Catholic Stories of Faith and Hope: How God Brings Good out of Suffering

by Steven R. Hemler

Overview

If God loves us and is so powerful, why does God allow disease and natural disasters, as well as terrorism and other human atrocities? What are some true stories of Catholics today who faced significant suffering and now see the good that God brought from it? Catholic Stories of Faith and Hope provides compelling explanations and inspiring case studies in exploring from a Catholic perspective why God allows pain and suffering. This includes looking at why God would allow disease and natural disasters (natural evil) and evil human behavior (moral evil), as well as how suffering can help us find a deeper meaning and purpose in life. This book contains several poignant and inspiring personal testimonies of present-day Catholics who have dealt positively with significant suffering in their own lives. These stories provide contemporary accounts of how suffering can lead to personal and spiritual growth and bring us closer to God, others, and the Church. Understanding the purpose of suffering and the greater good that can come from it will help us and those we love become better, instead of bitter, when facing life's inevitable hardships and difficulties.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781505118544
Publisher:	TAN Books
Publication date:	04/20/2021
Pages:	264
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

Steven Hemler is president of the Catholic Apologetics Institute of North America (see www.cainaweb.org). He is also author of The Reality of God: The Layman’s Guide to Scientific Evidence for the Creator and Search No More: The Keys to Truth and Happiness, both published by St. Benedict Press and TAN Books.
 

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements ix

Introduction 1

Part I Suffering From Disease and Natural Disasters

1 Why Does God Allow Natural Evil? 7

2 My Strength and My Rest 33

3 What a Devastating Hurricane 47

4 How Will I Live Without Her? 65

Part II Suffering Caused by Evil Human Behavior

5 Why Does God Permit Moral Evil? 83

6 Man's Inhumanity to Man 107

7 Epiphany in Jail 123

8 Is My Son Dead? 139

Part III Suffering and the Purpose of Life

9 Growth and Service 179

10 Discerning God's Will 199

11 The Answerer 219

Summary and Conclusion 231

Bibliography 239

Appendix of Bible Abbreviations 241

Notes 243

About the Author 253

Editorial Reviews

Mike Aquilina, EWTN host and author of over 70 published books
 
Why would a good and all-powerful God allow us to endure suffering and evil? There is no greater challenge to faith―no unbeliever’s question more urgent―and perhaps no contemporary response more persuasive than Steve Hemler’s. This is essential reading for modern apologists. It is rewarding reading for anyone who has suffered or shared another person’s suffering.


 

Karlo Broussard, Catholic Answers Staff Apologist and Speaker, author of Purgatory Is For Real: Good News About the Afterlife for Those Who Aren’t Perfect Yet
 
It’s one thing to articulate the philosophical basis of the age-old argument from Augustine and Aquinas that God permits evil only to bring about a greater good. It’s another to complement such philosophical evidence with empirical evidence that God does in fact do that in the lives of ordinary people like you and me. In this book, Steve Hemler does just that and provides the one-two punch of philosophy and testimonials in addressing the problem of evil.
 


Matt Nelson, Assistant Director of the Word on Fire Institute and author of Just Whatever: How to Help the Spiritually Indifferent Find Beliefs that Really Matter
 
Though it is one of the oldest objections against the existence of a loving God, the problem of evil still remains among the most formidable obstacles to Christian faith. Intertwining personal narrative with logical argument, Steve Hemler artfully demonstrates how we can make sense of God in a world that knows the existence of pain and evil all too well.

 

Rose Sweet, Catholic author, speaker, and Life Coach
 
Who doesn’t love a compelling, inspiring story, especially one with a divine twist at the end? Steve does a masterful job of revealing the gifts that rise up from some of the most evil, painful, and personal sufferings of people just like you and me. I will definitely recommend this book to all my coaching clients who struggle with the brokenness of their lives and the question, “Why.”
 

Rev. Michael Foley is Pastor of Our Lady of the Woods Parish in Orland Park, Illinois, and author of Walk Humbly With Your God
 
Steve Hemler presents a well articulated exploration of the mystery of suffering in our lives. This book explores both events within nature and through human intervention which cause suffering in this world. He does so with sound Catholic theology and real life human experiences. This thoughtful book can assist those who are wrestling with the question of human suffering both within their lives and those they love, as well as those who simply want a more thoughtful explanation of this topic.
 

From the Publisher