GOD'S PERMISSIVE WILL

 

Our Lady of Sorrows

"And we know that to them that love God, all things work together unto good, to such as, according to His purpose, are called to be Saints."

Romans 8:28

I am meditating today upon two topics. First, I implore our Blessed Mother of Sorrows to take my hand and lead me toward Jesus, through this mess of a life that I am enduring at the moment, with the upending of an already strife-filled living situation. She is excellent at keeping her eyes always upon Christ and she can show me how to do this, as well as behaving as an icon of surrender to God's will, our God to whom she always said "yes."

A second, deeper focus is the remembrance that although God allows or permits many things to happen, it does not mean that he WANTS it to happen. This is a meditation upon God's "permissive will."

Recently, Pope Francis made the comment that the existence of a variety of religions is in God's will, and it caused a lot of confusion for many Americans who mostly think of "God's Will" as a positive intention when, in this case, as in others, we are talking about God's permissive will. God allows evil to exist, for instance, otherwise it would not, but that does not mean that he likes or WANTS evil.

The language differences between the language of our pontiff and our American English language are such that there are frequent translations that do not fully convey the meaning of his original language, and in Christian charity, we have to remember this and make an effort to understand him instead of criticizing our Papa simply because we just don't comprehend his original intent.

There are some folks who refuse to believe him when he clarifies it for us, which is a violation of Christian charity. 

Because of our "free will," many things would naturally have to be allowed by God that are not necessarily good, in themselves, but there is a corresponding concept, even deeper yet, that God brings all things to the good for those that believe, which is the subject of the scripture passage of the day.  In His compassion for us, in accordance with His nature which is entirely good, he can make "bad" things turn into "good" and holy things by his active Will that positively wants only the good for us.

How he can manage to do this while permitting all sorts of evil is a mechanism I cannot pretend to understand. I only have faith in Him and that he can transform my suffering circumstances into blissful union with His positive good will. But I have to do my part.

Today, in the midst of such turmoil of life, I focus on God's goodness, and I reassert my faith in it, knowing that He will bring all things to the good for those that believe.

I make an offering of my "free will" so that His positive good will may work in me today.

Amen.

Silver Rose

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