3/21

  
    
 Suffering – 

pain, humiliation, sickness and failure – 

is but a kiss of Jesus.
Once I met a lady who had a terrible cancer,

She was suffering so much.

I told her,

     “Now you come so close to Jesus on the cross

       that he is kissing you.”

Then she joined hands and said,

     “Mother Teresa,

      please tell Jesus to stop kissing me.”

It was so beautiful.

She understood.
Suffering is a gift of God

a gift that makes us most Christlike.

People must not accept suffering as a punishment.
Anyone who imitates Jesus to the full

must also share in his passion.
We must have the courage

to pray to have the courage to accept.

Because we do not pray enough, we see only the

      human part.

We don’t see the divine.

And we resent it.
I think that much of the misunderstanding of suffering

      today

      comes from that

      from resentment and bitterness.

Bitterness is an infectious disease

      a cancer

      an anger hidden inside.
Suffering is meant to purify

      to sanctify

      to make us Christlike.
                                                                      – Mother Teresa