Love is stronger than suffering

When lived in God and offered up in love, adversity is not always an obstacle to joy. Suffering is not necessarily an impasse.

Marthe knew that she was deeply loved by the Lord. Against all odds and despite the progress of her illness, she believed that he would never abandon her. This was the foundation of her joy.
"Jesus is all mine and I am all his. […] He is my joy... he is my heaven... he is all the happiness of my life! I love him too much for him to abandon me," she said in 1931.

Like St Paul, Marthe was certain that nothing, no event, not even her illness could separate her from the love of God. God's power is manifested in his weakness. Her default position was one of trust and confidence:

There is no joy in living for oneself, closed in on oneself... Joy comes from the gift of oneself. And Marthe realised that even though she was sick and bedridden, she could give a lot…
"First, your mood can affect everything around you for good or bad; then, you can give your heart, soul and kindness. One thing always remains and it is within everyone's grasp: the joy of others... Giving a little peace, courage, hope and prompting a smile, all these are acts of grace and there is no need to be on your feet or healthy to accomplish them. On the contrary, nothing is more understanding than great pain.”

Consequently, in order to radiate joy and peace around her, Marthe chose to remain discreet about the pain she suffered almost constantly:

At the heart of adversity, Marthe knew that Jesus was always with her, even when she suffered, and this was her joy:

She knew above all that with Jesus, the pain can be transfigured:

In contemplating Jesus suffering for us, Marthe found the link between suffering and love:

Marthe did not glorify suffering, but she embraced it because she knew that if she gave it to Jesus, if she united her suffering with that of Jesus suffering for us, then her own suffering would then become useful, even fruitful:

The testimony of her prayer on Fridays, when she was united to Jesus in his Passion, is overwhelming... it is a hymn of love and blessings: "Bless my parents. Bless my dad, bless my mum, bless my brother... Bless my sisters... bless all their children... Bless France, my country... Bless my parish that I love so much [...] may your will be done... may it be fulfilled in people's souls in particular..."
"O my Jesus, so many sins! But your mercy is infinite. You have forgiven them so many times that you will forgive them again, since I am asking you with all my sufferings.”