Hi, Matthew —

Thanks for your question.

Let's see if we can't try and make some sense of some confused theology.

First of all pain, suffering, sickness, and disease, were never part of God's plan. They entered the world when man sinned. In doing so, man handed over the earth to satan and hence the curse of death, sickness, and disease.

God doesn't inflict people with diseases. If He did, He would be guilty of child abuse. God is the author of Life. Jesus came that we might have life and have it more abundantly. satan is the author of sin, sickness, and disease.

That said, God allows these things in the world and uses them for His Divine Providence where satan intends them for evil. Let me refer you to the book of Job. God doesn't inflict Job with suffering, satan does, with God's permission.  While satan tries to use suffering to get Job to curse God, God uses that suffering to bring Job closer to Him.

Now against that background, let's address the moral questions you posed.

We not required to use every means necessary to prolong life. Rather, we must (and I'll let others give you the exact formula) use every ordinary and reasonable mean keep a person alive.

Returning to your question about suffering: Christians are not supposed to seek out suffering. Rather we are suppose to deal with whatever comes into our lives. Sometimes, suffering is strictly an attack of satan, meant to prevent us from fulfilling God's call. God may be allowing this in order to test our faith. By that I mean, He expects us to rebuke satan and look to God for healing so that we might continue in the calling He gave us. Other times, God allows suffering in our lives so we can  patiently offer it up, united with His One, Sacrifice on the Cross for our sanctification and that of the world . . . but we shouldn't be seeking suffering.

Since God made the human body, it has a unique dignity. When it is injured or sick, it is a holy thing to try and heal it. Jesus went around healing the sick. If suffering were God's will, then Christ went against His own will when He healed these people.

Finally regarding death. God never intended us to die. The only reason we do die is because of original sin but you make an interesting point. As Christians, we have a joyful expectation
(or moral assurance) that when we die, we will eventually be in Heaven experiencing complete bliss.

St. Paul dealt with this struggle. On a personal level, he thought it would be better for him to be with Christ, yet he also realized that if he continued to live, he could continue and finish the work God had for him in His Divine Providence. (Philippians 1:22-26)

So while we should always desire to be close to the Lord, we shouldn't wake up hoping to die every day.

John

Matthew —

Suffering and death are part of Christian life only in the sense that bearing with Christ the unavoidable suffering and death of this life is the path of overcoming them. We are obliged by the first commandment to honor God, our Creator, the Lord of Life, and we do this by respecting our life.

We are obliged by the fifth commandment to respect life: ours and that of others. The Church teaches we are morally obliged to take ordinary care of our health. We are not obliged to do extraordinary things to preserve life or health.

Christianity does not canonize suffering and death. They are evils, not part of the original will of God. We brought them into the world by sin. Christ came to turn them into a means for good,
if accepted as such, if accepted in love. They are not to be desired for their own sake, but when unavoidable, they are to be accepted with patience and love. It is the love that saves, not the suffering. Even with Christ's sacrifice, the sacrifice was His obedience out of love, which was expressed in His acceptance of all the evils done to Him.

Mary Ann

Hi, Matthew —

Others have ably answered your first question. As to your second question, we should not want to die for several reasons.

1. For one, the more we develop our relationship with God on Earth, the more capacity we'll have for beatitude (happiness, in earthly terms) in the life to come.
2. Second, perhaps related to that, our reward in the life to come will depend on what we do on Earth. If you die now, you'll lose your opportunity to gain more reward.
3. Finally, God put us on Earth to work: to be a light to the nations, to spread the Gospel, to help other people, and so forth. There is a reason we don't go to Heaven immediately upon Baptism.
   

Eric
[Related Apostolic Letter]