“Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance.” These words from St Paul are incredibly direct. They do not suggest that suffering is optional, nor do they frame it as something purely negative. Rather, they give us a sense that we should rejoice in our sufferings and be grateful for them. This season of Lent, when many of us take on small sacrifices and discomforts in order to grow closer to Christ, is an especially good time to reflect on suffering and how we should approach it. Suffering is simply part of life. It is unavoidable. And it is obvious from quotations such as this, as well as Christ’s command to “take up your cross and follow me”, that we are called to suffer.
So how should we as Catholics approach this suffering? Based on St Paul’s words, it would seem that the appropriate attitude is not one of avoidance, nor even of white-knuckled endurance, but rather of gratitude. Paul does not say to tolerate suffering. He says to glory in it. He then says that suffering produces perseverance, which St Augustine defines as the grace by which we remain faithful until death. Interestingly, we can observe something similar in the way the brain responds to painful or stressful experiences. The more we endure suffering and consciously embrace it, the more we are able to endure. If perseverance is the highest and most difficult form of this endurance, then it makes sense that glorying in suffering would lead to perseverance.
To understand the biological dimension, it is helpful to look at two types of chemicals in the brain: endorphins and dynorphins. Endorphins are “feel-good” chemicals produced by the central nervous system that alleviate pain, reduce stress and improve mood. They act as a reward system for behaviours such as exercising, spending time in sunlight or being with loved ones. They reinforce actions that are beneficial and generate feelings of wellbeing.
Their counterparts are dynorphins, which are released when we are doing something painful or stressful in order to prompt us to stop. Dynorphins are associated with discomfort, agitation or even a sense of being trapped. Their purpose is protective. They encourage us to remove ourselves from situations that might harm us. This serves an evolutionary function, since genuinely dangerous situations can injure or even kill us. However, as rational beings, we are capable of discerning between stress that leads to growth and stress that genuinely threatens our wellbeing.
For example, practices such as cold plunges or saunas can offer health benefits, including improved circulation and enhanced mental clarity. Yet the immediate sensation of extreme cold or heat can trigger the release of dynorphins, prompting us to withdraw. The discomfort feels like a threat. To reap the benefits, we often have to endure that initial wave of discomfort until the body adjusts. With repeated exposure to manageable stressors, we can increase our tolerance.
What is especially striking is the role that mindset plays in this process. Dynorphins are released when the brain interprets something as a threat or as purely negative. If we view a cold plunge as pointless or harmful, our body responds accordingly. But when we reframe the experience as an opportunity for growth and approach it with gratitude, our perception shifts. When the intellect recognises a potential good, and the will chooses to pursue it, the stressor is no longer interpreted in quite the same way. In this sense, gratitude can transform the experience of suffering, reducing its perceived threat and strengthening our capacity to endure.
This insight resonates with St Paul’s exhortation to “glory in our sufferings”. To see suffering as an opportunity for growth, rather than something merely to survive, strengthens our ability to persevere. This applies not only to physical discomfort but to the many forms of suffering that arise in daily life. Approaching hardship with gratitude rather than resentment fosters peace and resilience.
St Paul teaches that this glorying in suffering produces perseverance, which St Augustine describes as the grace enabling a believer to remain faithful until the end of life. This theological understanding casts the biological analogy in a deeper light. In the final moments of life, one may face pain, fear and the sorrow of leaving loved ones. If we have spent our lives fleeing suffering or resenting it, we may be overwhelmed. But if we have gradually learned to meet suffering with gratitude, we may be better prepared.
Lent offers a privileged opportunity to cultivate this disposition – to prepare not only for Easter, but for death itself. By training both mind and body to interpret suffering as a path to growth and grace, we cultivate perseverance. In doing so, we deepen our trust in Christ and strengthen our hope of eternal salvation.
