Why do good people suffer? Why do innocent people suffer? We often ask these questions when we encounter or witness suffering inflicted upon the lives of the innocent. We see the sorrowful lives of families and children affected by war in places like Gaza, Ukraine, Myanmar, and Congo. On the streets, we witness people dying of hunger. These harsh realities can leave us feeling desperate and hopeless.

In our frustration, we may find ourselves protesting against governments, politicians, and leaders, expressing our anger and disappointment. While we grapple with the reality of suffering, deep in our hearts the same question arises—but this time, it is directed to God, the All-Powerful. “Why, Lord?” “How long, O Lord? I cry for help, but you do not listen! I cry out to you, ‘Violence!’ but you do not intervene. Why do you let me see ruin? Why must I look at misery?” (See First Reading)

Carlo Carretto describes these feelings beautifully: “When you are suffering, in flesh or in spirit, the natural response is to weep. And what a lot of weeping there is! If we could gather it all in one place, it would fill a sea—a great ocean. And when our eyes are dry for an instant, we ask, Why? The answer does not come easily. And again, we begin to weep, and our thoughts become all tangled and even more sorrowful, and we stumble about like wounded birds. Then we start again asking: Why? Why?”

Perhaps we may never fully understand the reality of suffering or its reasons with our minds alone. Maybe what we need is total trust. And this has everything to do with our faith. That is why the prayer of Jesus’ disciples in today’s Gospel becomes our prayer too: “Lord, increase our faith!”

As we continue to cultivate and grow in faith, let us never forget that God has great faith in us. Just as we are able to love because God first loved us, so too we can have faith because He first believed in us. In our moments of struggle, He is there, encouraging us: “Do not be afraid.” Stand up and walk! God has hope in us—to live and work with Him in building a better world.

So let us have faith in God, just as He has faith in us. It is not enough to merely ask, “Why, O Lord?” or “How long, O Lord?” What is more urgent is this: to reach out and help one another, to lessen each other’s burdens and suffering. Recently, I witnessed a student take a small coin from his wallet and give to a beggar on the street. Perhaps this small coin will not solve the problem of the beggar or people who live in poverty, but from this young boy I learn that it is our very call as a human being to reach out our hands to help one another. A little action of kindness can lessen the burden of people in need. Let us keep doing what is right and good and when we have fulfilled our mission each day, we humbly acknowledge: “We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.” (Luke 17:10)

In times when the mustard seed of faith, hope, and love is overshadowed by doubt and unbelief, may these words inspire us:

“It’s madness to hate all roses
because you got scratched by one thorn,
to give up all dreams
because one of them didn’t come true,
to give up all attempts
because one of them failed.

It’s folly to condemn all your friends
because one has betrayed you,
to no longer believe in love
just because someone was unfaithful
or didn’t love you back,
to throw away all your chances to be happy
because something went wrong.

There will always be another opportunity,
another friend,
another love,
a new strength, a new hope.
For every end,
there is always a new beginning.”
— The Little Prince