› ›

Sickness

copticuser20copticuser20
edited December 1969 in Coptic Orthodox Church
I don't understand why God created sickness. Why? What good can you receive from sickness that you can't recieve from something else? How can God give someone cancer and just tear apart a family? How is there love in cancer? Sin was our fault but sickness?

Please pray for my mom who has lymphoma.

Comments

  • geomike
    [quote author=copticuser20 link=topic=13296.msg155453#msg155453 date=1336881258]
    I don't understand why God created sickness. Why? What good can you receive from sickness that you can't recieve from something else? How can God give someone cancer and just tear apart a family? How is there love in cancer? Sin was our fault but sickness?

    Please pray for my mom who has lymphoma.


    Well, I believe in the Proverbs it says, "In your weakness My strength is manifested." It's moments like these that are the defining moments of your life and your mom's life. Will you guys stick to God or will you give up and get upset? This is the test, and I know how you feel man, I was recently in the hospital for a whole week and I have been living with an undiagnosed condition for six months.

    I know it is tough man, but stick to God and it will be rewarding. You don't know God's plan for you and your mom, but as our Pope Shenouda says, "All is for good, God is present.". Keep strong and God will bless you afterwards.

    God with you and your mother and you family. Amen.
  • abrahamfabrahamf
    "If a man supposes that life should be one long, luxurious “vacation,” then any amount of suffering that comes to him is unbearable. But if a man views life as a time of sorrows, correction, and purification, then suffering and pain become not only bearable, but even useful." ~ Bishop Alexander

    "If the occasion demands it, a wise man will readily accept bodily infirmity and even offer his whole body up to death for the sake of Christ….This same man is
    not affected in spirit or broken with bodily pain if his health fails him. He is
    consoled by his struggle for perfection in the virtues”     +St. Ambrose of Milan+

    One of my favorites by St. John Chrysostom really depicts the Holy Fathers' 'idea' of God:

    “Whether God brings upon us a famine, or a war, or any calamity whatsoever, He does so out of His exceeding great care and kindness.”


    On another account, Elder Macarius of Optina consoles a sick friend, and writes:
    "Being weak in health as you yourself are, I cannot fail to feel much sympathy for your plight. But kind Providence is not only more wise than we are; It is also wise in a different way. It is this thought which must sustain us in all our trials, for it is consoling, as no other thought is.”

    “The way of Salvation which leads to eternal life is narrow and hard (Matt. 7:14). It is appointed both by our Lord’s holy example and by His holy teaching. The Lord foretold to His disciples and followers that in the world, that is, during their earthly life, they would have tribulation (John 16:33; 15:18; 16:2-3)....From this it is clear that sorrow and suffering are appointed by the Lord Himself for His true slaves and servants during their life on earth” ~ Bishop Ignatius Brianchaninov

    “We should not dread any human ill, save sin alone; neither poverty, nor disease, nor insult, nor malicious treatment, nor humiliation, nor death” (St. John Chrysostom), for these “ills” are only words; they have no reality for those who are living for the Kingdom of Heaven. The only real “calamity” in this life is offending God. If we have this basic understanding of the purpose of life, then the spiritual meaning of bodily infirmity can be opened for us.

    'The all-wise God allowed suffering to enter the world in order to show us that we are but creatures. It is a lesson still not learned by the race of Adam which, in its pride, ever seeks to be like “gods”: for every sin is a renewal of the sin of the first-created ones, a willful turning away from God towards self. In this way we set ourselves in the place of God, actually worshipping self instead of the Creator. In this way the suffering of illness serves the same purpose today as it did in the beginning: for this reason it is a sign of God’s mercy and love. As the Holy Fathers say to those who are ill: “God has not forgotten you; He cares for you” (Saints Barsanuphius and John)'

    “When the soul is diseased we usually feel no pain,” St. John Chrysostom says. He continues and explains: “But if the body suffers only a little, we make every effort to be free of the illness and its pain. Therefore, God corrects the body for the sins of the soul, so that by chastising the body, the soul might also receive some healing....Christ did this with the Paralytic when He said: Behold, thou art made whole; sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee. What do we learn from this? That the Paralytic’s disease had been produced by his sins”

    But does this mean that the man who enjoys continual good health is in “good shape” spiritually? Not at all, for suffering takes many forms, whether in the body or in the mind and soul. How many in excellent health lament that life is not “worth the living”? St. John Chrysostom describes this kind of suffering:
    “Some think that to enjoy good health is a source of pleasure. But it is not so. For many who have good health have a thousand times wished themselves dead, not being able to bear the insults inflicted upon them....For although we were to become kings and live royally, we should find ourselves compassed about with many troubles and sadnesses....By necessity kings have as many sadnesses as there are waves on the ocean. So, if monarchy is unable to make a life free from grief, then what else could possibly achieve this? Nothing, indeed, in this life”

    Chrysostom again examines the examples of the Saints and explains, "for the saints know that the greatest reward of all is to be able to love and serve God.” Thus, “God, wishing to show that it was not for reward that His saints serve Him, stripped Job of all his wealth, gave him over to poverty, and permitted him to fall into terrible diseases."

    Sickness may be also a reason for a 'Crown', as in the case of Lazarus the poor man, “Although he suffered from painful wounds, he never once murmured against the Rich Man nor made any request of him....As a result, he found rest in the Bosom of Abraham, as one who had accepted humbly the misfortunes of life” +St. Basil the Great+

    St. John Chrysostom's "On Poverty" examines in depth this seeming 'problem' of injustice and illness.

    May the Lord have mercy upon your mother.
  • shamsouf
    Please pray for me your brother in Christ.
  • markmarcosmarkmarcos
    If you think about it when we are sick or sad we don t sin as much as when we are healthy and happy.
    You’re too weak or too tired to sin for example fall into lust or say bad words or get mad. We usually get closer to God in time of pain. Another example is the bombings/persecution that happened in Egypt, the Coptic Church was strengthened and got much closer to God we also had extra days during the week to pray in church in those days. To make the story short hard times= getting closer to God.

    Thank God for every thing concerning every thing and in every thing… :)
Sign In or Register to comment.