FACING SUFFERING

Courage and Hope in the Face of Human Suffering

In countless forms—sharp, violent, dull, lacerating, tenacious—pain deteriorates the body and overwhelms the spirit. It abounds in the lives of the poor and ruins those of the rich. It makes children cry, mutilates the bodies of young people, marks the faces of adults, and bends the backs of the elderly. From cradle to grave, suffering is our relentless executioner. Work and pleasure, dependence and freedom, virtue and vice, love and hate—all can make us suffer. Pain is part of our human condition. We might say that we cease to be children when we discover that our mother's kiss does not completely heal our sorrows…

This book aims to serve as an aid in facing pain with dignity and realism, evoking some of the most practical aspects of its psychological, social, care-related, philosophical, and spiritual facets. To this end, after acknowledging the complexity of the issue, she presents a series of reflections aimed at understanding the ultimate reason for pain and confronting it meaningfully. Furthermore, with the non-professional reader in mind, she offers simple resources for facing one's own suffering with serenity and that of others with solidarity and tact. Her goal is to help combat and cope with the reality of pain as much as possible. With courage and hope.