Dear Sally:

We often confuse the theological difference between God's Permissive Will and His Particular Will. All things that exist, all things that happen, God permits. Nothing, not even evil, can exist or act without God permitting it.

While all things are permitted, all things are not particularly willed. God does not specifically will material evil, for example. He does not cause tornadoes to kill people (which is a material evil). While God permits it, He does not Will us to die in a tornado. God permits us to sin, but He does not Will us to sin.

In the Pope's comment, not official teaching, he said, "In the designs of Providence there are no mere coincidences." He was talking about the assassination attempt upon him.

He is correct, of course. When God "designs" something, it is not a coincidence. I believe that God designed to keep the Pope alive, thus the fact that the bullet narrowly missed its mark and did not kill him was not a coincidence, but divine providence.

We must be careful, however, to not spiritualize everything. To ignore the Law of Coincidence is to ignore something that God created. We do not have the credentials to do that.

God is not "specifically" and "directly" involved in every action that takes place on this earth. For example, He has given us free will and thus many things happen, such as sin, that are not part of his design and particular will. Consequences flow from sin and God allows those consequences to take their course.

He allows nature to follow its natural course. Thus, He is not causing every leaf to fall to a particular spot. I also do not think that God is sitting at a control board determining when the wind will blow and where. The laws of nature, that He created, determine through mathematical coincidence and probability where the leaf will fall and where the wind will blow. If it blows on my house and knocks off a few shingles God has not zapped my house. It is coincidence that my house, and not my neighbor's, has shingles knocked off. Why does a butterfly land on this flower as opposed to another flower? God allows nature to flow naturally.

My point is that while something might be a divine appointment, it is most likely within the realm of mathematical probability known as the Law of Coincidence. 

The reason you found this website and these Q&As falls within the realm of coincidence. It could have also been God guiding you here. Both possibilities are possible.

The Law of Coincidence is part of God's creation. He is the author of this Law. He created it, as He creates all things in this universe. Thus, we need to acknowledge its existence and use it for our benefit and for His glory.

While most things happen by the natural flow on consequence, coincidence, and probabilities, God can, of course, intervene on those natural flows any time He wants. The most extreme example of that is the miracle. But, God can also direct the flow in very subtle and quiet ways that may have brought you to this website.

St. Thomas Aquinas said God is the "first cause", the "first mover". All things flow from Him as He is the first mover of this universe, but not all things are specifically will by Him. His Permissive Will allows for His Particular will to be thwarted by sin, by free will, and by the natural flow of nature.

The danger in thinking that coincidence does not exist is that we begin to attribute to God all things that happen. We see this happening in natural disasters. People blame God for it. We see this happen in personal tragedies and blame God for causing it (such as a murder of a child).

The danger in thinking that God's influence upon His creation does not exist is  philosophical determinism and its religious sister, Calvinism. These systems of thought believe everything is scripted and we have no choice in the matter. Rather we are determined solely upon the mathematical laws. There is no free will. We are mere puppets and mathematics is the puppet master.

Both of these positions are false if asserted on their own without the other.

There was a story I read about two twins parted at birth. They never saw each other again. One lived in California and the other lived in Germany. One day they both happened to be in the Boston airport at the same time. It was a miraculous reunion, one that defies all chances that they could meet at this particular time and place, unbeknowst that the other was there. But, was it a miracle, a divine appointment? Maybe.

People presumed that this was a divine appointment as they could not conceive of any other explanation. While the odds are astronomical that these two should reunite like this, it is still within the mathematical probabilities of coincidence. While the odds are rare that you will win a 500 million dollar lottery, someone will win it, maybe you. The Law of Coincidence can explain the win without God lifting a finger to facilitate it.

On the other hand, maybe God is giving you a gift!

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary