How to Suffer Well

[@jimmyking8074]

Not Catholic, an evangelical swinging between Orthodoxy, Lutheranism and Catholicism. But I thank you, this faith journey has taken a toll on me in a unique way. God bless you brother, I really appreciate your videos, and keep doing what you're doing mate

[@michaelkern5608]

Check out Catholic Answers brother

[@eukaristiya]

Go directly to the question of Mary and The Papacy my friend.

[@andonedave]

I’ve been a hospice nurse/ chaplain for 18 years, and I can say without hesitation that my faith filled patients by far have an easier time dealing with suffering and death. Many have learned through their faith how to suffer well and in turn draw people to themselves. There’s something spiritually attractive about people who face death with dignity and the type of peace beyond what the world can provide.

[@thalitakum1993]

Also praying for you and your brother - let Father's will be done! He's all good and loving! Praise the Lord oh my soul!

[@kevinkelly2162]

If you have been taught from before you could think to treat life as a practise run for your eternal life of course you die holding onto these delusions. Makes no difference, they all go in a box like the rest of us.

[@josephreagan9545]

The thing that is lacking in Christ's suffering is our participation. It is the one thing God can't do on His own as we humans have free will. If we choose to participate in Christ's suffering and suffer with Him (by suffering for the same purpose, namely and ultimately the salvation of others), we become more closely united with Christ. By suffering with and for Christ and His purpose, our lives are transformed to have greater meaning even (and especially when) things seem hopeless. Something to remember during this potential dawn of the great reset.

[@kevinkelly2162]

Why would your suffering change anything? Who are you? Jesus was at least supposedly a god. You really haven't a clue about your religion, do you?

[@Doughyo18]

@@Roman-Labrador I don't think you can judge that of another person, they may have experienced great suffering but you may never know.

[@limoncellosmith7594]

@@Roman-Labrador You are wrong. Christianity teaches us that suffering is full of meaning when offered in union with the sufferings of Christ. One wonders why you are here spouting anti-Catholic rhetoric. Obviously you are searching. Please look to sanctifying your own suffering in the passion of Christ. There is NO other way.

[@MrsYasha1984]

I've been on my Journey back to the Church for about a year now. I'm an autist too, so things that I think are 'wrong' are very,very stressful to me. Now, as long as I thought suffering (and i had quite a lot of that) as 'wrong', it does not belong that way, it was even harder to get through. I was quite suicidal for a while. Now with the christian worldview, I know suffering has meaning. The suffering in my past was necessairy to deconstruct my prideful head. To show me once and for all, I don't have the whole picture, I don't have control... Which made it possible to submit to the teaching of the church. The suffering I have now is way more easier to bear. I have been healed in ways I never thought possible, and I can now bear my pain and the pain of others bear with much more grace, and hope. Despair is the main difference, I used to have so much despair... it's mostly just... gone! Once, when I prayed before Mary statue, I got the message that 'all will be well'. Not the hope, or the thought it might be well, but the absolute knowledge that my time of trial is now done, and all will be well! She has to reinforce that message from time to time, because despair wants to creep back in. But if I pray my rosary, she's there, and tells me 'all will be well'. It makes such a difference! Thank you, blessed Mary. Thank you Jesus, my Lord and Christ!

[@tatianasouza2361]

Your words touched my soul. I totally agree with you on the fact that the more we embrace our suffering, the less difficult it becomes. On the other hand, I also understand that there are truly horrific circumstances that people go through and that it requires a very strong relationship with God for those people to embrace their pain. Also, I believe that we all must strengthen our relationship with the almighty. God bless.

[@coyotewayfarer4380]

Very wise video.

[@anitadodson4316]

I'm a convert and I have always struggled with offering up suffering.. Thank you for this vlog, hope you continue with another suffering vlog.

