Why do bad things happen to good people?

From the time that we were small children we have been taught to pray for our intentions and those of others. “Ask and you shall receive.” We have novenas, the Rosary, St. Jude, St. Anthony, the Memorare: “Remember, Oh most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known,” and on and on and on. Indeed this is a wonderful building block for nurturing our faith, but what are we to think when we pray and pray and pray and “nothing” happens? Are years of catechism and instruction the very things that throw us into despair? In our limited humanity, it is only natural to feel betrayed by broken promises. Perhaps, however, it is not a matter of broken promises but rather our inability to comprehend the plans of an Omnipotent Being who knows us better than we know ourselves.

The first thing that we all need to acknowledge deep within ourselves is that He loves us. Anyone who doubts this should watch The Passion—over and over again, if necessary. Pay close attention to the Agony in the Garden which was brought on by our sins. Listen as Christ, through His human nature, begs the Father to spare Him and then obediently replies, “So be it.” Learn of true humility and meekness when He is mocked and crowned with thorns. Count the wounds on His ravaged body and walk with Him, exhausted, to Calvary. Is there anyone on this earth who could ever love us more than that?

 

Like it or not, the only way we pay attention is when we suffer. When God the Father sent His only Son to earth to redeem us for our sins and open the gate to Heaven, He didn’t throw a celebration and announce, “Welcome to Paradise!” Instead, we were saved through incomprehensible suffering and agony. What do most of us do when there is tragedy and turmoil? Pray! How many times has the world faced an insurmountable crisis (war, famine, disease) that didn’t result in thousands of prayers being lifted up to Heaven? It’s a reality check. Suffering reminds us that Someone else is in control. We are so submerged in this world that it is virtually impossible not to get sidetracked. As a loving Father, He prudently sends us a reminder and draws us back into His loving arms.

 We are held prisoner by our senses—our only way of taking in information, so to speak. We respond to physical discomfort, emotional pain, anxiety, grief, joy. These are all characteristics of our earthly body that tell us who and how we are. Yet there is a much deeper, more interior presence that cannot be detected through these senses. That is our very soul where God, Himself, resides. This is the very place where the sculptor does His work—and He uses the experiences in our lives to mold us into a beautiful work of art, worthy of Paradise.

PRIDE

It has been said that pride is the greatest cause of sin. How often have we submerged ourselves in the material world in order to keep up with the Joneses? We plunge ourselves into debt to have the nicest car, the biggest home. Christmas has become a tragic abomination and mockery of its true meaning. That sinking, depressing letdown that overtakes our spirit after all the presents have been opened and the eggnog is gone shows us that there is no true or lasting joy in “things”. Fewer and fewer Christmas lights go up in the neighborhood. Once a symbol that Christ is a light in the darkness, it is now just a drudgery that is foregone because working parents are too exhausted and overextended to care.

There is a reason that the Ten Commandments were written in stone. They aren’t the “Ten Suggestions”; they are COMMANDments. God didn’t give us the Commandments because He likes to push us around. He gave them to us because He knew that we needed them to survive spiritually. Much in the same way that we warn our children not to touch the stove or run out into the street, He knows the ramifications of worldliness and pride. Yet when we choose—through our pride and self-will—to do what we please, ultimately it will snowball into disaster. No good can come from breaking the Ten Commandments.

FREE WILL

God gave us all a free will. Occasionally, when it fits into His plan, He will intervene. More often than not, however, He just lets nature take its course. Consequently, we are at the mercy of not only our free will but that of others. We can’t blame God for the actions of others. “Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.” It is our responsibility to avoid temptation as much as possible. If you lay down with dogs, you will get fleas (and possibly lose your soul).

MERIT AND MARTYRDOM

There are times when God asks us to suffer so that others may gain merit. After we die, most of us will spend some time in Purgatory. At that point we are incapable of gaining merit or alleviating the purgation. It is while we are here on earth that our sins can still be mitigated. Assisting the poor, the sick and the hungry are prime opportunities for us to gain that merit. Charity is the highest act of love. Christ, Himself, spoke of the Good Samaritan and wants us to follow His example of love for our neighbor. Not one to waste or mince words, there was a reason that He took the time to speak of charity.
 

In the same tone, there are times when He asks us to be a martyr for Him. That does not necessarily mean being thrown to the lions. Perhaps we become homeless or incurably ill. Not only do we gain merit by our own suffering, but we also provide an opportunity for someone else, through acts of charity, to do the same.
 

DOCILITY

Before a surgeon begins to operate on a patient, the first step is to knock the patient out cold. How can he heal the patient if he or she is squirming in protest? It is necessary for the patient to be totally submissive to the surgeon’s work. Likewise, before the Holy Ghost can “enkindle in us the fire of His love,” we must become docile to Him. Unfortunately, oftentimes His efforts are met with anger, pride and despair. When everything in life goes wrong, when roadblocks seem to pop up everywhere, perhaps we are being “spiritually anesthetized” to allow God to begin the healing process. There are those of us who feel as if we have been beaten to death – lying on the ground with our faces in the mud and still being kicked in the side. We have a choice to either revolt in anger or submit ourselves to His will. We can turn our backs on Him and “blame” Him or we can ask for the wisdom to know His will and the courage to accept it. In times such as these it is more important than ever to throw ourselves into His arms and wait. Pray. Receive the Sacraments that were given to us by Christ just for this reason—to flood us with the graces to understand and follow His lead.

HUMILITY

Most of us who are pursuing spiritual growth have—at one time or another—thought of ourselves as the masters of our salvation. Proudly, we feel that we can attain perfection on our own. The truth of the matter is that we cannot so much as utter a Hail Mary if not for the grace of God. When our life falls apart and all of our plans seem to dissipate, we begin to realize that we actually have no control over our lives. As despair begins to creep into our hearts it is only then that we come to understand who is really in charge. Once relying upon ourselves, we find our strength reduced to nothing and slowly become detached from our self-confidence and pride. At that point do we turn to God like a child taking refuge in his father’s arms.

Much like childbirth, the beginning of life requires pain—whether it be physical or spiritual. When parents-to-be take childbirth classes it is no guarantee that it will lessen the physical suffering, but somehow understanding why gives them the hope to persevere. If we can only focus on God’s love for us and trust that He is in charge, we, too will find the strength to sustain us through the labor pains of new life. Humility, self-abandonment to Divine Providence and the Sacraments are the tools that will get us there.