No matter how dire the circumstances in life, God holds our hand and directs our path.

Since his hope lies in the next life–because of Jesus’ death on the Cross–sin and death no longer have power over the Christian.

He remains free from their hindrance, and free from the fear of death.

And only love remains.

Therefore, he is able to persevere through all kinds of trials and persecution.

Good or evil?

But how does one know what is true and good from what is false and evil?

The easy way is hardly ever the right choice.

In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus said, “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few” (7:13-14).

This means the Christian must make a conscious effort (engaging his rational powers of intellect, imagination, memory and will) to live according to the teachings of Jesus Christ as revealed by the Church He founded.

He must also put his trust in the Righteous Judge, Who will repay each person according to his own behavior (Rom 2:6).

Goodness and truth always win

Deception is always necessary to cloak the true intentions of falsehood and evil.

Why?

Evil is always the exaggeration of the truth. In this way, it may contain parts of the truth, but since it is distorted, other falsehoods are allowed to flourish–thereby allowing evil to thrive.

What was once good and true becomes perverted, necessitating it to be covered up in half-truths and appealing lies.

This is why St. Peter warned all Christians to be vigilant and disciplined so they can recognize the truth from lies. For the “Father of Lies“, the devil, prowls about the world like a lion, looking for someone to devour (1 Pet 5:8-9).

The good news? Goodness and truth always win.

How does one recognize half-truths and deceit posing as the good and the true?

Test their results:

Do they encourage more attitudes and behaviors of greed, pride, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath or sloth?

Or do they grow attitudes and behaviors of generosity, humility, chastity, brotherly love, moderation/self-control, patience, and diligence?

The latter results draw people together and naturally preserve life, happiness and human flourishing.

Equity or Envy?

Take the social principle of equity for example. Is this socioeconomic concept a good or an evil?

It’s definition sounds good: “The state or quality of being just and fair” (https://duckduckgo.com/?q=equity&atb=v314-1&ia=definition).

But what does equity really mean?

In it’s essence lies two concepts: the abolition of private property/goods/wealth, and the equal distribution of property/goods/wealth.

But what is the premise of these concepts?

How must this end be obtained?

Through robbery (stealing), which thrives on the aforementioned attitudes of envy and sloth.

Equity goes something like this:

Bob says, “If I can’t have as much as Joe, then no should get to have what Joe has, including Joe.”

Even though Joe is a neurosurgeon and Bob is a school custodian.

The means of achieving a seemingly just end attempts to justify the total control of a few over the many, who must sacrifice their own property/goods/wealth for the apparent “greater good of the many” with equity.

Not to be confused with equality, which is a system that ensures all begin with the same opportunities for potential growth and success, equity focuses solely on the equal result, not the beginning, nor the work that takes one to his successful result.

That means, equity must live on envy to survive.

Even evil must confirm truth

Allowing evil is one way God helps us to finally recognize goodness because, even evil must confirm truth.

By allowing us to struggle, we learn to cry out to Him for help.

By being shackled by our own behaviors, we see how we are limiting the freedom that we naturally desire.

When someone lies to us, our trust is broken and we are angered because we expect the truth, and begin to seek it out.

Those are three different examples of how evil confirms truth:

All human beings are desire to be loved unconditionally,

to be free from oppression,

and to recognize, and expect the truth from others.

These sound a lot like the highest good, God, and the sharing the joys of heaven. And who could desire more than that?

May God bless you always, through the intercession of Our Holy Mother Mary.