[@chairde]

My friend recently died suddenly. A few months prior his grandson drown in the Delaware river. A week before my friend died he told me that his grandson’s remains were found. A week later his wife messaged me saying, “ my husband passed away this pm.”. What could I say but offer to help? I think the suffering will become apparent in a short time. He was a Knight of Columbus so he had a mass and ceremony which helps the family. Suffering shared with friends becomes a little easier to endure. Still late at night I’m sure the family suffer tremendous grief.

[@lisamoag6548]

Suffering shared cuts it in two. Shared joy doubles.

[@DJPTEXAS]

@@lisamoag6548 How true.....

[@lookmil107]

@@lisamoag6548 what bullshit..

[@nancygagne5905]

Thank you, Brian, for another great podcast! I offer my sufferings daily in union with Christ's death on the Cross for the reparation of my sins and the sins of our fallen human race. 🙏

[@nikitachirich7985]

I really needed this today brother. Most killed themselves in light of my current suffering, i think Jesus Christ can handle it though, i am offering it up.

[@wierdpocket]

Brian, I’ve struggled with this idea for a while now. The origin of the idea of “offering up suffering” seems to be murky at best, and there really isn’t any scripture that indicates that somehow when I hurt, my pain can be transmuted into the good of another. St Paul is pretty clearly talking about how his evangelistic efforts resulting in persecution will advance the church, which is very different than someone getting sick (bereft on any evangelistic effort) somehow making that sickness “work for” another. Even if we could locate this as an orthodox sentiment, a huge problem arises: if we know our suffering offered up for others benefits others, it is our moral duty to suffer as much as possible. If suffering (“offered up”) = good for others then choosing NOT to suffer is to bereave others of good that we could have given them. So next time you want to eat a good meal, you SHOULD choose to eat a plain, tasteless meal (or none at all) and offer that pain up because it will help someone else. But this doesn’t seem to be orthodox in sentiment at all. Anyway, if anyone is reading this, I’d ask you would please pray for my brother. He is terminally ill and doesn’t share our Catholic faith - and so please pray for a miracle of major healing. I’ve tried to “offer up” my pains for him in this time, but this way of thinking makes me feel that unless I am in extreme pain all the time I am doing him wrong, and it’s more than I can bear. Thank you, peace.

[@elizabethcrist6629]

You must find a good, caring, wise priest to get you through this.

[@joan8862]

I think you are mistaken that it is our moral duty to suffer as much as possible. We should not seek out suffering, although it is a fine thing to make small sacrifices for the good of others' souls. It is about accepting the suffering that comes upon us, and it does come upon us all in varying degrees throughout our lives. So we should offer up the suffering that comes our way, while at the same time, taking care of ourselves as needed. If I have a lot of aches and pains every day, and I do, I offer up these pains, but I also do what I can to alleviate them. It is not immoral to do that, or say to treat cancer. The cancer patient, while getting the necessary care and treatment for their disease, is still suffering and that can be offered up for others or our own sins, but it is not immoral to seek a cure for ourselves. I believe that you are taking this to the extreme, as an either/or proposition. But it's not.

[@damnedmadman]

It's "easy" to be a faithful Christian when your life is blessed with success and pleasures. But such example won't convince many people to seek God, unless for their own interest. However if we believe in God despite suffering and no apparent gains, it's the best testimony we can make, because no money can buy such a peace of mind in times of fear and suffering. And I believe it will be an even greater testimony before the Judgement Day for those who have never been close to God.

[@thalitakum1993]

I am at the same page as you. I m chronically suffering because of ms, "in the meantime" I offer it up. Still, I hear our God ultmately compassionate towards our pain, willling to heal everyone in the Gospel. This is reallly confusing contadiction. Many priests I listened to say the suffering Jesus wants us to endure is the one connected with us being persecuted because of his Name, not an illness. Even John Paul Ii once said that christians should aleviate suffering, Benedict XVI described christianity as a therapeutic religion, not only in spiritual way. It is sad,that sick Catholics cannot rely on any consistency on this topic. They say its good for me to go to a doctor, even pray for healing, but why should I want it if its not Fathers will? If its also means of salvation for my friends and family? I reallly wish I knew. Praised be Jesus Christ.

