To be human is to suffer physically, emotionally, and spiritually. In addition to our own suffering, we also encounter the suffering of those around us. While the world of medicine attempts to relieve suffering and the media tries to sell us on a life without pain, only the Church offers the perspective that suffering has meaning. St. John Paul II said that suffering without meaning can lead to despair, but if we can attach meaning to our suffering, we are capable of going through anything.