God's Answer to Suffering

Tribulation Times

February 17, 2012  

(Luk 23:46) And Jesus crying with a loud voice, said: Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit. And saying this, he gave up the ghost. 

POPE BENEDICT XVI: "At the same time Jesus, at the extreme moment of death, entrusted Himself entirely into the hands of God the Father, communicating to us the certainty that, however difficult our trials ... or burdensome our suffering, we will never fall out of God’s hands, the hands which created us, and which support and accompany us on life’s journey".

PETER KREEFT: God's Answer to Suffering

VIA MANILA: Why did God allow it?

It is heart-wrenching to see on TV the rescuers racing against time to save helpless people pinned under collapsed walls, hit by debris, or buried by landslides caused by a powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake in the Negros Island.

What was dramatically heartbreaking was a girl in La Libertad, Negros Oriental, who phoned for help seconds before tons of soil flattened their houses.  Hoping against hope, rescue workers frantically dug the location and unearthed the poor girl but sadly, she died – still clutching her cell phone.

The death of the girl along with more than 50 casualties and thousands of devastated properties bring us to the question: Why does a good God allow this to happen?  Is He some kind of a sadist, seeing with some kind of twisted pleasure people die or suffer?

Our groping theological answer is, these “tantrums” of Nature or “acts of God” are part of our imperfect world broken by Original Sin.

Still this does not satisfy human reason, considering the death of numerous INNOCENT people against the image of a merciful and loving God.

It would be more understandable if it was the evil and corrupt people that perished.  We would say they got their just desserts!

UNJUST SUFFERING.  This highlights the mystery of unjust and undeserved suffering.  It is a problem that cannot be solved but a mystery to be lived.

Think of the unjust sufferings of the righteous Job in the Old Testament.  After he lost his cattle, properties, and finally children to earthquakes and other calamities, he could still say, “God gives.  God takes away.” 

This unjust suffering is also shown graphically in the passion and death of the Lord Jesus Christ.  But it was through His suffering that He saved us.  

Jesus is as though saying, “If I don’t take away all your sufferings, it is not because I can not do it, or because I do not love you enough.  But buried deep within the human nature is the reality that fulfillment comes from the PASSAGE to life through suffering and death.  All I can do is to tell you this...  then ask you to follow me and have faith in Me.” 

FROM THE MAILBAG 
VIA David Hughes: Prayer Before the Image of Divine Mercy

Merciful Jesus, King of Mercy, 
pour new graces into my soul 
from the unfathomable ocean of Divine Mercy — 
as you promised you would into souls who continued 
to seek your mercy through this image 

Let the merits of the blood and water 
which gushed from your heart 
as a fountain of mercy 
purify me from every sin and stain of sin 
and increase your divine life within my soul 

Protect me always under the shelter of these rays, 
and grant me your abundant gifts and blessings 
for you are kind and merciful — 
you love mankind 
and I trust in you with all my heart!

Oh blood and water which gushed forth from the heart of Jesus as a fountain of mercy for us — I trust in you!

Jesus, I trust in you!

Thoughts and Sayings of Saint Margaret Mary: Various Subjects

24. As often as you can, make the following aspiration: I adore Thee and love Thee, O divine Heart of Jesus, living in the heart of Mary; I beseech Thee to live and reign in all hearts and to perfect them in Thy pure love.

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This month's archive can be found at: http://www.catholicprophecy.info/news2.html.

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