I am an atheist (though not a “despairing atheist” lol) but I wanted to tell you how much I enjoy your channel. You make learning about the faith accessible and honest. Thank you :)
@@bipolarrambling242 How there can be any purpose if everything is eventually going to die and disappear? All our struggles, failures and achievements, from our possessions to our thoughts and our very selves, our parents and children, breakthrough inventions, ideas, buildings and books, everything will unavoidably die, because the whole universe will die. Entropy is merciless - nothing will endure. The only thing you're left with is a false sense of meaning. The evolution shaped us so that we're excellent at fooling ourselves by either believing in some supernatural eternal existence (which is somehow about to happen of itself), or just avoiding this fundamental question at all - because those who dare to face it without faith often give up, becoming nihilistic and suicidal. So the choice is simple: An irrational belief in some way of salvation, or permanent denial, or rational nihilism. But actually it's not quite irrational to believe, neither it's quite rational to despair, because the most rational answer to the question of why the universe (and us within it) even exist, is that it has been created, which leads to a conclusion that there must be a Creator 🙂
“None of these things are beyond God’s redeeming touch and none of them can get in the way of God’s ultimate plan, our salvation.” Thank you, Fr. Casey, for these timely words of profound hope.
This is exactly what I needed to hear. I’ve been struggling with how God could allow this, and this definitely helped me understand. Thanks, Fr. Casey!
I like to fall back on Romans 8:28: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Like you said, there's a big picture. And sometimes, looking back, you realize how that bad thing from the past, has turned to something wonderful in the present. So I tell myself (and others) to wait to see what results; God is good. Always.
Some years ago my Mother was diagnosed with Chronic Lymphasistic Leukaemia and began Chemo Therapy. I could hear the fear in her voice and I made the decision to return home to support her. I had to give away most of what I had in my house. Three days before I left to return home, I was diagnosed with early Prostate Cancer - great timing! I had been referred to a hospital near home. The Surgeon, I later discovered was the best Surgeon in the UK for that particular procedure. Two months later I was operated on and all of the Cancer was removed. Ten years later I was officially pronounced Cancer free. I believe that God was at work in all of this in that I had chosen to look after my Mother and God rewarded me for my good deed. The operating was successful and I lived and looked after my Mother until she died 10 years later. We had a great time together with plenty of love, fun, joy and sadness. I would do it again if I had to. Since then I have had a number of serious health issues and still, I am here. I believe God is not calling me yet and He has some plan for me but I do not know what. I hope He tells me soon before it is too late. I have two Theology Degrees and I think your videos are excellent. I wish they were around when I was doing studying Theology. So simple and direct. I may not agree with everything but it is a matter of interpretation, etc., and discussion which must go one all of our lives.
Very comforting Father Casey. Yes, I believe God has a plan. I choose to Trust Him in spite of our trails at this time. God is using you in this Medium on U tube to comfort His children. I thank you.
Bernie Bower I think this is the Christian faith, not just Catholic. I’m not a Catholic (I’m an Anglican) but I follow the channel because I enjoy Casey’s viewpoint. Most of what he says applies to Christians generally, not just Catholics.
Sheila S Thanks for being a loving person. I need to be careful to only add descriptors when they add to a thought e.g. “that person on the phone was nice”, works just as well “that lady on the phone was nice”. In this case though I meant -Catholic faith- to rebut some traditional Catholics who sometimes push for a ~stricter God~.
Father, this might be one of the most inspiring and illuminating sermons that I have ever heard. You are truly gifted and possess great wisdom and insight, sir. I am grateful that God showed me this account. These videos are greatly helping me during a trying time in my life, especially when I cannot attend Mass like I want because of covid. Thank you Father.
I’ve been curious about this matter since I was very young. This helped me a lot on understanding my religeon and God better. Muchas gracias Fr. Casey!
Thank you! One of the most upsetting platitudes... Everything happens for a reason. .... Especially after my son died. What I have come to know: 1. It's a broken world - thanks, Adam and Eve 2. God is IN everything that happens, and he can work through ANYTHING to bring grace.
"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28) God is light, it doesn't matter how dark something seems, with the light the darkness disappears. It doesn't matter how bad something seems, with God's goodness the badness dissapears. He is Omnipotent, with His Infinite power he is capable to bring goodness into badness, joy into the sadness, strength into the weakness, grace into the tragedy. Even something so bad as the crucifixion of an innocent became in our salvation. The certainty of our faith is that if we respond to the love of God and turn to him, God will transform everything bad and painful in our lives into something good, something that leads us to Him. If we turn to God, he can transform tragedy, even our own sins from the past, into salvation. God can use everything that happens(or happened) even the things we consider bad, to do good. In God's hands everything becomes useful for our salvation. His love is beyond everything it has not limits. By tragedy He increases our desire for good things and He makes the virtues(faith, hope, patience, love...) flourish in us by his Holy Spirit. Just as the storm becomes useful for the growth of the flowers and the grass of the field, so the tragedy and the sorrows becomes useful for the growth of our souls. And like a said even our own sins through true repentance and penance, God transforms them into love for him; because those who are forgiven much, love much (Luke 7:47). By knowing the weight of our sins we get to know better the goodness of Him who forgave us. We get to know the love of our savior and the value of his salvation. God floods our miseries with his mercy. You love your son, you always loved him, but now you want him more because you experience his absence. God create him to be your son and He gave him to you, if God had not created him, and given him to you, you would not have known him, you love him because of God who loved you first. Everything you've had and loved came from God. Certainly you have not lost anything, anyone (because in the hands of God nothing, no one, is lost, nothing is useless) you have only realized how much you love your son and want to see him again, like Mary when Jesus died. Now you know her better. You know God better. You will see your son again, and your joy will be perfect because you will have cast out the fear of losing him. God did not separate you from your son, God binds us all together, by first binding ourselves with Him. We experience pain in this life, but it is the pain of a woman who is going to give birth. Once she gives birth sadness turns to joy, and pain turns to glory. Only your desire for good things has increased, when the desire increases, our capacity to receive those things increases, our soul prepares to love more. If we turn to God, there is no darkness because He is light. Everything is useful for our own sanctification. For our encounter with God's infinite love. The first joy of heaven is realizing that all things worked together for good to those who love God. That God took into account everything happened in our life, nothing was wasted, no suffering, no tears, nothing was insignificant.
