Homily

Someone I know had to do some business with an attorney and they asked me if I would go with them for moral support. Interesting that when the lawyer came in he did not introduce himself to me, so I introduced myself to him. "Good to meet you, Father," he said. Now, here in Oregon, the way he said that made me think that he was very probably Catholic. I can't exactly tell you what it is that makes me think that. It might be because of the way people use the title "Father" so easily that tips me off to Catholic roots, because non-Catholics here seem to have a difficult time using that form of address.

The three of us sat down and he mentioned that he had attended a boarding school for boys, during his high school years at a Benedictine monastery in North Dakota. He was from Montana. I could tell by his expression that those were not the best days of his life. "Were they rough on you?"

"Oh, yes." Then they got to discussing business, and after some time, most of that discussion seemed to be over. He turned to me and said, "I never could understand the way God acts, like in the Book of Job when He causes so much suffering for this poor man who never did anything wrong."

Needless to say, I was rather surprised by this comment. "Well, actually God does not make Job suffer. Satan is the one who causes all the misery. God simply allows that to happen." He looked at me rather strangely, so I went on. "Actually that making-Job-suffer business is really just a dramatic device to get to the discussion of the real business that the book is centered on, and that's a discussion of the central theme, "Why do the good suffer and the evil can seem to prosper?"

The man answered with, "I just can't believe in a God who allows so much suffering to go on in this world and just sits back and lets it happen. There is so much violence and death and human misery. How can there be a God who permits it to continue?"

"I don't see God as sitting back and watching people suffer. I see God who is very much involved in the lives of His people in His great love for all of mankind. He even became a man to share in our humanity both in what is good, but also in suffering, for our sake, not His own."

The attorney replied, "You know my mother was a faithful Catholic all her life." Then he started talking about the Ukrainian holocaust under Stalin, all the millions murdered by the Nazis and then the other communists, the deaths of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and how horrible mankind can be, how evil and cruel. It's obvious he has spent a great deal of time thinking on these things. He stopped for a few moments and then he turned back to his client to finish up the business, and since I was not paying by the hour I kept my mouth shut so they could finish.

There is a real story here with this man and his faith. I don't know what it is, of course, but having a priest in front of him, he felt almost compelled to bring it up. Isn't that interesting? Now, it is true that it is a mystery in certain sense to see the problem of suffering good people in this world, while many evil people do well. It's a mystery that cannot be completely explained by me here today. You'll have to come back next week. But let me make just a few points here.

I understand the man's difficulty in faith. How can God allow such suffering? You've probably heard people say this, and you may even have thought it yourself. I find it very interesting that such people believe the world ought to be good, that people ought to be kind, loving, cooperative, helpful, and supportive of one another. And when they do the opposite, and treat one another with cruelty and pain and death, it is God's fault for allowing it. Or else it is a proof that there is no God, because a real God would not allow it to happen.

Why do people hold to the idea that humanity's natural state is to be good and not evil? Look at nature. Squirrels fight each other over territory, crows steal food from each other, some baby birds kill their siblings in the nest, and cats will never be loyal to you no matter how many years you feed them. But if you believe that people should act differently, why do you believe that? Why do you think people should be naturally good, and if they are not, it is God's fault, so you refuse to deal with God? Or why do you think that if people can be so cruel and merciless to others it is a proof that there is no God? These arguments are often used by people.

Isn't it interesting how rarely, if ever, you hear someone say, "I can't understand the kindness of people to strangers, or why people would care about someone who is not family or friend. I can't understand why people would give money to feed the poor in other countries, or medicine to heal the sick they don't even know, or help provide housing for those without shelter. There must be a God." You never hear that do you?

And I'm not sure why people think that divine justice is limited to life on this earth. We believe in everlasting justice that is yet to come, not in this life but in the life after this life. Why must the justice of God be limited to an earthy time and place? And, just asking do you really favor absolute justice for yourself and your actions, right here and now, and all the time? Or would you rather experience some mercy and more time to do better before you're judged?

I suspect the attorney, and probably most people like him, have fallen away from a relationship with God because of some great personal tragedy or problems they have suffered from. So today at Liturgy, I remember him in my prayer, and I'll send him a little note saying it was good to meet him, and if he wants, I'd be glad to meet with him again to discuss these matters. So, if you would, mention him to the Lord today, and also all those who may struggle with faith it would be good. And we, who have been shown mercy, can ask the most Merciful to come to their aid, and to ours as well.