The last two days have been filled with news of dying. One is a young woman, 22 years old, lying brain dead in a hospital after an accident. She is a friend of my daughter's and at any time they will decide to remove her respirator. At Mass this morning I was praying for her and her sister and friends who are trying to make some sense of htis tragedy and support each other. And of course, I kept asking "why does God allow this to happen?"
And clear as a person's voice I heard, "He doesn't allow it, but is there with us and helps us heal." As Mass began, I heard the Gospel, which is Jesus teaching the apostles to pray the "Our Father." As I listened to the words, I realized that God is very near to us always and ready to give us what we need. Suffering in this world occurs not because God allows it but rather, it is a part of the human condition. We gain nothing by asking "why" but so much when we ask God to be with us and help us reach out to those in need.
I am not going to list the suffering I have witnessed this week, there is enough, I'm sure, in your life and the world.
God's will is not that we suffer or watch those we love suffer. His will is to reach out, draw us close, and comfort us. Sometimes he uses us to help those who are suffering; other times those who are suffering help us. I am slowly learning to not ask "why" about suffering, but to pray and seek God's will for me in the suffering.
3 comments:
YES!!!! Oh man, I wish I could talk to you about this!! I was just talking to my husband about this concerning the Japan tragedy, and that I had just realized how wrong we are by saying "God took him early." or "Why did God take them now?" etc.
1Cor 10-13 says, something to the effect of: We are not given more than you can bear, but if as are, He gives us a way to get out from under it.
We have to make the decision to have faith and a relationship with our creator and God and let Him work through us. Ask everything in His name, seek the kingdom first and it will be granted!!!
Yes!!! It happened to me when I asked God about martyrdom, I couldn't believe that He would let horrid things happen to such faithful people like St. Agnes. As clear as a voice, but not a voice, I heard the answer, "I chose the stronger ones." WOW!!!
I so get it!
May God bless those around you during this time of death and mourning. You will find the words for these folks...I just know it.
Lenten Hugs!
Ebeth
I have always had trouble with the "God's will" vs "God Allowed" concept with regard to tragedy and I think you make some good points.
Deanna, I went to the EWTN library to find information on the permissive will of God. At New Advent there is this Link on the permissive will of God:http://www.newadvent.org/library/almanac_rumble.htm
God never wills us bad things because it is against His nature. But anything bad that He does allow is for our good - to draw us closer to Him. That's the simple answer.
In the Catechism of the Catholic Church there is also quite a bit on the will of God which requires quite a bit of meditation.
St. Thomas Aquinas in the Summa wrote on the permissive will of God.
When we're suffering from loss or other evils, the one thing we have to keep in mind is that God loves us, and as you wrote, is with us. It's hard to trust, to see with God's eyes, and to plumb the mind of God, but that is part of our journey to Him. We may never understand in this life why certain things happen, but we will understand all in the next.
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