The Joy Of Suffering

There are many things we may find Joy in, however, one thing that we do not associate with joy in many times is the suffering in Life. There is much Joy to be found through the sufferings of Life. Many times, we thank God for blessings, but we do not thank him for the suffering. Why should we thank him for the hardships? Because he is with us in the midst of them. It is better to be with Jesus during the hardships then to be without him during the blessings. My hope is that this book will help direct your focus on him instead of your sufferings. Foreword by Michael Dow

According to St. Therese of the Child Jesus. A Novena 9 Days of Instructions and Prayers. St. Therese suffered much, yet she was truly happy. Here in 27 brief but powerful instructions (3 each for a novena of 9 days) Bishop Noser sets forth St. Therese's "secrets" for dealing with sufferings of body, heart and soul. Even though a person may feel bad, and even though a person is still plagued by faults and failings, St. Therese shows how to live each moment such that one's life is immensely fruitful for eternity and nothing will be wasted. Joy in Suffering shows how the Catholic Faith possesses the key to solid peace and joy, even in the most painful situations of life. Helps you transform your sufferings into joy!!

Hard times come for all in life, with no real explanation. When we walk through suffering, it has the potential to devastate and destroy, or to be the gateway to gratitude and joy. Elisabeth Elliot was no stranger to suffering. Her first husband, Jim, was murdered by the Waoroni people in Ecuador moments after he arrived in hopes of sharing the gospel. Her second husband was lost to cancer. Yet, it was in her deepest suffering that she learned the deepest lessons about God. Why doesn’t God do something about suffering? He has, He did, He is, and He will. Suffering and love are inexplicably linked, as God’s love for His people is evidenced in His sending Jesus to carry our sins, griefs, and sufferings on the cross, sacrificially taking what was not His on Himself so that we would not be required to carry it. He has walked the ultimate path of suffering, and He has won victory on our behalf. This truth led Elisabeth to say, “Whatever is in the cup that God is offering to me, whether it be pain and sorrow and suffering and grief along with the many more joys, I’m willing to take it because I trust Him.” Because suffering is never for nothing.

Rose Hu was born on May 4, 1933, in Shanghai, the eighth of nine children. She converted to Catholicism and was baptized on April 17, 1949 just six months prior to China officially becoming Communist. Following her arrest in 1951, Rose spent the next 26 years in Chinese concentration camps under Mao Tse-Tung. After her release in 1982, she was able to tell this story in her own words.This book is filled with the raw, unfiltered thoughts and experiences of a soul who endured much for Christ. What Rose suffered for her Catholic Faith defies belief, demands respect and certainly draws a clear picture of the treatment of Catholics under Communism in China.Recently translated for an English audience, this is an inspirational story of a young woman's life in communist China, that lead her to the Catholic Faith. She gives her account of Catholics suffering in a Chinese labor camp during the communists' persecutions in the 1950's. Her story is highly recommended by Fr. Daniel Couture, SSPX, her spiritual director.287 pp. Paperback.

In this heartfelt and profound new book, Sidney Callahan, revered catholic psychologist and author, offers a reflection on suffering from a christian perspective. In contrast to C.S Lewis' The problem of Pain and other traditional approaches, Callahan introduces new insights from fields such as the psychology of human emotion, evolutionary biology and creation theologies. Drawing from her own harrowing experience of a mother's loss, she shows that Christians view suffering in a different way, with the expectation- in the face of all evidence to the contrary - that humans are created by God to experience joy.

Few people will easily admit to taking pleasure in the misfortunes of others. But who doesn't enjoy it when an arrogant but untalented contestant is humiliated on American Idol, or when the embarrassing vice of a self-righteous politician is exposed, or even when an envied friend suffers a small setback? The truth is that joy in someone else's pain-known by the German word schadenfreude--permeates our society. In The Joy of Pain, psychologist Richard Smith, one of the world's foremost authorities on envy and shame, sheds much light on a feeling we dare not admit. Smith argues that schadenfreude is a natural human emotion, one worth taking a closer look at, as it reveals much about who we are as human beings. We have a passion for justice. Sometimes, schadenfreude can feel like getting one's revenge, when the suffering person has previously harmed us. But most of us are also motivated to feel good about ourselves, Smith notes, and look for ways to maintain a positive sense of self. One common way to do this is to compare ourselves to others and find areas where we are better. Similarly, the downfall of others--especially when they have seemed superior to us--can lead to a boost in our self-esteem, a lessening of feelings of inferiority. This is often at the root of schadenfreude. As the author points out, most instances of schadenfreude are harmless, on par with the pleasures of light gossip. Yet we must also be mindful that envy can motivate, without full awareness, the engineering of the misfortune we delight in. And envy-induced aggression can take us into dark territory indeed, as Smith shows as he examines the role of envy and schadenfreude in the Nazi persecution of the Jews. Filled with engaging examples of schadenfreude, from popular reality shows to the Duke-Kentucky basketball rivalry, The Joy of Pain provides an intriguing glimpse into a hidden corner of the human psyche.

Joy In Suffering is a memoir of one couple's rocky journey to parenthood. Their childlike faith was rocked to the core but committed to God in trust Him always.

In this fallen world, Christians often suffer due to no fault of their own. Imagine a loving spouse who suffers the pains of marital unfaithfulness, or loving Christian parents who suffer the loss of their child. Now, imagine that you can overcome the pain and instead experience a “joy unspeakable” (1 Pet 1:8). That is the message of this book. It teaches that to experience righteous suffering is to “fellowship with Christ in his sufferings” (1 Pet 4:13). We desire to know the glory of Christ, but that is only half of what he experienced. Unless we know Jesus’ suffering, we will never know the whole Jesus. And to know Jesus is the greatest joy of a believer, a “joy unspeakable.”