who is God? why are we here?

[reen12]

**What is the purpose of life?
**I can safely leave that for the Creator to know.

**Why are we here? **
Linked to the first question. I’m here - so the
Creator must have wanted me to be here.

Is the Creator God?
Yes.

How do I know that God exists?
I base belief - in the existence of God -
on the complex design of living creatures.

Why do human beings suffer?
This requires childlike trust in God,
that He knows why.

Why does evil exist?
It just does. I leave the ‘why’ in the keeping of God.

What am I supposed to be doing?
Trusting that God really does have the whole world in His hands.
Respecting my own human needs - and the human needs of those around me,
while trying to meet the needs of those who are truly helpless.

What of the faith statements of the major world religions?
These express deeply held beliefs about God,
often based on scriptures.

reen12

 

[spauline]

What is the purpose of life?
I can safely leave that for the Creator to know.

We were created by love and for love, to first give and receive love in this world, and eternally in the next. This love that satisfies is the love the Trinity. Happiness on earth is the same as possessing a finite created sharing in this Divine Love. When this Divine Love dwells in us, we are able to love God and others in a manner in which God loves within His Triune Self and how God loves us and others.

Why are we here?
Linked to the first question. I’m here - so the
Creator must have wanted me to be here.

We are here to love God and others and best we can, so as to pass into the love that is Infinite and will never end. All of us will be called to love so much that at times, it will mean suffering. And it will require that we desire the reconciliation of our enemies and the enemies of God with God.

Is the Creator God?
Yes.

Yes.

How do I know that God exists?
I base belief - in the existence of God -
on the complex design of living creatures.

that is a good answer. In addition miracles, and the testimony of Biblical and Catholic history.

Why do human beings suffer?
This requires childlike trust in God,
that He knows why.

for various reasons. but in the most positive sense, the just suffer what they do not deserve so as to proactively unite their sufferings with Christ to help merit their own salvation and those of others. If we had never fallen, there would be no suffering, but now that we have fallen, we have a world that brings greater glory to God than if we had never fallen. Consider the glory of the martyrs, who endured unspeakable tortures and prayed for their persecutors. No greater love than this, to suffer for one’s enemies. Such love is so profound and beautiful, it brings greater glory to the God of redemptive suffering than if there never would have been evil. Is there anything more beautiful than the reconcilation of St. Maria Goretti’s mother with the man who murdered her daughter? No greater beauty. For the 12 year old virgin forgave Alejandro and offered her pain for his conversion. To have mercy brings greater glory to God than if we had never sinned.

Why does evil exist?
It just does. I leave the ‘why’ in the keeping of God.

See above: God’s love was so profound, that He wanted to love His creatures so much as to suffer for them, in order that He might forgive them. God then wanted to give US, his creatures, the possibility to love in this manner as well. The fall therefore enables creatures to love in a greater degree (that is, to suffer for their fellow man) than if the fall had never occurred. This is the central mystery of human suffering.

What am I supposed to be doing?
Trusting that God really does have the whole world in His hands.
Respecting my own human needs - and the human needs of those around me,
while trying to meet the needs of those who are truly helpless.

Seeking out all God’s truth and His graces in every step you take. In this way, you will have happiness, even if you are suffering. For if you are suffering, say to dear Jesus and Mary, “i unite my sufferings with thee and offer them for the world and its sins. O my Jesus, have mercy on me and on the whole world.”

What of the faith statements of the major world religions?
These express deeply held beliefs about God,
often based on scriptures.

reen12

thank you for asking these questions, reen12. I pray that God bless you always.

Love,
scott

 

[reen12]

quote: spauline

thank you for asking these questions, reen12. I pray that God bless you always.

Love,
scott

Thank you, scott. May He walk with you each day, and
you with Him.

I have spent literally a lifetime, trying to make sense of Christian belief, particularly that of Catholic belief. That began 50 years ago this year. *

I reached two conclusions, over the last few days.
-man complicates, not God
-radical trust of God floods life with meaning and peace

Recently, I had written satire, which was not at all called for.
It was in considering this behavior, on my part, that I was
finally brought to the point of asking What do I believe?

Thank you for your kindness, scott.

reen*

 

[spauline]

quote: spauline

Thank you, scott. May He walk with you each day, and
you with Him.

I have spent literally a lifetime, trying to make sense of Christian belief, particularly that of Catholic belief. That began 50 years ago this year. *

I reached two conclusions, over the last few days.
-man complicates, not God
-radical trust of God floods life with meaning and peace

Recently, I had written satire, which was not at all called for.
It was in considering this behavior, on my part, that I was
finally brought to the point of asking What do I believe?

Thank you for your kindness, scott.

reen*

You are welcome, reen,

and I pray with all my heart that you are able to continue to trust God in the face of so much suffering.

In the Love of God,
Scott

 

[reen12]

quote: spauline

You are welcome, reen,

and I pray with all my heart that you are able to continue to trust God in the face of so much suffering.

In the Love of God,
Scott

I think of you as a true follower of Jesus, Scott. I think that I am able to trust God because of my father. He was very ill, mentally,
as I am, and he had such a good heart.

reen12

 

[spauline]

quote: spauline

I think of you as a true follower of Jesus, Scott. I think that I am able to trust God because of my father. He was very ill, mentally,
as I am, and he had such a good heart.

reen12

Dear Reen,

thank you, that is touching. My mom and grandma have suffered half their lives with mental illness, and I have suffered much mentally, hence, I sympathize with your question of the meaning of suffering. It is so difficult. I think the mentally ill are so dear to God’s heart, for mental suffering is the worst.

