How do you know that God cares when I see so much suffering? He doesn't answer my
prayers and sometimes I wonder why we pray for God's will if that is what he is going to do anyway. Why do we go to confession if we can ask God to forgive us?
-Mark
Mark - thanks for the question and a pretty difficult one at that.. Suffering in the world is one the hardest things to make sense out of, especially when innocent people go through some pretty bad stuff. Suffering can be caused by a lot of different things. 1) Sometimes we suffer b/c of the choices that we make. If you live life apart from God and how God intends you to live, then you are not going to experience the happiness and joy God wants to give you, i.e. you suffer in a way. Actions and choices have consequences. 2) Sometimes we suffer because of the actions of other people. If we stand up for what is right, people may make fun of us and laugh at us etc., those people can cause us to suffer, even when we tried to do the right thing. One step further, and this is difficult, think to 11 Sept. 2001 and all the innocent lives that were lost and the sufferings that resulted. That suffering was caused by those who chose to do those horrible acts. God did not cause the suffering, but He was there to guide us after that tragedy, especially those who were directly affected.Let me tell you prayer DOES work - but not always as we intend. If we are praying for something that is not really good for us, then God cannot give us what we want, even if we keep asking. Think about a little kid who asks his parents to let him drink Clorox, the parents will always say no no matter how much the child asks, why, b/c the effect will be bad if he drinks Clorox, no matter how good he may think it is. God knows what is really good for us, on the other hand, we don't always know what is good for us. God can only give us those things that are truly and eternally good for us. So He is always listening, but he answers by giving us what is really good for us. That is why we should always end our prayers by saying 'God not what i want but what you know is good for me - not my will your will be done.' This answer is to long, so write back in a week and i will answer the Confession question. Thanks for asking, great question, it's hard to make sense and see things from God's perspective, but keep trying, keep asking and God will listen and will act in your life - BE OPEN TO RECEIVE.
Pax Christi..