A hermit said:
If you pay everything you owe in this life, then you are saved. If you receive even more, then you get an extra coin. If someone is beaten unjustly, then he gets a higher reward. Thus many times people who live a very good life face the worst of hardships. If God allows that, why does He do it?
Let me give you an easy example. There is a very good family. The man is very good, the woman is very good too and the children are all very good as well. They all go to the church and partake of the Holy Communion. All of a sudden, someone who is drunk or mad passes by them, hits the man and kills him. After that the people who are farther from God start to say: “Look!” “He was walking with the cross in his hand, that’s why it happened this to him.”
But this is an impudence. God allows that some people suffer without being guilty, so that the very insolent ones would say what the good thief said. What do we see at the two thieves? One of them reviled Christ by saying: “If you are the son of God, then get down from the Cross!” The other one says: “Don’t you fear God?” “We are punished justly.” “But this man has done nothing wrong.” “Don’t you fear God?”
This means God allows that some people suffer without being guilty, giving in this way to the insolent ones the opportunity to come to their senses. And those who suffer can be the most beloved sons of God.
I think that in heaven God won’t tell them: “Stay in this place.” He would rather say: “Choose the best place!” Do you understand? That’s the way it is. If we ask for our right, we lose everything. We lose our peace and we lose our reward.