I'm sorry someone said that to you at a time you were in pain over losing your son. I teach communication skills and tell people what is best to say and what not to say. I will add. "Everything happens for a reason" to my don't day list.
God didn't will or make my mistakes, I did it. took me a long time to realize that. Been working on trying to be a better Catholic and a better person,, please keep me in your prayers Father , my name is James and Menace is my cat. I'll keep you in my prayers. Thank You 🙂
A touching message for a troubled heart...Thanks father ...i really appreciate your points...coz u speak with conviction and full faith in the workings of God..u r really an inspiration for young n old alike..God bless you always 😇😇
Father Casey, I appreciate how you articulated your point here to what really matters: God is in control, and nothing can escape His power of redemption, even evil, sin, suffering, and most especially, death.
Thank you for this message, it's nice to hear something positive. I find right now other Christian sites are saying this is GOD punishing us and this is now the end of times.
Thank you Father Casey. I really appreciate hearing your perspective on this. I've been watching your videos for a while now and you have really helped me learn about Catholicism. I've grown up around a lot of evangelicals, but in the last year I became interested in learning more about the Catholic Church, so I really appreciate your ministry. Many of the evangelicals, pastors and lay people alike, that I have heard discussing this pandemic, seem to see it as "more" evidence that the end times are near. They have really been acting some what fanatically about it. After I learned about the differences between the Catholic and evangelical interpretations of Revelations, I became somewhat skeptical of the claims that my Evangelical relatives make and the way they are always trying to find proof, like the end times is a giant conspiracy. So, it is nice to hear a perspective, coming from a religious person, that isn't like that. If you happen to see this Father Casey, I would appreciate it if you wanted to discuss the end times in a comment, or even a future video. I think there is a lot of fear mongering among some groups and would love to see it addressed. Anyways, thank you Father Casey, for this wonderful ministry, especially this video.
Having just read your comment to Fr. Casey, written three years ago, I wonder if you took a leap of faith and attend RCIA classes and if you became Catholic. You don't have to answer me. of course. I'm just curious. I love being Catholic and would be very happy for you if you have joined us.
St. Alphonsus Liguori speaks on this directly in Uniformity with God's Will: "We must unite ourselves to God’s will not only in things that come to us directly from his hands, such as sickness, desolation, poverty, death of relatives, but likewise in those we suffer from man -- for example, contempt, injustice, loss of reputation, loss of temporal goods and all kinds of persecution. On these occasions we must remember that whilst God does not will the sin, he does will our humiliation, our poverty, or our mortification, as the case may be. It is certain and of faith, that whatever happens, happens by the will of God. From God come all things, good as well as ‘evil.’ We call adversities evil; actually they are good and meritorious, when we receive them as coming from God’s hands: “Shall there be evil in a city which the Lord hath not done[22]?” “Good things and evil, life and death, poverty and riches are from God[23].” It is true, when one offends us unjustly, God does not will his sin, nor does he concur in the sinner’s bad will; but God does, in a general way, concur in the material action by which such a one strikes us, robs us or does us an injury, so that God certainly wills the offense we suffer and it comes to us from his hands."
FINALLY I understand the seeming disparity (in my mind) between God's plan for us (aka why we were created) and his giving us free will. That "plan" for us (that is, seeking him and his life of love) has always been there, but he leaves the way we do that up to us. It is much like a scientist "discovering" some principle of the universe when that principle has always been there (like the "laws" of gravity), and he simply finally realizes--and understands--it. How he got to that point was always totally in his control, but it never changed the principle itself.
This video is a year old, but I am in a community still in lockdown, people hospitalized and dying from COVID. Thank you for this much-needed message, Father Casey.
@tipseason Rex Thank you for this Bible verse, took note of it. I am reading The Holy Bible and i am not yet finished and when you really want to learn and know the truth, there are many things to note down.
"Yes God is in control...in sadness there can be Joy."It may not be easy to accept but the very life of Jesus showed such paradoxes...and when things go wrong let us remember that after the Cross, there is Ressurection.Thanks Fr Casey.take care and God bless you and your ministry always!
This is something that we as Christians should know and understand which would help us take responsibility and hold others accountable. I have been telling people around me for years but it seems to fall on deaf ears. Thank you for setting us straight, more priests should say this from the pulpit. God bless you and strengthen you always!
We are greater with Gods gift of free will. It gives the universe complexity and allows for his kingdom to be in a constant state of change, always renewing itself. Our freewill is also a testament to his greatness since our freedom demands more of him to create heaven with beings that know both good and evil. We are joyfully and fearfully made. Joyfully because we are made with love, fearfully because we have the freedom to leave and cause problems.
I praise and thank God for sharing us your thoughts. I absolutely agree and say Amen to all you have shared with us. I pray that all of those who have viewed and listened to your video have been touched by the Holy Spirit.
I found it helpful to compare it to the Tolkein creation story. The 'god' figure Eru Illuvatar and his choir of angels are 'singing' and one of the angels Melkor (Luciferian figure) breaks from the harmony and starts singing a different song in discord, musically fighting his harmony, and draws others to him. And Illuvatar responds by beginning another melody, which binds together the original and dissenting tunes, and creating harmony again in a greater song. I dont know if this is an appropriate interpretation, but I found it helped me grasp the nature of gods use of evil forward the good.
This is an excellent video . I don’t hear many people willing to say WE SCREWED UP. It’s always easier to blame someone else and if God was there just to fix everything we screw up, wouldn’t we be in heaven ??
