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All a person could do is to explain that God is not a genie in bottle who exists only to make our lives "happy", or to "fix" things; and also to explain free will, how bad things can happen to us because other people sin, and that God does not step in to stop others from sinning because he endowed human beings with free will and expects them to do the right thing.

Children are not the only ones who think, "If God loved me He would not have let ________ happen."  I've heard those very words from adults too.

As the Blessed Mother said to St. Bernadette, "I cannot promise you happiness in this life, only in the next."

Not for a very, very long time.



Snip from a sermon given by Fr. Wathen:

...Let us start with these principles my dear people and these must never be out of our minds. No matter what the prevailing sentiment or mood of society, no matter where one is, one must always be convinced of these principles.

The first of which is almighty God is a main participant in all things that happen. No matter how invisible or imperceptible, almighty God is active in the lives of all individuals at all times and He is a participant in the events that occur. From our point of view things may seem to be accidental, or coincidental, or altogether unpredictable, but God, despite all appearances, is the Master of His world, He has His hand in all things.

Further, all that He does, the reason He is such a participant, is that He has in mind the salvation of souls. That is His chief motive and all that He does has that as the chief purpose, to save souls.

And in the life of each one of us, we must be convinced that God is always active and His activity, no matter, again, how altogether imperceptible, or deniable, or questionable, or seemingly unreasonable, His activity has to do with converting us to Himself for our salvation's sake.

We have to accept this even if the world has turned totally pagan and even if we may turn away from Him and give Him no regard, even if we or anyone else is totally unscrupulous, totally unconcerned about one's soul, almighty God is never unconcerned and never inactive with regard to the salvation of souls. This is His total concern comparatively speaking...