Suffering has its own languages. According to Warren Thomas Reich, suffering possesses three kinds of languages that specifically describe its peculiar nature.

The first kind of language suffering possesses is that of “lament”. By this we mean the sufferer’s voicing of her/his own pain. Lament can be beneficial in that the person who is suffering can express what s/he is feeling during the rough time s/he is going through. The Bible has a whole literature on lament. In his article “Speaking of suffering: A Moral Account of Compassion”, Reich pointed out that “Psalms of lament, for example, are not lyrics of submissiveness but the sufferer’s expression of their own innocence, of their desire to be heard and of their petition for a sustaining, caring presence. The voice of lament can play a crucial role in growth through and beyond suffering”.

The second kind of language suffering has, is story. The story grows out of a trusting relationship between the sufferer and the one who is caring for her/him. For a story to be therapeutic it has to be recounted in dialogue. Thanks to the sufferer’s story, suffering starts having a face, a name, and emotions. It becomes personalized. By recounting her/his story, the person attempts to recreate her/his painful, as well as dislocating past, distance herself/himself from it or put it in context, and as a result take some control of the experience by putting her/his past behind her/him.

The third kind of language suffering adopts is interpretative. Any suffering story is told in order for meaning to be found in it. When the person tries to interpret and comprehend it, s/he endeavours to picture herself/himself as a victim or a victor, a fighter or a survivor. Like the patriarch Jacob in the Bible s/he hopes to triumph over suffering so as to acquire a new name and identity.

Suffering’s three languages are lament, story and interpretation. It is important that as we listen to the sufferer’s story we give the person affirmation in her/his search for a new story that will validate the new self that emerges from her/his pain vis-à-vis her/his hope and meaning in life.

These three languages of lament, story and interpretation help us to accompany the suffering person during her/his gradual and total transformation through her/his suffering story.

Fr Mario Attard OFM Cap

San Gwann