Yet another reason I gave up Callie to the humane society a year ago. The last thing you said, Father. The adoption was a closed adoption for my sake and for hers. We don't know what her condition was at the time of her adoption, but I knew I needed to give her up for the sake of my health and hers. She was a service animal and I had gotten her a furry friend, too. I couldn't bear the thought of losing Callie to Corona Virus. I had her blessed. My friends came to see her my parish priest came to bless both cats in the end, if not for sharing my cats with the humane society I would not have met my fiance Cesar and fell in love with Jesus Christ even further; and Callie would not have been saved from a viral infection, because she has a home with people who can afford her much more than I can. She developed various conditions known for Maine Coones that need special attention. As a person who is disabled returning to work and school, I'm just grateful for the intercession of St. Francis of Assissi. And I am Grateful for having known Callie ❤️💕💞 for the brief time that she was in my life. She was a special furry friend to me. Your words give great comfort, especially this Christmas, since I am not celebrating with my family or my fiance Cesar or my cat, or my home parish, but at school in my parish where I was baptized as an infant. It's a big campus with lots of people! God bless you and your ministry, Father Casey.
you just gave the best answer to a question I had for a while now how can "God´s plan and his all knowing nature and free will coexist". Thank you so much! May the Lord bless you!
The most wonderful thing that has happened while in isolation. Shelters has run out of animals to adopt. Not being Catholic I am sure St. Frances is glad knowing the poor animals are now loved in a happy home.
I think I should mention that I am a Christian, but not a Catholic: I believe that God Who "knows the end from the beginning" and knows but doesn't control how we will respond to a certain situation, put all the evil he does not create or control into his grand plan. That he puts in the path of these hardships, those who need the lesson that can be learned from them and those that are in a position to alleviate them.
So impressive... you are young and yet your theological and philosophical presentation is strong with basis and support. I wish I can meet you and discuss in-depth theology and philosophy.
A parent raises a child by love, teachings and letting go. God teaches us and gives us life by giving us space but God’s love and guidance wil always be with us. A lot of times we don’t see this because the freedom God gave us by keeping a distance can make us feel lonely. Because we sin (walk in darkness) we don’t feel God’s love and we start to doubt God. We start to deny god. We start to think we can do better. Don’t uncover the nakedness of your father because then you uncover the nakedness of your mother. We think we are so smart with our sience that we think we can replace our heavenly Father. By this we abuse Mother earth. Pollution, war and sickness are the results. We have to become humble again and then we can experience God’s love again. Because that love never left us.
Some religious people out there speak as if God whatsapps them. Sometimes we should simply accept our ignorance on many questions. I appreciate the lucidity with which you speak here. It's also the lucidity of the church and the scriptures.
As an atheist, although certainly not a despairing one, I found this video illuminating. I'd always wondered what believers meant when they told me everything happens for a reason. It seems to me more an atheistic statement: there is a naturalistic explanation for every event; there's never been one single miracle but just a myriad of mysterious occurrences that we don't yet have the tools to explain. But no, believers mean that God has a plan for all of us, just that from the outside it might make absolutely no sense. I nearly died in a mountain accident, I recovered from bowel cancer. That was God's plan. I get run over by a bus when I go for a bike ride later. That's God's plan too. You could't even make this stuff up even if you tried but billions worldwide believe it. Anyway, thanks to Habit for clarifying the nonsense.
I love the overall message of this video and agree with most of the details. I don't, however, think that we create evil out of nothing. Only God can create. We can only corrupt what God made
Thank you Brother Casey 🤗 You have profound wisdom & Truth 👼 Thank you for continuing to share your insightful videos especially at this time. Yes, I believe God is Love 💕 & we have free will. The evil in the world including the coronavirus is not from God. I believe we need to show more solidarity & kindness with people. I pray for everyone in the world especially during this global crisis 🙏 God Bless you and everyone 👼 we are all in this together 🥰
Really nice video, i have heard many similar explanations of the problem of determinism, but this was really understandable and shorter than 1 hour The boat analogy is really similar to one in Dante's Paradiso, was it intended?
Thank you so much! I needed to hear this. It opened my eyes to how God works and why. I have wrongly thought that God is strict, evil and manipulative. It was pushing me away from God. Good thing I realized it was all a big misunderstanding!
Every thing Does happen for a reason. Because we have free will, we make choices, and these choices have outcomes related to the reasons. “Bad” things can be a learning experience from which our faith can grow or not, maybe leading us down a path of ultimate knowledge for good. It’s our choice.
The Reason for Easter Would you consider the offer of Jesus? “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again” (John 6:35 NLT). The grain-to-bread process is a demanding one. The seed must be planted before it can grow. When the grain is ripe, it must be cut down and ground into flour. Before it can become bread, it must pass through the oven. Bread is the end result of planting, harvesting, and heating. Jesus endured an identical process. He was born into this world. He was cut down, bruised, and beaten on the threshing floor of Calvary. He passed through the fire of God’s wrath, for our sake. He “suffered because of others’ sins, the Righteous One for the unrighteous ones. He went through it all-was put to death and then made alive-to bring us to God” (1 Peter 3: 18 MSG). Amen.
God is trying to send a message to the universe.... for all of us to meditate, to reflect, to listen, to change our lives, to repent, to hope and the best.... is to love
Awesome. So we'll explained. Makes me think of when I was a kid and I felt a strong Call to the Priesthood, but I ended up ignoring it and got too caught up in the things of this world. Not it's clear that my Calling if to be a parent to my awesome little ones.
I heard a Spanish Priest say in a video (he also uploads videos to UA-cam, he's called Padre Fortea) that God could have stopped coronavirus from existance, as in the Apocalypse it is said that it's the Lamb who opens the seals of the Horsemen of Apocalypse, including the disease one. God is in control, but He ultimately decided not to stop coronavirus. In the Priest's words, we do not know why He did so, but God knows everything and it is for sure that He allowed this for a greater good, just as He did with the disasters He allowed in Scripture (for example Israel being invaded and the jews being enslaved). I find this take interesting too, I know this is an old video but I'd love to know your thoughts on this. A big hug from Spain.
