Prayer of Suffering
Maria Valtorta, 1944 Notebook
I know, O Lord, that the days on which You have me weep more, are the ones on which You have me gain more.
Thank You, then, for having me weep.
I know, O Lord, that the days on which You have me suffer more, are the ones on which You have me relieve the pains of others more.
Thank You, then, for having me suffer.
I know, O Lord, that the days on which You have me agonize more, because You conceal Yourself, are the ones on which You go to my poor brother who is lost.
Thank You, then, for this agony.
I know, O Lord, that the day on which You leave upon me the bitter wave of desolation, which already tastes like the salt of despair, is the day on which I restore a despairing brother to You.
Thank You, then, for this bitter wave.
I know, O Lord, that the darkness making me blind, the hunger making me languish, and the thirst making me die, for Your sake, because of You, serves to give You Light, Fount and Food back to those dying all deaths.
Thank You, then, for my darkness, my hunger, and my thirst.
I know, O Lord, that my spiritual deaths on Your cross are resurrections.
Thank You, then, for having me die.
Because I believe, Lord, that everything You do to me is for my good, for a good end, for the glory of God, the supreme Good.
because I believe I will recover all of this, when seeing You removes the memory of all the pain undergone;
because I believe that my joy will be increased by every act of suffering;
because I believe that joy will be adorned with the names of those I have helped to save with my suffering;
because I believe that for the victims, there is not Justice, by only Love;
because I believe that our meeting will be a smile and a kiss, Your kiss, Jesus as Love which will dry away every trace of my tears;
because I believe all of this, I thank You for my numberless thorns, and love You with multiplied love.
You have given me not Mary's (of Bethany) part, which is the better one, but Your own, which is the perfect part: The Cross.
Thank You, Jesus.
