On the Christian Meaning of Human Suffering (Salvifici Doloris)
On the Christian Meaning of Human Suffering (Salvifici Doloris ) - Suffering is something which we will all experience in our lives. When we suffer in union with Christ, it can be a source of innumerable graces and blessings, a powerful means through which our lives are transformed and made holy. We saw this example of suffering lived deeply and authentically in the life of the author of this apostolic letter, our Holy Father, Blessed Pope John Paul II. From the very beginning of his priestly ministry, Pope John Paul II identified himself with the sick and the suffering. For him, all human suffering had meaning, value, and purpose. It was his great love for us, his desire to share the message of joy and hope in suffering that inspired him to write Salvifici Doloris. In it, he explores the various ways that we experience suffering in the world, he reflects on the origins of suffering and examines our quest for its meaning, and he shows us how it is only in Christ that we can hope to find any meaning and purpose in our experience of suffering. Reflecting on this document has the potential to change lives. “Be not afraid!”
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Author – Sharon van der Sloot
Sharon van der Sloot is a “woman in the pew” whose enthusiasm for the Endow program led her to launch the first Canadian Endow groups in Calgary, Alberta in September 2008. Since that time, she has continued to be involved in the work of Endow as a writer, facilitator, and member of the Endow Advisory Board. She is presently working to help spread the word about Endow in dioceses throughout Canada. Sharon is married to Henry, and they have three wonderful children.
Sharon would like to thank her husband, Henry, for his love, his encouragement, and his many wonderful suggestions. Thanks also go to Therese Polakovic and Tracy Tomiak; their “yes” (like Mary’s) made the birth of this manuscript possible. She would also like to especially thank Father Jon Budke, LC; without his direction and support, her personal gospel of suffering would never have been written.