SHARP FAITH
Sunday Theology Talks
The Theology of Evil and Suffering (4)
Is There Any Value in Suffering?
Fr Luigi Gioia
Theologian in Residence
Dear Friends,
Next Sunday March 2 at 10 am we will have the last talk of the series on the Theology of Evil and Suffering.
In the final talk of this series, we will focus on the pastoral and spiritual dimensions of confronting suffering and evil in our lives. When misfortunes occur, they do not inherently carry meaning. However, we have the ability to assign them meaning. Instead of asking, “Why did this happen to me?” or “What have I done to deserve this?”—questions that offer no real answers—we should ask, “Now that this has happened, how will I respond?” or, better, “How does faith in the God of Jesus Christ helps me to respond?”. In Christianity, the response to this question is not to doubt God’s goodness, love, or power but to cultivate faithful forms of community life in which the impact of evil and suffering can be absorbed, resisted, and transformed.
As a reminder, here are the titles of the series of four talks (if you click on the title you will be redirected to the video-recording).
“Why is there so much Evil and Suffering in the World?” (February 9)
“Can Suffering be God Punishing or Warning Us?“ (February 16)
“Can we Believe in a Good God when we see so much Suffering in the World?” (February 23)
“Is There Any Value in Suffering?” (March 2)
I look forward to welcoming you as usual in the Parish House, Fifth Floor room, at 9:45 am for coffee and cookies.
The talk will start at 10 am and will be in person and also streamed live on YouTube.
The updated program of talks Sharp Faith for 2024-25 with links to the video-recordings and handouts can be found HERE
All blessings,
Fr. Luigi Gioia
Theologian In Residence