[@joan8862]

@@thalitakum1993 I believe it is the Jehova's Witnesses who believe that God will heal them and therefore they shun doctors, or at least they used to. That is not what Catholics believe and I think you are just taking bits and pieces of the doctrine of suffering. Being Christian is no guarantee that we will be healthy (or wealthy). God Himself was poor and suffered while on earth, so why should we expect it to be different for ourselves? God did not create a world of suffering. We were not meant to get sick or die or deal with emotional or psychological illnesses. This is due to the Fall which unfortunately affects all of us including all of creation. If you read the Saints writings, they all knew well that suffering with Christ meant way more than suffering persecution. They knew it meant sickness and death, material loss, mental anguish and illness. It is not God's active will that you suffer. But it happens that we do suffer and He allows it-that is His permissive will. And the good thing is that, since we cannot completely avoid suffering in this life, that God has given it meaning by letting us use our suffering here on earth to make reparation for our sins, the sins of others, and for the spiritual healing of ourselves and others.

[@bradkrekelberg8624]

Wow. As a person who's really good at feeling sorry for himself, this is a great concept. I remember when I was younger and having a rough time, people would say "give it to God". What? I had no idea what that meant. But thanks to you, Fr. Mike Schmitz and Lisa Cotter from Ascension Presents, I get it now, and it's wonderful!

[@frjacobsuico]

Salvifici Doloris, 19: "Every man has his own share in the Redemption. Each one is also called to share in that suffering through which the Redemption was accomplished. He is called to share in that suffering through which all human suffering has also been redeemed. In bringing about the Redemption through suffering, Christ has also raised human suffering to the level of the Redemption. Thus each man, in his suffering, can also become a sharer in the redemptive suffering of Christ."

[@everetunknown5890]

The Lord and the apostles healed the sick and raised the dead, and there must be a reason why they did that. We should be doing all we can to alleviate each other's suffering and bring about their total well-being, not just settling for giving kudos on how they deal with it. Hebrews 12 talks a great deal about suffering but it also testifies that the Lord endured the cross for "the joy that was set before him." Suffering is a necessary means to an end, but the end of that means is joy. 🎊🎉✌️

[@AJKPenguin]

Fitting video for the 16th Sunday Ordinary Time, Lectionary page 108. The epistle is from Colossians, of which you mention: "Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake. . ." See 1:24-29; 2:1-3

[@jadedixon6431]

I will say that the basic concept of 'offering up suffering' is prevelant in humanity regardless of faith if you think about it this way: many people must endure some kind of suffering to get what they want/need. So they 'offer up suffering' to benefit themselves. Like exercise or maybe even working a job you don't like, that suffering has a purpose. And its for the benefet of yourself and your life. So you can say you're offering this suffering to yourself, knowing it will be hard now but the suffering leads to some kind of improvement for yourself. Suffering will always be inbetween improvement.

[@angelafrankenschloss9627]

Why did I save this video? I'm sick and tired of suffering. It's all I ever do these days! It's unbearable and I can't take it anymore! The life of everybody else around me life is so perfect and so beautiful and all I ever do is suffer! This is not fair! 😠 😥

[@ifeomaoluhara9421]

Hi Angela. I am really sorry that you feel this way...I may not know exactly what it is you are passing through but do know that many ppl have/are going through times such as these. The kind of attitude we should have as Christians is to see these sufferings/hardships in a different light....rather than see it as only bad/unfortunate, give it meaning by offering it up. I just want to encourage you Angela..keep pushing and doing what you can to end the hardship while you pray and trust in God. God in time will come to your aid. Amen! Be of good courage.

[@angelafrankenschloss9627]

@@ifeomaoluhara9421 Thank you for your comforting words and for your support. I'll take your advice to offer it up and call upon God for guidance and help as you said especially now that I'm a little more calm and can think more clearly since yesterday when I posted that comment, and I apologize if I upset anyone with it. (I was having issues with my virus infected computer 🖥 among otherthings.) Once again, thank you.

