The Suffering Heart

Van Gogh's "Old Man in Sorrow"

Suffering means:
Tears
Pains
Anguish
Struggles
Trials
Disappointment

But out of suffering come:
Faith
Hope
Love

and the greatest is Love. (1Cor 13:13)


In times of suffering, God will never leave you:

"If you are suffering trials, or are sad, look upon Him on His way to the Garden... Or look upon Him bending under the weight of the Cross and not even allowed to take breath: He will look upon you with His lovely and compassionate eyes, full of tears, and in comforting your grief will forget His own because you are bearing Him company in order to comfort Him and turning your head to look upon Him." -Saint Teresa of Avila, The Way of Perfection


Your sufferings have value:

"Today the Lord said to me, I have need of your sufferings to rescue souls. O my Jesus, do with me as You please." -Saint Mary Faustina Kowalska, Diary 1612

"O you souls who wish to go on with so much safety and consolation, if you knew how pleasing to God is suffering, and how much it helps in acquiring other good things, you would never seek consolation in anything; but you would rather look upon it as a great happiness to bear the Cross of the Lord." - Saint John of the Cross