This is why we all need to follow the dietary law from God. The clean/unclean foods. Matthew 5:17-20 This is what happens when we eat unclean foods. May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
Ecclesiastes 9:11 clearly states that "time and chance happeneth to them all." Accidents and coincidences do happen. Of course, that does not mean that there is no good to be produced even from the worst of evils.
To this there is a good verse from the Stoic and Caeser Marc Aurel that makes a good point. Marc Aurel Meditations Book 5 verse 8. There are other more readable versions out there, but here is one. "As, when ’tis said, that, Aesculapius hath prescribed to one a course of riding, or the cold bath, or walking bare-footed; so it may be said, that the nature presiding in the whole, hath prescribed to one a disease, a maim, a loss of a child, or such like. The word “prescribed,” in the former case, imports that he enjoined it as conducing to health; and in the latter too, whatever befalls anyone, is appointed as conducive to the purposes of fate or providence. Our very word for happening to one, is, to go together appositely, as the squared stones in walls or pyramids, are said by the workmen, to fall or join together, and suit each other in a certain position. Now, there is one grand harmonious composition of all things; and as the regular universe is formed such a complete whole of all the particular bodies, so the universal destiny or fate of the whole, is made a complete cause out of all the particular causes. The very vulgar understand what I say. They tell you, “fate ordered this event for such a one, and this was prescribed or appointed for him.” Let us understand this even as when we say, “the physician has ordered such things for the patient”: for, he prescribes many harsh disagreeable things; which, yet, we embrace willingly, for the sake of health. Conceive, then, the accomplishing and completing the purposes of the universal nature, to be in the universe, what your health is to you, and thus embrace whatever happens, altho’ it should appear harsh and disagreeable: because it tends to the health of the universe, to the prosperity and felicity of Jupiter in his administration. He never had permitted this event, had it not conduced to good. We see not any particular nature aiming at or admitting what does not suit the little private system, in which it presides. Should you not on these two accounts embrace and delight in whatever befalls you; one is, that it was formed, and prescribed, and adapted for you, and destined originally by the most venerable causes; the other, that it is subservient to the prosperity, and complete administration of that mind, which governs the whole; nay, by Jupiter! to the stability and permanence of the whole. For, the whole would be maimed and imperfect, if you broke off any part of this continued connexion, either of parts or causes. Now, you break this off, and destroy it, as far as you can, when you repine at any thing which happens"
I do believe everything happens for reason, and I'll tell you why. After 41 years of marriage my first husband died peacefully of mesothelioma of the lungs. This is cancer caused from contact with asbestos. It first presented as pneumonia of the left lung. Four years later I married again, a man I met through my church activities. While on our honeymoon in Cairns Queensland my new husband came down with a fever and was first diagnosed with pneumonia in his left lung and later non smoker related lung cancer. He also died peacefully four years later. The situations between my husbands' illnesses were so pronounced that I saw God's hand was in them, although not to punish me. Of course not. But I have learned to love more unconditionally through all this and now run my own small charity. Something I would never have done if I had been in a comfortable retirement with my first husband.
Losing both husbands to cancer was hard for you, I know. Reading that saddened .me. Then you came to a good place spiritually and grew from it, turning your experience to the positive to care for others. Kuddos! I admire that. God bless you!
we were not set on a cottonwool planet with no challenges, there are many storms which we have to rise to survive, is that the source of our intelligence?
My mother died yesterday and your video served as great comfort to me Father. Thank you.
Mark Gorsuch god rest her soul. Sorry for your loss
My condolences, Mark. May she be with Our Lord today.
God bless brother to comfort you through this mourning, I also lost my mother
@@cornelio7694 I will pray for you as well.
I'm so sorry for your loss, may your mother rest in God's loving arms now.
I am an atheist (though not a “despairing atheist” lol) but I wanted to tell you how much I enjoy your channel. You make learning about the faith accessible and honest. Thank you :)
Still an atheist? 😉
@@damnedmadman I am indeed
@@bipolarrambling242 How is that possible? Without God, there's absolutely no purpose and no hope - only death!
@@damnedmadman I don't think that's true, but even if it were, it doesn't prove that God exists, only that life would be better IF God did exist.
@@bipolarrambling242 How there can be any purpose if everything is eventually going to die and disappear? All our struggles, failures and achievements, from our possessions to our thoughts and our very selves, our parents and children, breakthrough inventions, ideas, buildings and books, everything will unavoidably die, because the whole universe will die. Entropy is merciless - nothing will endure.
The only thing you're left with is a false sense of meaning. The evolution shaped us so that we're excellent at fooling ourselves by either believing in some supernatural eternal existence (which is somehow about to happen of itself), or just avoiding this fundamental question at all - because those who dare to face it without faith often give up, becoming nihilistic and suicidal.
So the choice is simple: An irrational belief in some way of salvation, or permanent denial, or rational nihilism. But actually it's not quite irrational to believe, neither it's quite rational to despair, because the most rational answer to the question of why the universe (and us within it) even exist, is that it has been created, which leads to a conclusion that there must be a Creator 🙂
“None of these things are beyond God’s redeeming touch and none of them can get in the way of God’s ultimate plan, our salvation.” Thank you, Fr. Casey, for these timely words of profound hope.
This is exactly what I needed to hear. I’ve been struggling with how God could allow this, and this definitely helped me understand. Thanks, Fr. Casey!
The bats allowed this, not God. We have free will, and so do the viruses.
for a long time it was hard for me to fully understand free will.
It all hinges about it as free will and faith are inexorably
linked.
I remember seeing a book entitled something like “Everything happens for a reason, and other lies we tell ourselves”
Did you read it?
