Since time immemorial, people have asked these questions:

• First, “If God is good, why is there evil?”
• Second, “Why is evil seemingly prevailing?”
• Third, “Why do bad things happen to good people?”

The Gospel often reminds us of the reality of evil, the presence of evil and yes, its co-existence with the good in the world today. Hence, as Catholics, three things we can always do to deal with evil:

1. Be hopeful. Good will always prevail. When bad things happen to bad people, we say, “You just reap what you sow.” When good things happen to good people, we say, “God blesses the good.” But when bad things happen to good people, it so hard to explain. In fact, Jesus on the cross even said, “My God, my God why have you abandoned me?” Yet this is taken from Psalm 22 which eventually praised God because he is faithful.
2. Do Good. There is a saying that all it needs for evil to prevail is for good people to keep quiet. Hence, within our own circle of influence, we should continue to do what is right, what is good and what is true.
3. Prayer. The best way to fight evil is through prayer. In the fact in the prayer that Jesus taught us, we pray, “Deliver us from evil.” Also, a devil admitted in an exorcism case that if Catholics only knew the power of the Rosary, we would be praying the rosary every moment.

In the world of seen and unseen, there is a constant battle of good and evil. In our own personal life, there is also a constant battle of good and evil. If God allows evil, it is only because there will always be something good  in the outcome. Hence, Be hopeful, do good deeds, and pray often.