“It is true that I suffer much, but do I suffer well? That is the question.” (St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus)
One could use the title “The Art of Suffering” for a meditation addressing the difficult subject of suffering. Undoubtedly, it is one of the hardest arts to learn. Rather, adequately dealing with suffering is one of the arduous tasks entrusted to us.
As people of faith, we know that we are not left at the mercy of our suffering, as if it could overwhelm us and drive us mad. We know that pain and death entered the world as a consequence of sin and disobedience (cf. Rom. 6:23). We also know that our Lord Jesus Christ willingly endured suffering to redeem us.
St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus knew all this. She undoubtedly accepted the suffering that came to her from the hand of the Lord and offered it to God as a sacrifice, as is customary in Carmelite spirituality. However, a question arises that goes beyond this: Am I suffering well?
Perhaps she felt that she had not sufficiently overcome the inner rebellion that can arise in the face of suffering. Maybe she felt that she still placed too much importance on suffering or found that she had a tendency toward self-pity. Perhaps she realized that her thoughts and feelings were not sufficiently focused on the Heavenly Father during her time of suffering.
After all, we are talking about a Carmelite saint who not only accepted suffering but also asked herself if she was coping with it in a way that glorified and served God and contributed to the salvation of souls.
This is certainly a question we can all ask ourselves: Am I suffering well?