We all, at one time or another, have felt "put upon" or "taken advantage of", or even "persecuted" in one way or another. Maybe it's our family members, or co-workers, or classmates, or neighbors, or fellow parishioners, who are causing us to feel miserable. Maybe a chance remark has crushed us, or maybe we have to deal every day with someone's ongoing criticism and nitpicking until we feel we can't stand it another minute. Maybe our grown children have embarrassed us, or maybe our babies won't give us a full hour of sleep at night without interruption! This life is full of tribulations. 

Dom Lawrence Scupoli, in his The Spiritual Combat, says that we should first examine whether we have in any way brought it upon ourselves. If so, we should bear it patiently. Secondly, he says, that even if we are not at fault in this matter, surely there are other things that we've done wrong that we need to make amends for. And even if we feel that we've done nothing wrong for which we have not atoned, we can think about how Our Lord and all the Saints reached Heaven only by "the thorny path of the Cross."

He finishes with these beautiful, consoling words, that can apply to any tribulation:

"But what you ought to have in view on this and all other occasions, is the Will of God, Who loves you so tenderly as to be delighted with every heroic act of virtue you perform, and the return you make by your fidelity and courage to His immense love. Remember likewise that the more unjustly you suffer, and consequently the more grievous your affliction, the greater your merit is in the sight of God. In the midst of your sufferings, adore His judgments, and submit with resignation to His Divine Providence, which draws good from the greatest evils, and makes the very malice of our enemies subservient to our eternal happiness."