Pain and Suffering!
As soon as we speak of pain and suffering we tend to think of a philosophical problem that defies and threatens the presence of a loving God, but in fact pain and suffering is the gateway to glory… as St Paul says in 2 Timothy 2:12 “For if we died with Him, We shall also live with Him. If we endure, we shall also reign with Him.” And also in Romans 8 “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” When we are suffering, know that we are extremely present in God’s thoughts and that He is crowning us with Glory.
Many of us would have periods of pain and suffering in our lives and we struggle to accept the gift of suffering in our lives. Looking at the life of St Mary and how it was just a series of suffering and in her virtue of endurance she was greatly glorified and esteemed higher than the angels and the archangels. She became a second heaven, through her we returned to paradise. She is the second Eve, she is the pride of humanity. How did she do that through enduring pain and suffering? Therefore It is important to understand that suffering is the gateway to eternal Glory and we see Christ through suffering.