"Now I rejoice in my suffering for your sake" St. Paul's Letter to the Colossians 1:24

St Paul gives us the example. He shows us that suffering does not lead him to depression and despair; rather, it brings interior joy.
 

We will use Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Salvifici Dolores, to further examine the mystery of suffering:
 

• "In the midst of what constitutes the psychological form of suffering there is always an experience of evil, which causes the individual to suffer." -
• Man suffers on account of evil, which is a certain lack, limitation or distortion of good.
• Only the suffering human being knows that he is suffering and wonders why; and he suffers in a humanly speaking still deeper way if he does not find a satisfactory answer.
• And it is well-known that concerning this question there not only arise many frustrations and conflicts in the relations of man with God, but it also happens that people reach the point of actually denying God.
• And even if we must use great caution in judging man's suffering as a consequence of concrete sins (this is shown precisely by the example of the just man Job), nevertheless suffering cannot be divorced from the sin of the beginnings, from what St. John calls "the sin of the world" Jn 1:29, from the sinful background of the personal actions and social processes in human history.
• Suffering must serve for conversion, that is, for the rebuilding of goodness in the subject, who can recognize the divine mercy in this call to repentance.

Isaiah eloquently describes the transformation of Christ's suffering into our salvation

"When he makes himself an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring, he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand; he shall see the fruit of the travail of his soul and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous; and he shall bear their iniquities. "Therefore I will divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he poured out his soul to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors"

• Love is also the fullest source of the answer to the question of the meaning of suffering. This answer has been given by God to man in the cross of Jesus Christ.
   

Suffering leads to joy

• The eloquence of the cross and death is, however, completed by the eloquence of the resurrection. Man finds in the resurrection a completely new light, which helps him to go forward through the thick darkness of humiliations, doubts, hopelessness and persecution.

"For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too." 2Cor 1:5

"We are ... fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed in us." Rom. 8:17-18.

"For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, because we look not to the things that are seen but to things that are unseen." 2 Cor. 4:17-18.

"But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed." 1 Pt. 4:13

Prayer to St Michael

St Michael the Archangel protect us in battle
Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him we humbly pray,
And to thou o prince of heavenly hosts,
By the power of God,
Cast into hell Satan, and all the evil spirits,
Who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen.