Skip to content 
There’s a question that transcends centuries, cultures, and creeds. A question that often arises silently, when no one is watching, precisely when life’s hardest moments:
Why do those who do evil seem to fare better than those who try to live righteously?
Why do the corrupt prosper, the liar rise to power, and the arrogant seem untouchable, while the honest struggle to make ends meet, the righteous fall ill, and those who act with good intentions accumulate defeats? This apparent injustice has broken the faith of many people throughout history.
The anguish that Saint Bridget also felt
Saint Bridget of Sweden lived in a time marked by abuses of power, ruthless nobles, and a poverty that struck the most devout with particular severity. She herself witnessed cruel men holding banquets and amassing wealth, while faithful widows and orphans died of cold and neglect.
This contradiction didn’t awaken envy in her, but rather a profound anguish. If God is just, how can He allow such an imbalance? In one of her most striking revelations, Bridget dares to present this question to God without embellishment or diplomacy, as the spokesperson for a confused humanity.
She observes that the wicked seem protected by unwavering luck: successful businesses, robust health, social prestige. And worst of all, their prosperity becomes an argument against faith: many conclude that one doesn’t need to be good for life to work out.