Mother Frances Streitel: Suffering that led to inner strength

Amalia Frances Rose Streitel aka Mother Frances Streitel, Foundress of the Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother, and, as a Maria Stern Franciscan, known as Sister Angela. As indicated in the previous blog, both the Pastor, Reverend Beckert, who is the one who gave the position to another person,  and Sister Angela were physically sick from the events surrounding the administrative position (both suffered loss of appetite and insomnia).  In regard to Sister Angela, there was also a Sister Elizabeth involved in the painful events, as Sister Angela in a letter to her superior general says: “I received Sister Elizabeth’s letter and I say over and over again thanks be to God for the dispensation, thanks for every humiliation, thanks for everything!”  We do not know what “dispensation” means. One definition is “allowance”, so is Sister Angela thanking the Lord for allowing Sister Elizabeth to do what she did that humiliated Sister Angela? Another definition is “indulgence”—in what did Sister Elizabeth indulge that led to significant pain?  Or is Sister Elizabeth’s involvement positive? We do not know the answer to those questions. We do know that Sister Angela thanked God for the suffering and pain that He allowed. Genuinely thanking God for the pain in our lives does not come easily. We know that Jesus’ suffering and pain, including His crucifixion and death on the cross, led to our salvation. My contention is that Sister Angela experienced the salvific dimension of her suffering, was consequently a stronger person, and was led closer to her Redeemer. With those graces, she could genuinely say “Thank you, God.” Times when I have handled suffering heroically, not giving in to attacking the persons who caused me pain, not retaliating, not gossiping, I come through the suffering a much healthier person, stronger in my faith, more Christian. I am then able to say: Thank you Lord!  How have you suffered in a way similar to Sister Angela’s sufferings and what has helped you? How has suffering made you or a loved one stronger in the Lord?