Church Life Today

Suffering is universal. But how do we understand suffering? Does it have meaning? Can it have meaning? And most of all, what is the meaning of suffering in Christian life? Questions like these inform the work of my guest today, Dr. Mark Giszczak, author of the new book Suffering: What Every Catholic Should Know. Dr. Giszczak is Professor of Sacred Scripture at the Augustine Institute Graduate School of Theology, where he teaches a course on the Theology of Suffering that gave rise to this new book. In our discussion today we will talk about whether and how God suffers, how Christians might suffer well, obstacles to suffering well, and the importance of confronting rather than perpetually running from death.Follow-up Resources:Suffering: What Every Catholic Should Know, by Mark GisczakSalvici Doloris, Apostolic Letter by John Paul II“The Mystery of Love and the Redemption of Suffering,” by Lorenzo Albacete, essay in Church Life JournalThis episode is sponsored by Saint Meinrad Seminary: Register for the Saint