I have my issues; you do, too. Especially now when our youth is far, far behind us and whatever years are ahead of us seem murky and uninviting. Everyone on the face of the earth, from the Fall to now, to the future have, do, or will face suffering. Like at death, no one gets out unscathed.

The forms of suffering seem to be as varied as the people that populate the earth. Emotional, physical, mental, spiritual; these are just the easiest to point to but there are shadings and twists and unforeseen turnings to these ‘easiest’ sufferings. Suffering, like marriage, is the same for everyone – the same in overview and different in detail.

1Peter 4:1 and forward, speaks to suffering and how suffering may be a good thing because we turn away from practicing our sins and concentrate on our suffering. It’s an interesting chapter you may want to refresh in your memory.

Ok. So everyone has suffering. What do we do with it? If we’re Christians, we lay it at the feet of the Cross, “Here, Jesus, You deal with it because I can’t” or “Now I understand because I’m suffering, too, but not to the extent You did” or “Please, dear Lord, take this suffering from me!” or “Why me???” How do we speak to Jesus about our suffering?

We should, I suspect, ask Him what He wants us to do with the suffering we face. I think it is as important to share our suffering with others, like it’s important to share healings with others. They don’t know until we tell them. I’ve had two healings – one was during the foot washing at Maundy Thursday Mass; the other was at the Communion rail in church. The point is, everyone understands suffering – Christian or not; not everyone – even Christians – understand healing.

Bottom line – what will we do with our suffering? What will you do with your suffering?