Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people? 309 If God the Father almighty, the Creator of the ordered and good world, cares for all his creatures, why does evil exist?... Why did God not create a world so perfect that no evil could exist in it? With infinite power God could always create something better. But with infinite wisdom and goodness God freely willed to create a world "in a state of journeying" towards its ultimate perfection…With physical good there exists also physical evil as long as creation has not reached perfection. 311 Angels and men, as intelligent and free creatures, must journey toward their ultimate destinies by their free choice and preferential love. They can, therefore go astray. Indeed, they have sinned. And because of the Original Sin of the first two humans, the harmony with creation is broken. Human sin brought sickness, disease, natural disasters and death into our world. The only way God could change this would be to remove free will from angels, Satan, and humans. But this would make us pets rather than persons capable of sharing in the Life of God forever. Better to suffer the stuff of this life than be a pet for a short time. Yes, the troubles which are soon over, though they weigh little, train us for the carrying of a weight of eternal glory which is out of all proportion to them. 311 God is in no way, directly or indirectly, the cause of moral evil. He permits it, however, because he respects the freedom of his creatures and, mysteriously, knows how to derive good from it: (St. Augustine writes) “For almighty God. . ., because he is supremely good, would never allow any evil whatsoever to exist in his works if he were not so all-powerful and good as to cause good to emerge from evil itself. St. Catherine of Siena said to "those who are scandalized and rebel against what happens to them": "Everything comes from love, all is ordained for the salvation of man, God does nothing without this goal in mind." 312 In time we can discover that God in his almighty providence can bring a good from the consequences of an evil, even a moral evil, caused by his creatures: "It was not you", said Joseph to his brothers, "who sent me here, but God. . . You meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive." From the greatest moral evil ever committed - the rejection and murder of God's only Son, caused by the sins of all men - God, by his grace that "abounded all the more", brought the greatest of goods: the glorification of Christ and our redemption. 313 "We know that in everything God works for good for those who love him." Romans 8:28 The constant witness of the saints confirms this truth: St. Thomas More, shortly before his martyrdom, consoled his daughter: "Nothing can come but that that God wills. And I make me very sure that whatsoever that be, seem it never so bad in sight, it shall indeed be the best." St. Julian of Norwich: "Here I was taught by the grace of God that I should steadfastly keep me in the faith. . . and that at the same time I should take my stand on and earnestly believe in what our Lord shewed in this time – All shall be well, and all shall be well. All manner of things shall be well.” 324 What God has revealed gives us the certainty that He would not permit an evil if he did not cause a good to come from that very evil, by ways that we shall fully know only in eternal life. What should we do when we face something that appears bad or very difficult? Pray, Think and Do all you can to change it. If you cannot change it, then God has willed it or is allowing it. It is not senseless. It has meaning God is allowing it and using it to bring about a greater good Trust him Accept it Offer it up in love Then it is meritorious for you – for we are rewarded according to our love And our suffering offered up helps save others - especially our loved ones and friends. Col 1:24