[@ifeomaoluhara9421]

You are welcome Angela. God see you through. Will say a prayer for you.🙏🙏

[@tintianoTV]

6:05 onwards

[@Agent_Lemur]

I wish I would have heard this ten years ago! I had a boss who made almost everyone under her miserable, and I had wished so many times that all that suffering had some kind of meaning. Suffering for a cause I can understand, but I never saw a purpose to being miserable then.

[@lookmil107]

That’s why Jesus is a complete lie.

[@rev.jon2277]

@@lookmil107 you can choose Jesus as liar, lunatic or Lord as cs. lewis told us, then live your life.

[@lookmil107]

@@rev.jon2277 ….Anyone who presents themself to be a Reverend and then quotes CS Lewis is a Reverend with the exact same regard as AL SHARPTON. CS Lewis was full of shit and so are you.

[@LifeWithFlowers]

God gives you peace which transcends earthly understanding regardless of the circumstance.🙏🏽

[@verum-in-omnibus1035]

Only one correction on this fantastic video Brian, at the 2:05 mark you say “in Catholic Christianity.“ That’s a redundancy. You only need to say “in Christianity.“ If someone belongs to a Baptist or non-denominational (or any other of the 30,000+ religious sects they’ve created) Protestant church, they are part of the Protestant religion, not the Christian religion. Simply because in our hemisphere that heresy has dominated the culture does not make what centuries of popes until Vatican II said about those people who are not part of the body of Christ, not part of his church. I pray they reconcile, but the truth is charitable. And I say this as someone who converted out of the protestant religion. Viva Cristo Rey!

[@josephreagan9545]

I think he was clarifying it so that any protes watching will have a better understanding of where this wisdom comes from. Many protes do not know they are rejecting God's true church. Specifying that this wisdom comes from Catholicism and that Catholiosim IS Christian (by phrasing it the way he did) will help lead some protes to the fullness of truth that is the Catholic church.

[@MikePasqqsaPekiM]

We need to be more precise when we speak about who is in, or outside of, the Church. Most Protestant baptisms are valid. If they are valid, the baptized are, at the very least at the outset, members of the Body of Christ. I think the catechism explains the situation well, though it is very generalized guidance (because, as you say, there are thousands of Protestant churches with unique beliefs and expressions). If we’re going to talk about issues like this, we indeed need to be charitable, and thus also must be careful to be truthful. The first few generations of Protestants knew far more about the Catholic Church than most Protestants today. And as the catechism points out, it’s not the fault of Protestants that they are born into protestantism. They’re not getting baptized to leave our Church. They’re practicing the rite validly and intend to become part of the church founded by Christ. This situation is more nuanced than it appears at first glance.

[@damnedmadman]

John 14:12 "Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; *and greater works than these* shall he do; because I go unto my Father"

[@bumpercoach]

One of those sufferings is the RECIPROCATION Jesus invites in "If ye love me, keep my commandments" which is a tough nut for Protestants since they so idealize Grace that if they could word around "whosoever believeth" they'd claim there can be salvation without any voluntary engagement at all

[@yelnickmcwawa7488]

There is a belief (not sure if part of the Magisterium) that Christ took on the suffering of every person past, present, and future during his suffering on the cross. As such, we are called to emulate Christ and suffer not for sake but for others who have forsaken Christ or those who have yet to know him.

[@harbingerofepiphany3155]

It seems to me that Knighthood and its virtues are lost today upon the Men of Faith" Like we have replaced it with a type of Christian Gandhiism! So Glad that devout men during the revolution were willing to pick up a sword to draw lines in the sand.

[@AMDG_-nk2dp]

As they say, chivalry is dead nowadays. Severely lacking at best. True Masculinity somewhat rare these days too.

[@commandergoey9570]

@@AMDG_-nk2dp I believe that’s because knighthood, chivalry and manhood are in essence very similar, if you lose one of it you lose the other two as well!

