Thank you for eloquently putting into words what it means to rejoice during a period of pain and grief. The Church's wisdom regarding suffering I personally have found as a convert to be a great treasure. I never understood as a Protestant how to deal with suffering, nor how to rejoice (it was always "bright siding; suffering was something to avoid dwelling on even if one couldn't completely avoid experiencing it). Catholicism keeps showing me that there's so much more depth, dimension and hope to every aspect of faith and life, including grieving the loss of loved ones.
Thank you for eloquently putting into words what it means to rejoice during a period of pain and grief. The Church's wisdom regarding suffering I personally have found as a convert to be a great treasure. I never understood as a Protestant how to deal with suffering, nor how to rejoice (it was always "bright siding; suffering was something to avoid dwelling on even if one couldn't completely avoid experiencing it). Catholicism keeps showing me that there's so much more depth, dimension and hope to every aspect of faith and life, including grieving the loss of loved ones.