If this were only a comedy routine, I would laugh, alas; it is not!

When St. Paul is persecuted, despite a thousand tribulations, he remains firm in his faith and encourages others to hope in the Lord. Pope Francis was inspired by the passage from the Acts of the Apostles, in the First Reading, to dwell on these three points: tribulations, trust and peace – saying that to enter the Kingdom of God, one must "go through dark times, difficult times." The Christian bears tribulations with courage However, he warned, "this is not a sadomasochistic attitude", rather, it is "the Christian struggle" against the prince of this world who tries to tear us away "from the word of Jesus, from faith, from hope.""To endure the tribulations" is a phrase, the Pope pointed out, that the Apostle Paul uses frequently:

From Psychology Today: "Sadomasochism can be defined as the giving or receiving of pleasure, often sexual, from the infliction or reception of pain or humiliation. It can feature as an enhancement to sexual pleasure, or, in some cases, as a substitute or sine qua non. The infliction of pain is used to incite sexual pleasure, while the simulation of violence can serve to form and express attachment. Indeed, sadomasochistic activities are often initiated at the request of, and for the benefit of, the masochist, who often directs activities through subtle emotional cues."

From Merriam-Webster: "Sexual behavior that involves getting pleasure from causing or feeling pain."

The Free Dictionary Online: "The combination of sadism and masochism, in particular the deriving of pleasure, especially sexual gratification, from inflicting or submitting to physical or emotional abuse."