Our Lord Jesus told St. Faustina: "If the Angels were capable of envy, the would envy us for two things: one is the receiving of Holy Communion and the other is suffering."

Vernerable Sr. M. Victoria Angelini "An ounce of crosses is worth more than a thousand pounds of prayer. A day of crucifixion is more valuable than one hundred years of all other holy exercises. It is of more value to stay one moment on the cross than to enjoy all the delights of paradise."

Blessed Angela of Foligno When the Blessed was asked how she could accept and suffer so happily all the trials that befell her, she replied: "Believe me when I say that the value and greatness of suffering is not known. If we understood it well, we would try our utmost to steal from one another the occasion of suffering."

Father M. de Avila "A 'thanks be to God,' a 'blessed be God,' said in times of adversity have more value than a thousand 'thank you's' in times of prosperity."

St. Francis While ill and suffering severely, St. Francis was told by one of his religious that he should ask God for some relief. But the Saint reprimanded him and, bowing his head, said: "O God, I thank You, if it pleases You, to increase my pains. What could and should be more pleasing to me than that You afflict me, when this is what I desire above everything else?"

St. John Vianney "In order to get to Heaven, we must suffer. Our Lord shows us the way in the person of Simon the Cyrenian; He calls His friends to carry His cross after Him. The Saints suffered everything with joy, patience, and perseverance, because they loved. As for us, we suffer with anger, vexation, and weariness, because we do not love. If we loved God, we should love the crosses, we should wish for them, we should take pleasure in them… We should be happy to be able to suffer for the love of Him who lovingly suffered for us… We must ask for the love of crosses; then they will become sweet." Further, St. John Vianney relates a story where a good religious complained one day to Our Lord that he was being persecuted. He said, 'O Lord, what have I done to be treated thus?' Our Lord answered him, "And I, what had I done when I was led to Calvary?' Then the religious understood; he wept, he asked pardon and dared not complain anymore.

St. John Chrysostom "If God were to grant you the gift of raising the dead. He would be giving you much less than when He permits you to suffer. In fact, with the gift of miracles, He makes you His debtor, but with sufferings He makes Himself your debtor. And if you sufferings should not be rewarded in any other way but to be able to suffer a little for that God Who loves you, would not this be a sufficiently great recompense in itself? He who loves understands what I mean."

St. Vincent de Paul "To have everything go along smoothly, according to one's desires and without having anything to suffer for the love of God should be considered a great misfortune not only for individuals, but also for the Congregation as a whole. Yes, you may be certain that a person or Congregation that does not suffer and is praised by the whole world is heading for a fall! We must remember that all incapacity and distress is sent to us by God. Life and death, health and sickness, are all ordered by Him; and in whatever form they come, it is always to help us and for our good."

St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina wrote to a spiritual daughter: "Suffering is my daily bread, my delight. I suffer when I do not suffer if there is some instant in my life without suffering. Crosses are the jewels of the Spouse and I am jealous of them. Woe to whoever puts himself between me and the cross!"

St. Gertrude the Great "Bodily and spiritual affliction are the surest sign of Divine predilection. Gratitude for suffering is a precious jewel for our heavenly crown… Man should always firmly believe that God sends just that trial which is most beneficial for him."

St. Theresa of Lisieux "Suffering is the very best gift He has to give us. He gives it only to His chosen friends."

St. Alphonsus Liguori "You ought to thank God when He chastises you; for His chastisements are a proof that He loves you. And receives you into the number of His children. 'Whoever the Lord loves,' says St. Paul, 'He chastises, and He scourges every son whom He receives.' (Heb 12:6)" The sick sometimes complain that in sickness they can do nothing; but they err; for, in their infirmities they can do all things, by accepting their sufferings with peace and resignation."

St. Faustina "Suffering is the greatest treasure on earth. It purifies the soul, True love is measured by the thermometer of suffering."

St. Francis and St. Andrew Avellino When they passed a day without suffering something for the love of God, they felt that God has forgotten them and had abandoned them.

St. Elizabeth Seton "Can you expect to go to Heaven for nothing? Did not our dear Saviour track the whole way to it with His blood and tears?"

St. Madeleine Sophie Barat "We must suffer in order to go to God. We forget this truth far too often."

St. Theophane Venard "Suffering is the money with which one buys Heaven."

St. Ignatius Loyola If God causes you to suffer much, it is a sign that He has great designs for you, and that He certainly intends to make you a Saint. And if you wish to become a great Saint, entreat Him yourself to give you much opportunity for suffering; for there is no wood better to kindle the fire of holy love than the wood of the cross, which Christ used for His own sacrifice of boundless charity."

St. Teresa of Calcutta "Suffering is not a punishment, not a fruit of sin. It is a gift of God. He allows us to share in His suffering and to make up for the sins of the world."

Thomas a Kempis "Nothing is more pleasing to God, or more profitable for you, than to suffer gladly for Christ… Had there been a better way than suffering for the good of a person's soul, Our Lord would have certainly shown it by word and example. But since there was not, He clearly urged his disciples and all those who wishes to follow Him to carry the cross, saying, "Whoever wishes to be My follower must deny his very self, take up his cross each day, and follow in My steps." (Lk 9:3)

Date: Feast of the Visitation of Our Heavenly Mother, May 31, 2011. The above message is for slow meditation. In the form of a flyer, it is obtained from a gentleman whose initials are known as P. C. This site, therefore, is dedicated to him in recognition of his more-than-a-decade-long devotion of spreading anonymously varying Christian messages similar to this one. Praise God!