have some physical suffering in order to offer it up for something special like the Holy souls in Purgatory, or for the conversion of sinners. I told him if i may have a headache or just some type of physical suffering the next day.

As I was walking home today after I decided to take a jog, I was almost hit by three bikes coming behind me. They were close encounters. Then in my head I was " Well this was close. Then I turned around the street as I needed to to get home. Then the fourth bike which was behind me actually hit me from the back. I got a little read in the skin and it stinged for a little bit.

Has anyone else made a prayer like this and if so what happened? And is it bad to make a prayer or wish something like this?

The impression I get from your experience is that you were being warned, as Bishop Fulton Sheen stated, that a prayer like that is dangerous. Obviously the choice is up to you, but by making a prayer like this you’re opening yourself up to two things -

1. God may take you at your word, and send some really severe suffering eg. the next time a bike hits you, you end up in a wheelchair for life.
2. The devil will try to see just how fair dinkum your faith is, get God’s permission to put you to the test a al Job, and the next time a bike hits you, you end up in a wheelchair for life.

I’m not saying don’t do it, but think carefully. There is such a thing as getting what you want, but not wanting what you get.

 

[Arturo_Ortiz]

Thanks for all your answers they have been helpful.

Originally by Fred Conty
On P.180 of St. Faustina’s diary, she had a locution that said the following.

"Call upon my mercy on behalf of all sinners. I desire their salvation. When you say this prayer with a contrite heart and with faith on behalf of some sinner, I will give him the grace of conversion. This is the prayer:

O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a font of Mercy for us, I trust in you."

I will definetly pray this for sinners that I believe need help.

Origianlly by Trishe
May God bless and guide you in your loving intention of the salvation of souls.

Young St Therese tried a penitential suffering, but it caused a wound that became infected, and she was advised to make her penances that of charity, being kind to others even if that was difficult to do.

Thanks I will try to do these things for the conversion of sinners

**Originally by midori **
I’ve heard of it, but I’ve never been brave enough to make that sort of prayer on my own. I do get chronic weather-related migraines, and halfway through it usually occurs to me to do something useful with the pain.

Yea I heard of this type of suffering when I was studying about Redemptive suffering. Overall it’s about offering up your daily sufferings for a particular purpose. It is pretty much voluntering your suffering.

Originally by Holy3278
I have, at times, prayed for God to send me suffering so that I can offer it up to God. I usually don’t do that though as I usually have enough suffering on a daily basis due to having a chronic pain condition known as Fibromyalgia. However, I do occasionally ask God to send me some extra suffering and I trust in Him not to send me more than I can handle. This way I can offer it up to Him for the salvation of souls or for the holy souls in Purgatory or for some other intention.

Yea I know I have a lot going on already as well. I have scrupulosity and this affects me a huge way. It is hard on me. I still try to offer up whatever suffering I have for the holy souls in Purgatory or for any other reason.

Originally by Bob Crowley
I’m not saying don’t do it, but think carefully. There is such a thing as getting what you want, but not wanting what you get.

Yea I know what you mean. This is why I am trying to do alternative things.

 

[R_C]

I would always talk to my confessor or spiritual director before any such prayer.

Remember that the Lord our God said: “I want mercy, not sacrifice”.

Yes, many great saints in the past have made such prayers, they have even imposed upon themselves sorrowful mortifications, and they have received the wonderful gift of sharing in the Lord’s cross…but the true cross is the one we don’t choose…and those saints were highly spiritual souls, very recollected and always at the presence of the Most High during their daily lives…

Yes, the Lord will answer all of our prayers…but there are others listening, and that is why it is dangerous to look for suffering…it may also be a hint of the sin of pride…

The Lord does not want us to suffer…otherwise He would not have willed that our joy may be full and He would not have given us His peace…yet, suffering is necessary, and we ought to be willing to imitate Christ, a man of sorrows, familiar with suffering…to take up our cross and follow Him…but the Cross is the one we don’t pick…that is why the Lord’s prayer does not ask for sufferings…but to lead us not into temptation, and to deliver us from every evil…

 

[Celtic_Warrior]

I have made a prayer like that and later was hospitalized with pneumonia and swine flu the same time and almost died. I wasn’t ready to go yet though and asked to stay and I did. I am here today I didn’t know what I was getting into when I prayed for suffering. I say that we don’t need to pray for suffering but instead help those who suffer more than we do

 

[In_Training]

Has anyone else made a prayer like this and if so what happened? And is it bad to make a prayer or wish something like this?

The thought has crossed my mind before, but for more selfish reasons. When I was 19 I was dealing with a lot of guilt for leaving the church and pretty much destroying my chances of ever coming back, so I ended up telling God to just do whatever he needed to do and get it over with, and I wouldn’t complain. That night my dad found alcohol under the driver’s seat and not only cut up my license but essentially made me admit that at 19 I already had a drinking problem.

Another time, my girlfriend at the time decided to accuse me of stuff, and I said something like, I swear to God I’m not lying. As soon as I said it, the chain on my crucifix broke and it hit the concrete very, very loudly. I was lying.

All coincidence. But…I’m more careful in what I say now. It can backfire.