Question:
Answer:
The answer to this question is both yes and no, but in different respects. Relative to our human perspective, things do happen by chance. St. Thomas Aquinas noted, “In this world some things seem to happen by luck or chance” (Summa Theologiae, I:116:1).
But he goes on to explain that something is lucky or chance-like only when “compared to inferior causes.” When compared to some higher cause, the event is seen as directly intended.
For example, suppose I ask my daughter to stop by the grocery story on her way home to buy a carton of milk. But since it’s pretty late at night, and I don’t want my daughter to be in the store alone, I send my son to the store to buy some eggs without him knowing my daughter will be there. Relative to them their meeting will appear to be by chance. But relative to me who sent them, the meeting is directly intended.
The same is true if I were to command a hired hand to dig in a field knowing that there’s treasure where I tell him to dig. Finding the treasure will appear to be by chance for the hired hand, but relative to me it is directly intended.
The same is true for events in our lives. Relative to us they often appear to be by chance. But relative to God, who directs everything according to his divine plan, nothing occurs by chance.