an amusing history of St. Catherine of Siena

On Blaming God

I recently followed a thread in the Cancer Survivors Network asking if patients find themselves blaming God for getting cancer. It is seems to be an often asked question, especially by some non-believers, that if there is a God, why does he let bad things happen to good people? I felt compelled to respond in the following way:

We seem to have a compulsion to want to blame someone or something for everything bad that happens to us. Perhaps this a way of finding meaning and understanding in what appears to be an irrational occurrence. Blaming is in fact contrary to divine faith because it is an attempt to try and regain control over what we think is unreasonable.


People of faith spend their whole lives trying to let go of their ego and live solely by the will of God. Just because something happens that I don't like, does that mean God is against me or punishing me? We often will lose or question faith when things don't go our way, but that is not how God works. Our beliefs do not give us permission to dictate to God what we think He should do for us. Rather, isn't faith trusting God to always provide what is best for us, even when we don't understand it?


Furthermore, some find intense trials, like cancer, to be a time of conversion or great deepening of their belief. For me, it has made me see how little control I over myself or things around me, and reminds me that I NEED God even more then ever.

Feel free to add your comments.

Guest Speaker, Ethel Sickert

Ethel Sickert will be guest speaker at St. Bridget Centering Prayer Group on Wednesday, January 12, 2011. Ethel leads the centering prayer group at St. Barnabas Church in Scottsdale, also home of pastor Jim Clark who leads Quiet Day every month.

A video entitled "Thoughts and Distractions" during Centering Prayer" will be shown following our 20 minute centering time. Ethel has been practicing centering prayer for over 20 years and will be available to answer any questions relating to her extensive experience.

Wednesday, January 12th, 2011

6:30pm

St. Bridget Catholic Church, in the Chapel

Te Deum - 5th Century Monastic Chant (Solemn)

Advent Taize Prayer

Join the Crosier Brothers for this special evening of Taize Prayer Service.

Friday, December 17th, 2010
7:00 PM
St. Bridget Catholic Church
2213 N. Lindsey Road
Mesa, AZ 85213
480-924-5255

Keating Video: Guidelines Part II

Thoughts in Solitude

My Lord God,
I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.
And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore, will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.
I will not fear, for you are ever  with me, and you will never leave me  to face my perils alone.

Thomas Merton
from "Thoughts in Solitude"