I like to fall back on Romans 8:28: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Like you said, there's a big picture. And sometimes, looking back, you realize how that bad thing from the past, has turned to something wonderful in the present. So I tell myself (and others) to wait to see what results; God is good. Always.
Some years ago my Mother was diagnosed with Chronic Lymphasistic Leukaemia and began Chemo Therapy. I could hear the fear in her voice and I made the decision to return home to support her. I had to give away most of what I had in my house. Three days before I left to return home, I was diagnosed with early Prostate Cancer - great timing! I had been referred to a hospital near home. The Surgeon, I later discovered was the best Surgeon in the UK for that particular procedure. Two months later I was operated on and all of the Cancer was removed. Ten years later I was officially pronounced Cancer free. I believe that God was at work in all of this in that I had chosen to look after my Mother and God rewarded me for my good deed. The operating was successful and I lived and looked after my Mother until she died 10 years later. We had a great time together with plenty of love, fun, joy and sadness. I would do it again if I had to. Since then I have had a number of serious health issues and still, I am here. I believe God is not calling me yet and He has some plan for me but I do not know what. I hope He tells me soon before it is too late. I have two Theology Degrees and I think your videos are excellent. I wish they were around when I was doing studying Theology. So simple and direct. I may not agree with everything but it is a matter of interpretation, etc., and discussion which must go one all of our lives.
Very comforting Father Casey. Yes, I believe God has a plan. I choose to Trust Him in spite of our trails at this time. God is using you in this Medium on U tube to comfort His children. I thank you.
Well said Fr Casey! This is the Catholic Faith I grew up with. God loves us. As they say in the movies "nuf said"
Bernie Bower I think this is the Christian faith, not just Catholic. I’m not a Catholic (I’m an Anglican) but I follow the channel because I enjoy Casey’s viewpoint. Most of what he says applies to Christians generally, not just Catholics.
As they say in Jamaica "nuff said"
Sheila S Thanks for being a loving person. I need to be careful to only add descriptors when they add to a thought e.g. “that person on the phone was nice”, works just as well “that lady on the phone was nice”. In this case though I meant -Catholic faith- to rebut some traditional Catholics who sometimes push for a ~stricter God~.
Father, this might be one of the most inspiring and illuminating sermons that I have ever heard. You are truly gifted and possess great wisdom and insight, sir. I am grateful that God showed me this account. These videos are greatly helping me during a trying time in my life, especially when I cannot attend Mass like I want because of covid. Thank you Father.
I’ve been curious about this matter since I was very young. This helped me a lot on understanding my religeon and God better. Muchas gracias Fr. Casey!
Thank you!
One of the most upsetting platitudes... Everything happens for a reason. .... Especially after my son died. What I have come to know: 1. It's a broken world - thanks, Adam and Eve
2. God is IN everything that happens, and he can work through ANYTHING to bring grace.
@@Veritas1234 thank you.
"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."
(Romans 8:28)
God is light, it doesn't matter how dark something seems, with the light the darkness disappears. It doesn't matter how bad something seems, with God's goodness the badness dissapears. He is Omnipotent, with His Infinite power he is capable to bring goodness into badness, joy into the sadness, strength into the weakness, grace into the tragedy. Even something so bad as the crucifixion of an innocent became in our salvation.
The certainty of our faith is that if we respond to the love of God and turn to him, God will transform everything bad and painful in our lives into something good, something that leads us to Him.
If we turn to God, he can transform tragedy, even our own sins from the past, into salvation. God can use everything that happens(or happened) even the things we consider bad, to do good. In God's hands everything becomes useful for our salvation. His love is beyond everything it has not limits.
By tragedy He increases our desire for good things and He makes the virtues(faith, hope, patience, love...) flourish in us by his Holy Spirit. Just as the storm becomes useful for the growth of the flowers and the grass of the field, so the tragedy and the sorrows becomes useful for the growth of our souls.
And like a said even our own sins through true repentance and penance, God transforms them into love for him; because those who are forgiven much, love much (Luke 7:47). By knowing the weight of our sins we get to know better the goodness of Him who forgave us. We get to know the love of our savior and the value of his salvation. God floods our miseries with his mercy.
You love your son, you always loved him, but now you want him more because you experience his absence. God create him to be your son and He gave him to you, if God had not created him, and given him to you, you would not have known him, you love him because of God who loved you first. Everything you've had and loved came from God. Certainly you have not lost anything, anyone (because in the hands of God nothing, no one, is lost, nothing is useless) you have only realized how much you love your son and want to see him again, like Mary when Jesus died. Now you know her better. You know God better.
You will see your son again, and your joy will be perfect because you will have cast out the fear of losing him.
God did not separate you from your son, God binds us all together, by first binding ourselves with Him.
We experience pain in this life, but it is the pain of a woman who is going to give birth. Once she gives birth sadness turns to joy, and pain turns to glory.
Only your desire for good things has increased, when the desire increases, our capacity to receive those things increases, our soul prepares to love more.
If we turn to God, there is no darkness because He is light. Everything is useful for our own sanctification. For our encounter with God's infinite love.
The first joy of heaven is realizing that all things worked together for good to those who love God. That God took into account everything happened in our life, nothing was wasted, no suffering, no tears, nothing was insignificant.
I'm sorry someone said that to you at a time you were in pain over losing your son. I teach communication skills and tell people what is best to say and what not to say. I will add. "Everything happens for a reason" to my don't day list.
God didn't will or make my mistakes, I did it. took me a long time to realize that. Been working on trying to be a better Catholic and a better person,, please keep me in your prayers Father , my name is James and Menace is my cat. I'll keep you in my prayers. Thank You 🙂
A touching message for a troubled heart...Thanks father ...i really appreciate your points...coz u speak with conviction and full faith in the workings of God..u r really an inspiration for young n old alike..God bless you always 😇😇
Father Casey, I appreciate how you articulated your point here to what really matters: God is in control, and nothing can escape His power of redemption, even evil, sin, suffering, and most especially, death.
