St Paul tells us: "We know all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose." (Rm 8: 28) This message of hope is vital for us when we encounter trials and sufferings of our own or of the Church. St Thomas Aquinas taught that God does not cause evil but allows for it to happen so that a greater good may arise from it. This does not mean that we should cause evil ourselves! It means that the power of God which raised Jesus from the dead is also at work in our present day to bring about his purposes so that even the schemes of the devil are turned to the benefit of God's Kingdom. It remains that Creation, despite the disturbance caused by sin and death, is predestined to be re-created and glorified according to God's plan. This includes us who are united with Christ in baptism and are sealed with the Holy Spirit in confirmation: "For those whom God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the first born among many brothers and sisters." (Rm 8: 29) The promise of being united with Christ in the resurrection means that we can endure patiently the challenges to our faith confident in the power of God to vindicate those who believe in him: "And just as it is appointed for mortals to die once, and after that the judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him." (Heb 9: 27-28)
No comments:
Post a Comment