I would like to add one small note, not negligible for everyday life. Part of a certain form of devotion, perhaps less commonly practiced today but still quite widespread until recently, was the idea that small daily struggles, which burden us and come unexpectedly like small, more or less perceptible stings, can be "offered up," thus giving them meaning. In this devotion, there were undoubtedly many unhealthy and excessive aspects, yet we must ask whether it also contained something essential that could be useful. What does it actually mean to "offer up"? These people were convinced that they could incorporate their small struggles and worries into one great sharing in Christ's suffering, thereby contributing to the great treasury of compassion-empathy that humanity desperately needs. Thus, even the small inconveniences of everyday life could gain meaning and contribute to the overall balance of good and love among people. Perhaps we should ask ourselves if there are hidden possibilities here for us as well.
(Pope Benedict XVI, encyclical Spe salvi, no. 40)
