Let us reflect on St. Teresa of Avila’s The Way of Perfection,
26:2-6:
“If you are experiencing trials or are sad, behold Him on the way to
the garden: what great affliction He bore in His soul; for having
become suffering itself. Or behold Him bound to the column, filled
with pain, with all His flesh torn in pieces for the great love He
bears you; so much suffering, persecuted by some, spit on by others,
denied by His friends, abandoned by them, with no one to defend Him,
frozen from the cold, left so alone that you can console each other.
Or behold Him burdened with the cross, for they didn’t even let Him
take a breath. He will look at you with those eyes so beautiful and
compassionate, filled with tears; He will forget His sorrows so as to
console you in your, merely because you yourselves go to Him to be
consoled, and you turn your head to look at Him. If it’s true, Lord,
that You want to endure everything for me, what is this that I suffer
for you? Of what am I complaining? I am already ashamed, since I have
seen You in such a condition. I desire to suffer, Lord, all the trials
that come to me and esteem them as a great good enabling me to imitate
You in something. Let us walk together, Lord. Where You go, I will go;
whatever you suffer, I will suffer.”