Nov 22 Fri
Does God have an alias?
Chance is God's pseudonym when He does not want to sign with His Name.
The technical director of the Spanish national soccer team, Luis de la Fuente, starred in the opening ceremony of CEU University stating that "it is a responsibility and an obligation to say openly what one thinks. Thus, I am obliged to freely recognize that I am a Catholic and believe in God. Within the diversity that exists, I want to be respected and to be included, not to be left out."
The coach unabashedly demonstrated his deep Catholic convictions by asserting that "God's alias is CHANCE, when He doesn't want to sign".
Indeed, nothing happens in the world— not even the most inexplicable events—without being wanted or allowed by God.
Through faith, we realize that God's will extends to every circumstance of our lives. Where many people see nothing but coincidence or chance, or even wonder whether they are at the mercy of blind forces, we Christians know that God's fatherly care, His most lovable will, His Providence, is directing everything that happens to us. “History is not the result of blind forces or chance; it is the manifestation of our Father God's mercy. God's thoughts are above our thoughts, as Scripture says."
Providence is the term we use to describe the care God shows in watching over His own. Providence is also God's will in giving each thing the direction it should take. Thus, everything that happens providentially occurs in the best possible way. Hence, St. Josemaría says, “Trust in God means having faith, no matter what happens, going beyond appearances. The charity of God—whose love for us is eternal—lies behind every event, even if at times it is hidden from us."
Once, a poor man went to church to complain to God that he has no shoes to wear. But in front of the church, he saw a man with no legs. Then our man, ashamed of his thoughts gave thanks to the Lord for his healthy legs.
Our firm belief that God is caring for us all leads us “to be patient. Things are never as we want them to be, but as God's providence allows: we have to accept them gladly, no matter how they appear. If we see God behind everything, we will always be happy and peaceful and never get upset. That's how we show that our life is contemplative."
We may not always understand why certain things happen; we may struggle to grasp why they should be so, especially when they don't align with our way of thinking. It is in those moments that we need to offer filial surrender, abandoning ourselves into God's hands like a child who knows that his father always gives him what is best. Sometimes a child is attracted to things that could do him harm, and his father, even though he knows the child will be disappointed, has to say no. The child may not understand, but it is for his own good. Everything that happens to us is good and right for us; for those who love God, all things work together for the good.