16: Suffering is a Medicine

The Podvig with Joel Dunn

It's been a few weeks since I posted an episode. Forgive me. There's been a lot going on over that time and now Orthodox Christmas is upon us.

For about 12 days recently I was stricken with a debilitating health issue. I endured a lot of pain and required a cane just to walk for several of those days.

One night last week I couldn't sleep because of the pain. I managed to get out of bed and I ended up lying on the floor before our family icon corner praying the Jesus prayer for a few hours.

In the wee hours of that morning, I began to feel desperate. I felt like God was ignoring my pleas for His mercy. I cried from the depths of my soul, but tears of repentance escaped me, and nor did my soul find comfort. Then, despair began to set in.

But St. Nikolai Velimirovich has said: “Don’t ever succumb to the insane thought that God has abandoned you. God knows exactly how much one can endure and, according to that, measures the sufferings and pains of everyone.”

“The powers of darkness are not fought with sweets and Turkish delight, but with conduits of tears, with pain of the soul, with extreme humility, great patience, and unceasing painful prayer until our last breath.” - St Joseph the Hesychast.

“Let us understand that God is a physician and that suffering is a medicine for salvation, not a punishment for damnation.” - St. Agustine of Hippo.

“Suffering is an indication of another Kingdom which we look to. If being Christian meant being “happy” in this life, we wouldn’t need the Kingdom of Heaven. - Fr. Seraphim Rose

We must all suffer in this life, especially those that would take up their cross to follow the Theanthropos (God-man) Jesus.

Like Christ, we may ask that the cup of suffering pass from us, but we must neither be masochists nor hedonists.

“Pleasure and happiness accustom one to satisfaction with the things given in this world, whereas pain and suffering drive one to seek a more profound happiness beyond the limitations of this world.” - Fr. Seraphim Rose

The question, then, is how do we approach pain and suffering? What disposition should we have towards them?

“It is necessary to bear tribulations in peace; for if you accept them with resignation, you shall gain great merit; but if you submit to them with reluctance, you shall increase, instead of diminishing, your misery.” - St. John Chrysostom.

We do not seek pain and or suffering, but we must embrace the cross we are called to bear in faith.

“God has not forgotten the man whom He sends suffering and trials, but in this way is proving His closeness to him.” - St. John Chrysostom.

What lies on the other side of pain and suffering endured for the sake of Christ?

“If you succeed in rising above pain, in the sense that you no longer see it as something evil but rather as something good; if you consider every difficulty, burden, privation, and pain as a divine visitation, then you will live beyond temptations.” - Elder Aimilianos