Value of Suffering

We must always be prepared for tribulations. We must embrace them lovingly because they are necessary to deepen our virtue, make us know God and ourselves. [Hence] sufferings are precious; they must be esteemed and desired. (OCL, II, 397, p. 144)

St. Vincent Pallotti recognized the value of suffering in Christian life. Without it, the life of a Christian has no meaning. A Christian is basically called to live the very life of Christ. One cannot think of living the life of Christ without expecting suffering. Hence, if a person wants to live the life of Christ, he cannot think of it without including suffering. Realizing this truth, St. Vincent advises his followers that they must be always prepared for tribulations and hardships in their life. A Christian should have a mindset that is ready for facing and coping with suffering on a daily basis. For St. Vincent, if a person has within himself this basic openness towards suffering, he is able to accept it in his life. He recognizes its necessity and its value for his Christian living. He understands that the sufferings of daily life are vital for his own growth in a way of life that is virtuous. The situations of pain and hardship often make a person seek God and his assistance in his life. In this manner, the experience of suffering makes a person have greater knowledge of God and of himself. He comes to know who God is, what his plans are, and how he, as a human person, is dependent on God for everything. Thus, according to St. Vincent, suffering teaches the human person true knowledge of God and of himself, thereby directing the human person towards God. Therefore, he concludes that suffering is precious and should be esteemed and desired.

Do I value the importance of the suffering in Christian life? Do I have within myself a readiness to accept suffering? Do the sufferings of my life make me live a virtuous life? Do my sufferings open me to the knowledge of God? Does my suffering give me the right perception of myself and direct me towards God?

We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance. (Rom. 5: 3)