Face the Facts with Faith

By Fr. Jerry Pokorsky ( bio - articles - email ) | Apr 06, 2026

“My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD… My word…that goes forth from my mouth… shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it” (cf. Isaiah 55:1-11).

We who subscribe to the Catholic faith are periodically asked a very reasonable question: “What’s in it for me?” At its heart, the Catholic faith does not offer material prosperity or escape. Instead, the faith offers the grace to face suffering honestly and the hope to overcome it with love. It is a faith grounded in seeing reality clearly and finding hope within it.

Some religions promise reincarnation. Others suggest the body is only a temporary shell, waiting for escape. Some Christian religions preach the Gospel of prosperity: Believe in Jesus, tithe, and presto. Your investment portfolio will beat the S&P 500 index! Still others—influencing way too many others in high positions—hope to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem and usher in the 1000-year return of Jesus. But what does the faith of the universal Church offer?

Our Lord tells us plainly that we must take up our crosses and follow Him. He does not hide the cost of discipleship. If they rejected Him, we should not expect acceptance from the world nor exemption from suffering. The Cross stands at the center of our faith—a difficult and unsettling truth we cannot avoid. In the shadow of the Cross, Catholics face the facts of life with clarity.

Decades ago, on Good Friday, I drove to the Children’s Hospital with a young couple for an emergency Baptism. Their newborn child had suffered brain damage at birth. The situation was dire, and they needed to speak with doctors about the extent of treatment.

On the way, we passed through a rough neighborhood. On a wall, in bold graffiti, were the words: “Evil never dies.” It was a stark message, born of despair. And it was a temptation. Given the circumstances we were heading into—the suffering of that baby, and of so many others I had known—I found myself wondering: could it be true?

When we arrived, the couple asked me to pray the Rosary with them. We prayed the Sorrowful Mysteries, reflecting on the suffering of Christ. In that moment, those mysteries were not distant or symbolic—they were immediate and real.

Then came the medical discussion. The child was unable to swallow and would need to be fed through a feeding tube. The parents asked careful, thoughtful questions. Despite their limited means, their focus never wavered from what was best for their child.

By the end of the meeting, one of the doctors remarked that the greatest blessing the child had was his parents. And it became clear to me that I was not there to guide them. God placed me there as a privileged witness to bolster my faith.

These were young Catholics deeply formed by their faith. Their calm was not the result of self-help techniques or denial. It came from a life in union with the sacraments—Baptism, Confirmation, Confession, and the steady nourishment of the Eucharist. The sacraments were not religious ornaments. Nor were they instruments of magic. The sacraments reconciled God and man and were as essential to their lives as breathing.

On the drive home, the mother shared a conversation with her 8-year-old daughter. The little girl asked why God would allow something so terrible. She gently explained that God is not the author of evil and does not delight in suffering. She may not have been aware she was quoting the Book of Wisdom. The child, thinking it through, pointed to Adam and Eve and Original Sin with a theologian’s lament. Not bad for a child of eight.

With quiet conviction, the kindly mother told her daughter, “God permitted this suffering, and somehow, within it, He would teach our family to love.”

So, does evil never die?

The Catholic faith does not deny the harsh realities of the world. It teaches us to see them clearly and to live with hope and courage, despite suffering. Unlike worldviews that avoid reality, the Catholic faith offers the clarity and strength to engage with life's difficulties, holding fast to the promise that love and hope endure.

Because we believe in the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ, we know that suffering, sin, and even death cannot retain a deadly grip on us. In His love—in our love in union with His—every fear and sorrow have been confronted and overcome. And every tear will be wiped away.

We face the facts, yes—but not with despair. We face them with faith, hope, and a love that endures. We face them with serenity and resolve to carry out His will. Unconquerable love defines every Christian life. Evil may persist—but in Christ it cannot prevail. Love conquers all. The central fact of our lives is this: Jesus Christ is risen!

“My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD… My word…that goes forth from my mouth… shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it.”