In my late teens and through my twenties, my understanding of what the Christian life entailed was wrong.

It was my understanding that Christianity was sort of a blanket that protected you from all suffering. Consequently, when some tough suffering came my way, I thought God must have abandoned me and must not really care about me.

Even the tiniest bit of effort in looking at the history of our Faith should tell us that suffering is a part of the Christian life. It’s a part of every life, actually, it’s just a matter of will your suffering be redemptive for you or not?

I think there are times when Christians don’t lean into their Faith like they should because of fear of what God will allow in their lives if they try hard to live out their Faith well. They are scared of how God will purge them of weaknesses and vices that they like.

Make no mistake, there is no path to sainthood without suffering.

There’s no path through this life without it, but a saint-in-the-making knows it has purpose and accepts it while uniting it to Christ’s suffering.

Others just see suffering as utterly pointless and to be avoided at all costs.

If people truly—deep down—know that Christianity is going to ask hard things of them, they may shy away from going all in, thinking this will save them from suffering too much.

It’s the opposite of what I believed in my younger years.

Our Lady of Sorrows knows suffering. Standing at the foot of the Cross watching her Son suffer immense torture is almost unbearable to think about, especially as a mother myself.

But, she knew that Jesus’ suffering would not be in vain; it had to happen for the greater good of all mankind and so she endured her own suffering with strength and love. She never left her Son, but instead suffered with Him.

I pray, Catholic Pilgrims, that in whatever suffering you are enduring, you invite Our Lady into the pain as a source of comfort. She truly does understand.

Have a blessed Friday.