[@Kitiwake]

@@commandergoey9570 and they all came into being because of the church.

[@lynncw9202]

Oh my word!! This is made so complicated. I offer up my sufferings for souls in purgatory. Finished! I don't think about anything else,... how is it going to affect me....how is it going to help me in heaven or not... Just offer up your sufferings for something special. Don't make such a hullabaloo about it!!

[@jefcaine]

For me, believing in God doesn't help soothe the problem of suffering - it makes the problem worse. If there is no God, sure suffering is arbitrary but at least there's not someone watching with the power to stop it who just lets it happen.

[@EDTS_0]

The whole point of God allowing the suffering to happen is that good may come of it, ie it is his permissive will. Such as letting as letting a child be bullied a bit longer as you know a teacher is walking just around the corner

[@EDTS_0]

You have to trust that God is good and that he wants the best for you and wants good itself because he is all that is good. If there is a reason why he is allowing it(note: allowing and not willing as that would be his perfect will) to happen, it is becuase good will come out of it

[@josephreagan9545]

I think of this world as a test where the teacher will help if you ask, but that he will still let you struggle in cases where it comes to helping you improve. Or think of it like a workout for your soul. Working out hurts, but it is ultimately good for us. So too, suffering hurts, but when used properly, it becomes an invaluable tool for self-improvement. It still sucks to suffer, and I also wonder why God doesn't do things differently but at the very least, we know 2 things. 1. God promised He would make up for all the suffering you have experienced in this world. 2. God does not take suffering lightly as He Himself shared our suffering. Not "just" during His passion but in having to live in this insane world for 33 years before His death and resurrection. So if even Jesus had to suffer outside of His passion, there must be a good reason for it. One of the core messages in the Bible is to trust in God even against all the odds. One of the reasons He died for us was to prove that He is worth trusting. God Bless.

[@Unclenate1000]

exactly. there's no reason why he couldn't have made a better world where its not even necessary for some "greater good". Even my dumbass could figure out a better setup. There's no excuse why he cant other than nonexistence... plain and simple

[@EDTS_0]

​@@Unclenate1000 I disagree, in order for there t onot be a greater good, there must be no evil that such a greater good could come about. If evil isnt allowed to exist, then we as free creatures, cant freely love God, as it involves an act of free choice and not allowing evil to have the oppurtunity to exist would limit that, to where we are just robots, and programming a robot to love you isnt exactly love. You may say why didnt he just create us with the ability to choose him freely without evil having to also exist in order for that to occur, but that goes to a point where i have to say God desired it to be that way and as I am not God i dont fully no the reasons as to why he didnt, but my previous argument sheds some light into responses against that kind of question, and someone may be able to answer that question in the same way i answered the greater good question.

[@charliewebb4330]

"We must do the works of eros, when eros is not present" - C.S. Lewis (the four loves)

[@JMPStart]

What I have been slightly confused about is whether this is primarily spiritual? I can understand how choosing to suffer through something can get positive visible results, like going to a difficult job that allows parent to make enough money to support his or her kids, or a soldier sacrificing his life so that other people in his country may live but is this primarily an invisible spiritual act? Could a person offer his or her suffering for a person across the world whom they will never meet where there is no visible physical connection and where their situations will never interact? Is it similar to praying for the souls in purgatory in that it is a spiritual act? ie. our actions do not physically move them out but rather they benefit them spiritually by helping them move into heaven, Thank you to anyone who will help me understand

[@joan8862]

It is all spiritual. God, Who knows all and sees all, uses our suffering for the spiritual benefit of others. Brian gave a temporal example of how giving up things he wants in order to benefit his children's physical well-being, but the point is that our physical sufferings, which we all have to deal with inevitably, when offered to God, are used for the spiritual well-being of those who are in need of it. My son has no faith in God and does not practice the Catholic faith he was brought up in. I offer prayers, Masses and my physical and emotional sufferings- not for the material benefit of my son- but that God may use them, to bring about my son's spiritual healing or for whatever else God wills to use them.

