GROW IN FAITH: YOUTH – Suffering and God

Why Does God Allow It?

Opening Prayer

Lord,
You are good and You are powerful.
Help me understand suffering honestly.
Strengthen my faith when I struggle to see Your purpose.
Amen.

Part One

The Question

Few questions trouble people more than this:

If God is good and powerful,
why does suffering exist?

We see:

Illness.
War.
Injustice.
Death.
Personal pain.

The question is not theoretical.

It is personal.

The Church does not dismiss the question.

She takes it seriously.

If suffering disproved God,
faith would collapse.

But the existence of suffering
does not logically eliminate God.

It demands explanation.

Pause and Reflect

Have I ever felt anger or confusion toward God because of suffering?

Do I avoid the question, or face it honestly?

Part Two

Freedom and Consequence

Some suffering results from human freedom.

If freedom is real,
so is the possibility of harm.

If God prevented every harmful action,
freedom would not be real.

The Church teaches that God created human beings capable of love.

Love requires freedom.

Freedom includes the possibility of rejection.

Much suffering in history comes from:

Violence.
Selfishness.
Abuse of power.

These are not created by God.

They arise from misuse of freedom.

Consider

Would a world without freedom truly allow love?

Can freedom exist without risk?

Part Three

Natural Suffering

Not all suffering comes from human choice.

There is illness.
Natural disaster.
Unexpected tragedy.

The Church does not claim to understand every detail of divine providence.

But she teaches:

Suffering is not meaningless.

If Christ rose from the dead,
then death is not final.

If Christ suffered willingly,
then God is not distant from pain.

God does not stand outside suffering.

In Christ, He enters it.

The Cross does not eliminate suffering.

It transforms its meaning.

Reflect Honestly

When I see suffering, do I assume God is absent?

Have I considered that God may work through suffering in ways I do not see?

Part Four

The Cross and Hope

The Resurrection does not remove the Cross.

It follows it.

Christian faith does not promise a life without pain.

It promises redemption.

Suffering can:

Purify attachment.

Deepen compassion.

Strengthen character.

Unite us to Christ.

This does not make suffering pleasant.

It gives it direction.

If there is no God,
suffering is ultimately pointless.

If Christ conquered death,
then suffering does not have the final word.

Hope does not deny pain.

It anchors it.

Quiet Reflection

Sit quietly.

Bring to mind a personal difficulty.

Ask:

Can this be united to Christ?

Do I trust that God can bring good from it?

Remain in silence.

This Week

Choose one:

• Read the Passion account slowly.
• Reflect on how suffering shaped a saint’s life.
• Pray for someone who is suffering.
• Pray simply: “Lord, strengthen my hope.”

Closing Prayer

Lord,
You entered into suffering for our salvation.
Strengthen my faith when I struggle.
Give me hope beyond pain
and courage to trust You.
Amen.