Especially for those who must bear to watch the suffering of others mentally. I was in a psyche hospital for two months after I got married, and I was in anguish, thinking my back was broke, even though there was nothing seriously wrong with it. They had to do ECT, and everything, and each day, my wife would come to visit me and I would forget every day that she had come and yell at her.

The pain was too much for her, and we are now annulled.

But my heart goes out to you, reen, in your mental suffering. Know that you are so dear to God, and if you offer up your pains and trials, you will merit many graces for whomever you wish.

Thank you again, for you kind words, and I pray you stay close to God and be comforted by Him and your loved ones.

In His Love,
Scott

 

[reen12]

quote: spauline

I was in a psyche hospital for two months after I got married, and I was in anguish, thinking my back was broke, even though there was nothing seriously wrong with it. They had to do ECT, and everything, and each day, my wife would come to visit me and I would forget every day that she had come and yell at her.

I know, Scott. I hope to heaven the ECT was effective.
Was in such severe depression, 13 years ago, that I
was hospitalized, as well, for 12 days. A brief psychotic
break occurred, at the time. I watched over Pop’s care,
for 24 years, beginning when I was 19. I never felt that
the patients, on this locked ward, were any different than I was,
and twenty years later I was on an open ward, myself.

And you know what? The kindest and most gentle people
were on that ward. I found it astonishing, that such
Christ-like behavior was often found there, by those wounded
in the mind.

The difficulty was that I was already quite ill, by the age of 10,
and catechesis deepened this illness. I am both mentally ill,
in the sense of brain-based illness, and also endure severe
psycholigical illness.

By the age of 12, due to this catechesis, and my own illness,
I had lost the will to live. But I’ve kept going for another 50 years,
this year, and at 62, I am far closer to God calling me home
than I was 40 years ago. And you know what I have learned?
As much as I have suffered, I can see, now, that life passes so
quickly.

I agree that God must cherish those who are in ill in mind,
especially those who are ill for a lifetime - who continue to
trust, with every reason not to.

I am so sorry for the loss that you endured, because of illness.
I ask God to watch over you, and keep you in His heart.
When we are home with God, someday, our minds
will be mirrors of His clarity, and we will rejoice in this,
because we will know what a mercy this is.

reens

 

[spauline]

quote: spauline

I know, Scott. I hope to heaven the ECT was effective.
Was in such severe depression, 13 years ago, that I
was hospitalized, as well, for 12 days. A brief psychotic
break occurred, at the time. I watched over Pop’s care,
for 24 years, beginning when I was 19. I never felt that
the patients, on this locked ward, were any different than I was,
and twenty years later I was on an open ward, myself.

And you know what? The kindest and most gentle people
were on that ward. I found it astonishing, that such
Christ-like behavior was often found there, by those wounded
in the mind.

The difficulty was that I was already quite ill, by the age of 10,
and catechesis deepened this illness. I am both mentally ill,
in the sense of brain-based illness, and also endure severe
psycholigical illness.

By the age of 12, due to this catechesis, and my own illness,
I had lost the will to live. But I’ve kept going for another 50 years,
this year, and at 62, I am far closer to God calling me home
than I was 40 years ago. And you know what I have learned?
As much as I have suffered, I can see, now ,that life passes so
quickly.

I agree that God must cherish those who are in ill in mind,
especially those who are ill for a lifetime - who continue to
trust, with every reason not to.

I am so sorry for the loss that you endured, because of illness.
I ask God to watch over you, and keep you in His heart.
When we are home with God, someday, our minds
will be mirrors of His clarity, and we will rejoice in this,
because we will know what a mercy this is.

reens

dear reen,

thank you so much for your kind words. I am so sorry to hear of your suffering from such a young age. Luckily for me, I did not suffer like this until my early 20’s. And I have done remarkably well. At first, they thought I was borderline schizo, but now i am diagnosed as OCD, and I think I may have aspergers to some degree.

Yes, I am better now, many years since the ECT. That was 2002 when I got married, the annulment completed in 2006. With my new diagnosis, I am doing so much better. I only need one primary med, an antidep, and the other a secondary med, an old school, calming anti-pscyh. I have had my contract at Intel extended indefinitely, and I feel so blessed. I am improving socially and having friends of deep intimacy in the faith that helps me.

When I came to OR in 2003, it was such a dark night for me, no friends or family, saving my dad and some of my wife’s friends.

Now, with the new spiritual intimacy I have with my faith friends, my work that is a blessing and pays well, and feeling so much better, I am ever grateful to God. Because He has blessed me with health, I know I have an obligation to do His work as best I can, but realizing that Jesus understands that I cannot push myself too hard, or I will get sick.

My mom got sick when I was 15, she was only 35. God bless her, she has suffered so much. It was painful for me then, to see her get ill. I broke down in front of my grandma and grandpa when I went away on vacation that summer, and they loved me and comforted me.

again, thank you so much for sharing, Reen, and I agree, those who have suffered in mind can be some of the most compassionate persons that exist.

May God keep you in His Loving arms, now and forever.

Love,
Scott