Yeah that's a long standing Catholic bastardization of the role of suffering in the life of a follower of Christ.

Jesus warned that being his disciple may bring hardship and suffering because of faith in him, but he encourages perseverance despite that suffering. First of all he had to correct a Jewish misnomer that suffering was evidence of being rejected by God. Secondly God does not overlook the experiences of those suffering. Thirdly those suffering experiences cannot even compare to the hope of eternal life.

That does not at all justify some teaching to seek out suffering as a way to be closer to God. There is no spiritual masochism in the bible. Self preservation, praying for and receiving what we need and enjoy each day are not sins or somehow "less" spiritual than the one who is suffering.

It reminds me of the false witnesses in Jesus' trial before the chief priests. The false witness took something Jesus said and twisted it. What they said was "He said he would destroy the temple, and then rebuild something better!", when what he actually said was "If this temple is destroyed, I will build something better". See how word twisting completely changes the meaning.