[@JMPStart]

@@joan8862 Thank you very much for clearing this up, I have heard many well-meaning people highlight visible physical world benefits but did not know the exact details of the spiritual aspects, God bless you

[@joan8862]

@@JMPStart Thank you for responding. I'm grateful to God if I was able to help a little.

[@wendyfield7708]

Well said. We all have a part in the redemption because as Christians we are part of the MYSTICAL Body of Christ. +

[@sebastianroblesmusic]

What is the Corinthians verse? I can't seem to find anything pertinent in 1st or 2nd Cor 12:15.

[@Babycakex]

The infinite expanse of nothingness that death brings, is but the blink of an eye to the unconscious mind, you do not fear the infinite nothing we observed before our birth, show the same amount of fear for that which comes after.

[@traveel9409]

Woah what's the music at the start?

[@marymeyer6909]

I have a brain injury with very scary mental and psuchological symptoms that terrify me. I try to fix my eues on Jesus and pray for my lost loved ones, but as a non Catholic i love this idea, but does Jesus talk about our redemptive suffering in the Bible? Obviously we know His was redemptive

[@markpugner9716]

> as a non Catholic i love this idea, but does Jesus talk about our redemptive suffering in the Bible? What is your intent behind this question?

[@Goodkidjr43]

Nietzsche, my favorite atheist, said that human consciousness is a mistake, a tragedy and should never have happened. We would be better as animals. Also, he ridiculed the Victorians and Romantics in believing that one could reject Christian dogma (Resurrection, life after death, Jesus is God etc) and retain Christian ethics (love your neighbor, care for the poor etc). What is today, known as Humanism. This is why he wrote, the Transvaluation of Values. Once the Christian religion is rejected, the ethics must also be rejected. Of course, he ended up in an insane asylum the last ten years of his short life. Furthermore, if this is the only life there is then, Hitler, Stalin, Mao and Pol Pot are the greatest human beings in history because they became the most successful, famous and powerful in history. I call them the atheistic trinity. And yes, I know there are four and trinity is three. If there is no life after death, then reason is discarded. Survival the fittest applied to human behavior results in survival of the most ruthless. The aforementioned four proved this to be true. Suffering has meaning ONLY if there is life after death. As Hamlet stated in his most famous soliloquy, To be, or not to be, that is the question: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles And by opposing end them. To die-to sleep, No more; and by a sleep to say we end The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks That flesh is heir to: 'tis a consummation Devoutly to be wish'd. To die, to sleep; As Alexander Solzhenitsyn, who survived the ruthless Russian Gulags, which is considered worse than the Nazi Concentration Camps, by those who survived both, said, the miracle of the Gulags is that the vast majority of men and women did NOT kill themselves in light of the long term suffering. God bless.

[@averystarr9404]

I think the main thesis of this video is true, but there is a lack understanding in how how evidence works. You'Someone

[@seanfernandolopez9139]

Memento Mori

[@juliaburns6434]

🅿🆁🅾🅼🅾🆂🅼

[@atheistmando4976]

I know you. You're the dude that correlated fascism and communism with one another

[@chadgoose7886]

I’m Christian but I disagree with this and think it’s cope. If you didn’t choose to suffer and offer your suffering up then what good isn’t it? You are only offering it up because you had to suffer regardless, you didn’t choose to make that sacrifice

[@JoeRansom84]

Whilst it's true that some suffering is without a choice, Christians can also volunteer suffering (e.g. someone fasting in lent on bread and water) and also to 'take up our cross' and carry on through a difficult situation, e.g. a man working in the cold wind and rain but doing it without complaining and without quitting so to provide for his wife and children - with fortitude. The easy option could be to quit.. and go to the pub. I hope these examples shed some light that not all suffering is without choice.

[@the2ndcoming135]

Isaiah 49:8((N.L.T.))🐽

[@peacecalm5649]

How to recognise evil. Soul GPS. See how twisted and cruell u people are.