Lord, When Someone is Sick or Terrible Things Happen to Them . . . What Did They Do to Deserve This?

Lord, When Someone is Sick or Terrible Things Happen to Them . . . What Did They Do to Deserve This? Have you ever experienced a rough patch or a miserable time? Have you then ever asked . . . what did I ever do to deserve this? Today’s Gospel answers these questions! In the Gospel, people reported to Jesus about a tragedy that had happened. The question that lingers is . . . what did they do to bring this upon themselves? It’s a question almost everyone has . . .when something terrible happens. Its not normally a question one askes about another . . . it normally is asked when bad things happen . . . .to us. A few generations ago, there was an American-Protestant Work Effort. It came from a certain strain of Protestant thinking. The idea was that before you were born . . . before any single individual was born . . . they were pre-destined either for Heaven . . . or for Hell. The idea was you would experience and move through life . . . but the end result was predestined. People would go through life looking for signs on whether they were going the right way. To see if they were on the right path. The signs they looked for were material prosperity, or blessings. So, what did people do? They worked very hard to obtain the sign(s) they were moving the right way! Note the attitude and thought process! If you were blessed . . . it must say something about how good you are! If you were prosperous, clearly God’s favor is upon you! The implication is if you were not, that you know what that means! Hear more within the Homily. If you know hardship, there must be something wrong with you! If you bear the cross of illness, then it must mean there is something wrong with you! Furthermore, if your business fails . . . there is something wrong with you! If your marriage fails . . . there must be something wrong with you! . . . What Did They Do to Deserve This? This is the issue that Jesus addresses in the Gospel. Two thousand year before the American-Protestant Work Effort movement . . . Jesus addresses these thoug