MARY, OUR MOTHER

CHAPTER VIII: TWO HEARTS OF WIT & WISDOM

SUFFERING--WHY?
Why is there so much suffering in the World? Just why do we have to suffer? According to theologians and psychologists, this is one of the most difficult subjects to explain.
St. Francis de Sales had a perfect answer. He is considered to be, next to Christ, the one who was able to speak of the things of God so eloquently so simply.
In his remarkable book, "Introduction to a Devout Life" St. Francis states:
"If the Angels could complain--which of course they cannot because of their singular state of happiness--they would complain that they are unable to suffer, as we the people of God can suffer. Since we, the people of God, can obtain graces and merits, because of our ability to suffer (and to offer them up)--which the Angels are unable to do and to merit!"
Seems very strange. St. Francis reminds us:
Didn't Jesus suffer so very much! Even Our Blessed Mother had to suffer! Wouldn't it have been expedient to simply tell His Mother on that first Holy Thursday to stay at home--not to come to Jerusalem--and thus avoid seeing the terrible sufferings of her Son which caused her so much anguish and pain and suffering.
Consider the holy victim souls, like St. Padre Pio, St. Francis of Assisi, Theresa Neumann, the Stigmatists, who had purposely received, accepted, acknowledged all these sufferings in order to obtain extra graces and merits for sinners--to save souls--!
St. Francis de Sales continues:
"Even in doing good, rarely do we fail to mix some evil with it. It is only when we suffer--for Jesus' sake (offer it all up)--that we are purified and made perfect."
"You are to be perfect, even as my Heavenly Father is perfect," so spoke Jesus in the Scriptures (Matt. 5:48).
Because of the fall of Adam and Eve we have inherited this 'difficulty.' The bottom line in this matter is really this: If Adam and Eve would not have sinned and thus lost their complete happiness and Paradise--we would never have to suffer--. Their understanding & knowledge & wisdom was so great, in Paradise, that their disobedience was likewise so enormous. Like a son slapping his father's face. There were no 10 Commandments for Adam & Eve, only one--but a big one: OBEDIENCE!

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