Thank you for this message, it's nice to hear something positive. I find right now other Christian sites are saying this is GOD punishing us and this is now the end of times.
This've been one of my biggest doubts but now you've clarified it so well. Thank you Father Casey, God bless you!
Thank you Father Casey. I really appreciate hearing your perspective on this.
I've been watching your videos for a while now and you have really helped me learn about Catholicism. I've grown up around a lot of evangelicals, but in the last year I became interested in learning more about the Catholic Church, so I really appreciate your ministry.
Many of the evangelicals, pastors and lay people alike, that I have heard discussing this pandemic, seem to see it as "more" evidence that the end times are near. They have really been acting some what fanatically about it. After I learned about the differences between the Catholic and evangelical interpretations of Revelations, I became somewhat skeptical of the claims that my Evangelical relatives make and the way they are always trying to find proof, like the end times is a giant conspiracy. So, it is nice to hear a perspective, coming from a religious person, that isn't like that.
If you happen to see this Father Casey, I would appreciate it if you wanted to discuss the end times in a comment, or even a future video. I think there is a lot of fear mongering among some groups and would love to see it addressed.
Anyways, thank you Father Casey, for this wonderful ministry, especially this video.
Having just read your comment to Fr. Casey, written three years ago, I wonder if you took a leap of faith and attend RCIA classes and if you became Catholic. You don't have to answer me. of course. I'm just curious. I love being Catholic and would be very happy for you if you have joined us.
Beautiful message Fr Casey. This helped me so much!!
St. Alphonsus Liguori speaks on this directly in Uniformity with God's Will:
"We must unite ourselves to God’s will not only in things that come to us directly from his hands, such as sickness, desolation, poverty, death of relatives, but likewise in those we suffer from man -- for example, contempt, injustice, loss of reputation, loss of temporal goods and all kinds of persecution. On these occasions we must remember that whilst God does not will the sin, he does will our humiliation, our poverty, or our mortification, as the case may be. It is certain and of faith, that whatever happens, happens by the will of God.
From God come all things, good as well as ‘evil.’ We call adversities evil; actually they are good and meritorious, when we receive them as coming from God’s hands: “Shall there be evil in a city which the Lord hath not done[22]?” “Good things and evil, life and death, poverty and riches are from God[23].”
It is true, when one offends us unjustly, God does not will his sin, nor does he concur in the sinner’s bad will; but God does, in a general way, concur in the material action by which such a one strikes us, robs us or does us an injury, so that God certainly wills the offense we suffer and it comes to us from his hands."
This young man is a great speaker and very intelligent.
In his time , he makes all things beautiful in his time . 🙏
FINALLY I understand the seeming disparity (in my mind) between God's plan for us (aka why we were created) and his giving us free will. That "plan" for us (that is, seeking him and his life of love) has always been there, but he leaves the way we do that up to us. It is much like a scientist "discovering" some principle of the universe when that principle has always been there (like the "laws" of gravity), and he simply finally realizes--and understands--it. How he got to that point was always totally in his control, but it never changed the principle itself.
thank thank thank you God bless you!!! I am tired of the idea that everything happens for a reason et is God s will!!!!!!! You enlighted me!
God bless you 🙏✝️. Thank you for all you do
This video is a year old, but I am in a community still in lockdown, people hospitalized and dying from COVID. Thank you for this much-needed message, Father Casey.
Thank you Father Casey for this nice and intelligent and uplifting message.. 🙏🙏🙏❤️🇵🇭
Everything happens in our Lord's reason.⛪ this pandemic gives us time to reflect and reset our lives.
@tipseason Rex Thank you for this Bible verse, took note of it. I am reading The Holy Bible and i am not yet finished and when you really want to learn and know the truth, there are many things to note down.
hey look I spotted the heresy
Well Said Father well said!
Thanks be to God. 🙏🙏👼😇♥️💙🇭🇳🇺🇸
Thank you Father Casey. God bless you and keep you safe.
"Yes God is in control...in sadness there can be Joy."It may not be easy to accept but the very life of Jesus showed such paradoxes...and when things go wrong let us remember that after the Cross, there is Ressurection.Thanks Fr Casey.take care and God bless you and your ministry always!
This is something that we as Christians should know and understand which would help us take responsibility and hold others accountable. I have been telling people around me for years but it seems to fall on deaf ears. Thank you for setting us straight, more priests should say this from the pulpit. God bless you and strengthen you always!
These old ones are great. Wonderful format. Wisdom.
Thank you Father. I lost my mother in March, this video brought some comfort.
In the end good will prevail.
We are greater with Gods gift of free will. It gives the universe complexity and allows for his kingdom to be in a constant state of change, always renewing itself. Our freewill is also a testament to his greatness since our freedom demands more of him to create heaven with beings that know both good and evil. We are joyfully and fearfully made. Joyfully because we are made with love, fearfully because we have the freedom to leave and cause problems.
I praise and thank God for sharing us your thoughts. I absolutely agree and say Amen to all you have shared with us. I pray that all of those who have viewed and listened to your video have been touched by the Holy Spirit.
This video help me to grow my faith. I hope there will be a subtitle in many languages, so every christian people can understand this good message.
this was so well explained
Your explanation Father is such a great enlightenment and comfort to us all. May your be blessed more!
I found it helpful to compare it to the Tolkein creation story. The 'god' figure Eru Illuvatar and his choir of angels are 'singing' and one of the angels Melkor (Luciferian figure) breaks from the harmony and starts singing a different song in discord, musically fighting his harmony, and draws others to him. And Illuvatar responds by beginning another melody, which binds together the original and dissenting tunes, and creating harmony again in a greater song.
I dont know if this is an appropriate interpretation, but I found it helped me grasp the nature of gods use of evil forward the good.
