I was talking to a friend yesterday about the value of suffering. As a Catholic, suffering is a part of our faith life and can even be seen as a “blessing.” This is a hard concept to understand, but in light of the cross, we can see how something horrible (Christ’s death on the cross) can be transformed into something incredible (our redemption.) In the same way, our own sufferings, when united to Christ, take on new meaning. It can draw us to a deeper love of God and a greater dependence on his Providence. It can also be offered as a prayer for the salvation of souls. It boggles my mind.
If you really want to dig deeper into this, check out the John Paul’s apostolic letter SALVIFICI DOLORIS (ON THE CHRISTIAN MEANING OF HUMAN SUFFERING.)
And for a simple explanation to share with Christians who don’t understand the concept, check out Why Are Catholics So into Suffering?