Why does God let us suffer?

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Without trials and tribulations there can be no test of free will.
 
St Paul said it best:

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church,of which I am a minister in accordance with God’s stewardship given to me to bring to completion for you the word of God, the mystery hidden from ages and from generations past. But now it has been manifested to his holy ones,to whom God chose to make known the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; it is Christ in you, the hope for glory.
 
Suffering and death is the consequence of original sin of Adam and Eve-- a consequence we all inherited. After the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ we are redeemed. Thus when we are in the state of grace in union with Jesus Christ, our suffering becomes redemptive, and through it our souls are sanctified. Jesus said: “unless you carry your cross and follow me you cannot be my disciple.” Jesus carried His cross to be crucified upon it. Thus with our personal sins, we must crucify our passions and die to them. We are to become holy in order for us to become instruments of God’s grace for others. Redemptive suffering becomes a powerful means for the conversion of others–thus when you embrace your sufferings and offer them up to God as a sacrifice in union with the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, your suffering becomes a powerful means of sanctification for others and the conversion and salvation of sinners.
 
While I don’t know why, I can tell you that God Himself participated in our sufferings, so there must be some merit in it, even if I don’t understand what it is.
 
Free will. Adam and Eve committed original sin and were punished and everyone inherited the consequence. Christ suffered and died on the cross in order that we can be saved and His suffering is redemptive In Luke 14:27 Jesus said, "Unless you carry your cross and follow me you cannot be my disciple. We are supposed to offer our suffering up to God and it becomes a way of sanctification for us and others.
 
There are a variety of reasons, but ultimate answer is he lets us suffer when it would be conducive to our our salvation.

St. Thomas More, from his “Dialogue of Comfort in a Time of Tribulation”
If we lay first, for a sure ground, a very fast faith, whereby we believe to be true all that the scripture saith (understood truly, as the old holy doctors declare it and as the spirit of God instructeth his Catholic Church), then shall we consider tribulation as a gracious gift of God, a gift that he specially gave his special friends; a thing that in scripture is highly commended and praised; a thing of which the contrary, long continued, is perilous; a thing which, if God send it not, men have need to put upon themselves and seek by penance; a thing that helpeth to purge our past sins; a thing that preserveth us from sins that otherwise would come; a thing that causeth us to set less by the world; a thing that much diminisheth our pains in purgatory; a thing that much increaseth our final reward in heaven; the thing with which all his apostles followed him thither; the thing to which our Saviour exhorteth all men; the thing without which he saith we be not his disciples; the thing without which no man can get to heaven.
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One question: how is “passions” defined? And also could not suffering itself be a passion? If so, are we also expected to die to our suffering?
 
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  1. Gold is purified in fire.
  2. You are worth more than all the gold in the world.
  3. Suffering is imitation of Christ.
  4. God alone brings good from suffering.
  5. Many of the great Saints suffered horribly and were joyful because of it.
  6. I strongly suggest that you discern whether your suffering is under your control, or not (this includes certain medical and cognitive conditions).
  7. If not, if no relief seems to be forthcoming, study the benefits and power of suffering. Turn it to good!
  8. Consider reading a copy of Joy in Suffering by Saint Therése of Lisieux.
 
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meltzerboy2 said:
how is “passions” defined? And also could not suffering itself be a passion? If so, are we also expected to die to our suffering?
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Passions, meaning our inclinations to want to sin. Sinful passions. We are called to die to ourselves, and to unite our sufferings to the sufferings of Christ. It is possible with God’s sanctifying grace, which we receive through the sacraments.
 
Suffering is partly a mystery. Even though God is all loving and all powerful He allows us to suffer, but by doing so He reveals that He has a greater purpose for allowing it. It is consoling to know by faith that whatever suffering we are asked to endure is not as great as the reward that God is going to bless us with in Heaven.

At the Web page below there are selected biblical quotations about suffering.

In the 2nd article on comments be sure to read the one by CS Lewis.

https://www.defendingthebride.com/misc.html#suf

John
 
There is an element of contrast within it. Without suffering we could never appreciate joy. Similarly, without adversity we could not fully understand peace. Without fear we could not comprehend love. We can learn best and most deeply through the things we most wish to avoid. We are not expected to always enjoy it. 🙂
 

Jesus and Suffering | Mother Angelica

This prefigured what was to come, for Jesus took suffering, the very thing that was held as a curse from God, a sign of His chastisement — and desired it, caressed it, and offered it back to us as a means of healing.
catholicexchange.com catholicexchange.com
 
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