Why God Allows Suffering

A reflection on today's Responsorial Psalm:

"He spreads snow like wool; frost He strews like ashes” (Psalm 147:16).

During the past San Diego wildfires I heard a woman remark, "I don't think people were meant to live in California, it's full of disasters."

On the contrary, everything that happens is meant to happen, according to God's divine plan. The Catechism teaches that, "Our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases." (CCC, Para. 303) This may sound harsh and often prompts the question, "How can such a loving God allow such suffering?" God allows it because He's loving!

Since God is good all the time, we know His plan must be as well. His reasons are loving because they give us opportunities to seek Him in the course of our own disasters. He heals us through our pain, so instead of asking "Why?", we must learn to accept what comes our way and lean on Him. This allows His plan, which is perfect, to dominate our plan, which lacks His wisdom and greatness. It succeeded for Jesus, who continued to trust His Father through every suffering. Our Father has the same good plan for us, but we must be like Jesus and become a part of it.

God speaks to us in many ways and nature is only one of them. As it is with disasters, we repeatedly see God's goodness amid the chaos around us. Again and again, He uses our circumstances to strengthen and bless us, so when our disaster ends, we must never fail to see what's left in the ruins—the good He intended for us all along.

“Many are the plans in the mind of man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will be established.” (CCC, Para. 303)

Blessed Lent!

Elizabeth