This is an excellent video . I don’t hear many people willing to say WE SCREWED UP. It’s always easier to blame someone else and if God was there just to fix everything we screw up, wouldn’t we be in heaven ??
Thanks again Father Casey for instructing us and leading us down the right path.
Yet another reason I gave up Callie to the humane society a year ago. The last thing you said, Father. The adoption was a closed adoption for my sake and for hers. We don't know what her condition was at the time of her adoption, but I knew I needed to give her up for the sake of my health and hers. She was a service animal and I had gotten her a furry friend, too. I couldn't bear the thought of losing Callie to Corona Virus. I had her blessed. My friends came to see her my parish priest came to bless both cats in the end, if not for sharing my cats with the humane society I would not have met my fiance Cesar and fell in love with Jesus Christ even further; and Callie would not have been saved from a viral infection, because she has a home with people who can afford her much more than I can. She developed various conditions known for Maine Coones that need special attention. As a person who is disabled returning to work and school, I'm just grateful for the intercession of St. Francis of Assissi. And I am Grateful for having known Callie ❤️💕💞 for the brief time that she was in my life. She was a special furry friend to me. Your words give great comfort, especially this Christmas, since I am not celebrating with my family or my fiance Cesar or my cat, or my home parish, but at school in my parish where I was baptized as an infant. It's a big campus with lots of people! God bless you and your ministry, Father Casey.
you just gave the best answer to a question I had for a while now how can "God´s plan and his all knowing nature and free will coexist". Thank you so much! May the Lord bless you!
Thank you Father for explaining this so well. As someone else posted, well said!
Yes! Thank you Father Casey, This was one of my questions. God Bless!
Thank you for this thoughtful exposition
Brilliant. Your ministry is poignant and boldly addresses the tough issues.
Thank you, Father! This video helped me to prepare lectio divina on Matthew 10:26-33 for my parish!
Thank You Father Casey, You are a blessing. God Bless You !!
I could listen to you talking for days.
I totally agree with your opinion.I really appreciate your views.awesome speech.I am amused to see my perception is as same as yours.
The most wonderful thing that has happened while in isolation. Shelters has run out of animals to adopt. Not being Catholic I am sure St. Frances is glad knowing the poor animals are now loved in a happy home.
You truly give a lot of hope. God bless you
Young and wise...you make sense father. God bless your work.
I think I should mention that I am a Christian, but not a Catholic: I believe that God Who "knows the end from the beginning" and knows but doesn't control how we will respond to a certain situation, put all the evil he does not create or control into his grand plan. That he puts in the path of these hardships, those who need the lesson that can be learned from them and those that are in a position to alleviate them.
Bless you Fr Casey
So impressive... you are young and yet your theological and philosophical presentation is strong with basis and support. I wish I can meet you and discuss in-depth theology and philosophy.
A parent raises a child by love, teachings and letting go. God teaches us and gives us life by giving us space but God’s love and guidance wil always be with us. A lot of times we don’t see this because the freedom God gave us by keeping a distance can make us feel lonely. Because we sin (walk in darkness) we don’t feel God’s love and we start to doubt God. We start to deny god. We start to think we can do better. Don’t uncover the nakedness of your father because then you uncover the nakedness of your mother. We think we are so smart with our sience that we think we can replace our heavenly Father. By this we abuse Mother earth. Pollution, war and sickness are the results. We have to become humble again and then we can experience God’s love again. Because that love never left us.
Some religious people out there speak as if God whatsapps them. Sometimes we should simply accept our ignorance on many questions. I appreciate the lucidity with which you speak here. It's also the lucidity of the church and the scriptures.
Yes! The assumption that we even could understand everything is pure hubris!
Thank you Fr. Casey, best explanation I ever heard.
Thank you father this lifted me
As an atheist, although certainly not a despairing one, I found this video illuminating. I'd always wondered what believers meant when they told me everything happens for a reason. It seems to me more an atheistic statement: there is a naturalistic explanation for every event; there's never been one single miracle but just a myriad of mysterious occurrences that we don't yet have the tools to explain. But no, believers mean that God has a plan for all of us, just that from the outside it might make absolutely no sense. I nearly died in a mountain accident, I recovered from bowel cancer. That was God's plan. I get run over by a bus when I go for a bike ride later. That's God's plan too. You could't even make this stuff up even if you tried but billions worldwide believe it. Anyway, thanks to Habit for clarifying the nonsense.
God is on control! I never doubt that, but sometimes is so hard to keep going...
Thank you father.. Well said🙏
I love the overall message of this video and agree with most of the details. I don't, however, think that we create evil out of nothing. Only God can create. We can only corrupt what God made
This video has enlightened me. Thank you very much, Father! 😇
Fr casey how are you today is the feast of all the priest i pray for your good health and protect your self from corona
What a wonderful analogy, God is the river🙂. Thank you for your videos father.
Thank you Brother Casey 🤗 You have profound wisdom & Truth 👼 Thank you for continuing to share your insightful videos especially at this time. Yes, I believe God is Love 💕 & we have free will. The evil in the world including the coronavirus is not from God. I believe we need to show more solidarity & kindness with people. I pray for everyone in the world especially during this global crisis 🙏 God Bless you and everyone 👼 we are all in this together 🥰
God bless you Fr. Casey.
Really nice video, i have heard many similar explanations of the problem of determinism, but this was really understandable and shorter than 1 hour
The boat analogy is really similar to one in Dante's Paradiso, was it intended?
" hard subject " ☺
Pray for me father today , my name is suhail =su+hail and I live in dubai.
Blessings . 💗💗💗
Thank you so much! I needed to hear this. It opened my eyes to how God works and why. I have wrongly thought that God is strict, evil and manipulative. It was pushing me away from God. Good thing I realized it was all a big misunderstanding!
Thank you father Casey. God bless you. I would like to recommend reading Salvifici dolores by Saint Pope John Paul II.
Thanks a lot!
