When bowed and borne down under the weight of our own sorrows and sufferings, or when our hearts ache at the sight and thought of what many of our brethren of the human family often have to endure, let us turn our eyes upon the earthly life of Our Lord and His Blessed Mother, and of the Apostles and saints after them. If those holy ones had so much to suffer, what may we expect, we who are sinners, who by our own sins are often responsible for our sorry plights? If God has permitted, and now permits, His dearest friends to bear such heavy crosses, there must be some great good in suffering. Often we cannot see this, but it must be so. God must always do what is best, all things considered; He cannot do otherwise.
Earthly life is inextricably bound up with suffering of many kinds; we cannot avoid the cross, for it is everywhere in this world. If we submit to our lot in faith and patience, we shall be crowned in the life to come; if we choose to rebel, we shall only make our situation worse and shall be in grave danger of losing our souls.
Christianity does not promise exemption from sorrow and suffering in this life, although obedience to its teachings will save us from much grief and pain. But it does tell us what to do with our crosses, how to associate them with those of Our Lord while He was on earth and thus turn them to advantage, into precious spiritual gold with which to purchase eternal joys and delights: “The Spirit himself gives testimony to our spirit, that we are the sons of God. And if sons, heirs also; heirs indeed of God, and joint heirs with Christ: yet so, if we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified with Him.” (Rom. VIII. 16, 17).
If the saints were for any length of time without suffering, they were troubled. They began to fear that something had gone wrong with them, that somehow, somewhere, they had deviated from the straight and narrow path, the royal road that leads to Calvary, to the resurrection morning and the everlasting, risen life.
The sufferings of this life at worst are temporal, whereas the rewards to which they lead are eternal: “For that which is at present momentary and light of our tribulation, worketh for us above measure exceedingly an eternal weight of glory” (2 Cor. IV. 17). Therefore the Apostle also says, “I reckon that the sufferings of this time are not worthy to be compared with the glory to come, which shall be revealed in us” (See Rom. VIII. 18).
Charles J. Callan OP and John F. McConnell, MM
Spiritual Riches of the Rosary Mysteries, pp. 43-44
