Welcome to our daily rosary meditation. Let's begin in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Let's call to mind all those we've promised to pray for.

Today is the feast of Pope St. John Paul II.

Now we had a couple of meditations on themes from John Paul in July.

Today, a totally different meditation.

But one that I think is very relevant because no one escapes suffering.

One time, after concelebrating Mass with the Holy Father in his private chapel, a priest from Michigan had a brief opportunity to meet the Pope.

Now that priest had a broken leg and stood on crutches as John Paul approached him in the receiving line.

And he said to the Pope with a twinge of humor and self-pity,

I broke my leg. Can I please have your blessing?

John Paul replied,

Don't waste your suffering.

And then the Holy Father raised his hand, blessed the priest,

and then with an open palm,

thumped him on his head.

But, you know, honestly, I need John Paul to thump me on my head because I too often waste my suffering.

Our prayer and our suffering are the most powerful means at our disposal to help our loved ones that are away from God to begin to desire him and grow nearer.

But how often do I waste my suffering by complaining, by being consumed with how to get rid of them?

Obviously, we should try to get rid of our suffering, but most of the time, you can't do anything about it. So we waste all that mental effort and

energy when really the most powerful thing we could do is accept what we can't change, offer it up to Jesus, and offer it

for specific loved ones who have not yet encountered the love of God. So I too need to be

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