Every thing Does happen for a reason. Because we have free will, we make choices, and these choices have outcomes related to the reasons. “Bad” things can be a learning experience from which our faith can grow or not, maybe leading us down a path of ultimate knowledge for good. It’s our choice.
The Reason for Easter
Would you consider the offer of Jesus? “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again” (John 6:35 NLT).
The grain-to-bread process is a demanding one. The seed must be planted before it can grow. When the grain is ripe, it must be cut down and ground into flour. Before it can become bread, it must pass through the oven. Bread is the end result of planting, harvesting, and heating.
Jesus endured an identical process. He was born into this world. He was cut down, bruised, and beaten on the threshing floor of Calvary. He passed through the fire of God’s wrath, for our sake. He “suffered because of others’ sins, the Righteous One for the unrighteous ones. He went through it all-was put to death and then made alive-to bring us to God” (1 Peter 3: 18 MSG).
Amen.
Harrowing yet beautiful. Praise be🙏❤
Happy Easter Father!
Awesome video 🙏🏻
Thanks
God is trying to send a message to the universe.... for all of us to meditate, to reflect, to listen, to change our lives, to repent, to hope and the best.... is to love
Today this was much needed.
Awesome. So we'll explained. Makes me think of when I was a kid and I felt a strong Call to the Priesthood, but I ended up ignoring it and got too caught up in the things of this world. Not it's clear that my Calling if to be a parent to my awesome little ones.
Thank You so much for this, i often have an internal battle answering this question. Do u have any good books or resources to read more about this?
Father casey, in the readings of Job, God allows bad things happen to Job, i think sometimes God allows it for some reasons
I heard a Spanish Priest say in a video (he also uploads videos to UA-cam, he's called Padre Fortea) that God could have stopped coronavirus from existance, as in the Apocalypse it is said that it's the Lamb who opens the seals of the Horsemen of Apocalypse, including the disease one. God is in control, but He ultimately decided not to stop coronavirus. In the Priest's words, we do not know why He did so, but God knows everything and it is for sure that He allowed this for a greater good, just as He did with the disasters He allowed in Scripture (for example Israel being invaded and the jews being enslaved). I find this take interesting too, I know this is an old video but I'd love to know your thoughts on this. A big hug from Spain.
This is why we all need to follow the dietary law from God. The clean/unclean foods. Matthew 5:17-20 This is what happens when we eat unclean foods. May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
Thank you Fr. Casey
I really like the river analogy!
Ecclesiastes 9:11 clearly states that "time and chance happeneth to them all." Accidents and coincidences do happen.
Of course, that does not mean that there is no good to be produced even from the worst of evils.
Thanks Fr Casey Well said ❤️
Job is my favorite book. Maybe the oldest... and maybe a counter argument to this vid?
To this there is a good verse from the Stoic and Caeser Marc Aurel that makes a good point.
Marc Aurel Meditations Book 5 verse 8. There are other more readable versions out there, but here is one.
"As, when ’tis said, that, Aesculapius hath prescribed to one a course
of riding, or the cold bath, or walking bare-footed; so it may be said, that the nature presiding in the whole, hath prescribed to one a disease, a maim, a loss of a child, or such like. The word “prescribed,” in the former case, imports that he enjoined it as conducing to health; and in the latter too, whatever befalls anyone, is appointed as conducive to the purposes of fate or providence. Our very word for happening to one, is, to go together appositely, as the squared stones in walls or pyramids, are said by the workmen, to fall or join together, and suit each other in a certain position. Now, there is one grand harmonious composition of all things; and as the regular universe is formed such a complete whole of all the particular bodies, so the universal destiny or fate of the whole, is made a complete cause out of all the particular causes. The very vulgar understand what I say. They tell you, “fate ordered this event for such a one, and this was prescribed or appointed for him.” Let us understand this even as when we say, “the physician has ordered such things for the patient”: for, he prescribes many harsh disagreeable things; which, yet, we embrace willingly, for the sake of health. Conceive, then, the accomplishing and completing the purposes of the universal nature, to be in the universe, what your health is to you, and thus embrace whatever happens, altho’ it should appear harsh and disagreeable: because it tends to the health of the universe, to the prosperity and felicity of Jupiter in his administration. He never had permitted this event, had it not conduced to good. We see not any particular nature aiming at or admitting what does not suit the little private system, in which it presides. Should you not on these two accounts embrace and delight in whatever befalls you; one is, that it was formed, and prescribed, and adapted for you, and destined originally by the most venerable causes; the other, that it is subservient to the prosperity, and complete administration of that mind, which governs the whole; nay, by Jupiter! to the stability and permanence of the whole. For, the whole would be maimed and imperfect, if you broke off any part of this continued connexion, either of parts or causes. Now, you break this off, and destroy it, as far as you can, when you repine at any thing which happens"
I do believe everything happens for reason, and I'll tell you why. After 41 years of marriage my first husband died peacefully of mesothelioma of the lungs. This is cancer caused from contact with asbestos. It first presented as pneumonia of the left lung. Four years later I married again, a man I met through my church activities. While on our honeymoon in Cairns Queensland my new husband came down with a fever and was first diagnosed with pneumonia in his left lung and later non smoker related lung cancer. He also died peacefully four years later. The situations between my husbands' illnesses were so pronounced that I saw God's hand was in them, although not to punish me. Of course not. But I have learned to love more unconditionally through all this and now run my own small charity. Something I would never have done if I had been in a comfortable retirement with my first husband.
Losing both husbands to cancer was hard for you, I know. Reading that saddened .me. Then you came to a good place spiritually and grew from it, turning your experience to the positive to care for others. Kuddos! I admire that. God bless you!
As long as our God has the ultimate say so--- we can safely leave our lives in His Mighty Merciful Hands. Don’t be afraid.
Fantastic message!
Yes it does. For reasons unknown.
Well said
we were not set on a cottonwool planet with no challenges, there are many storms which we have to rise to survive, is that the source of our intelligence?