Silver Lining

I can't imagine not being Catholic (or in this case, even just Christian). What do non-Catholics do when they encounter suffering? I've always been taught that the "silver lining" of pain is that it can be offered up to God, for the salvation of souls. I think it is a common response of Catholic parents to offer it up. Among my friends, we used to say "All For" when things got rough as a reminder to offer it all for the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

It is nice to know that your suffering has a purpose. To have a philosophy more than "life sucks and then you die." To believe in something that gives a meaning even to the most insignificant things, like the pain from shutting a car door on your thumb. So the next time I offer something up, I think I'll do it for the people who don't know to offer things up.

Pax Christi!