This is a good post. I often feel a little hitch, too, when I use the phrase “good luck.” But, you’re right, the alternatives seem to lack. Maybe “Godspeed” or “God Bless your endeavors” would work. So, I guess that’s what I’ll try using from now on! Thanks for the thought provoking post!

I don’t say “good luck” or at least try to avoid it.  I heard Mother Angelica rail against the phrase once on her program and after that I avoid using it.  (I wish I could say that I also don’t cuss but it ain’t so.)  :-(

I think it’s probably a little scrupulous to worry about this.  What most people mean by “good luck” is “do well” or “may it work out well for you!”

In fact, St. Thomas Aquinas seems perfectly fine with the idea of luck as “chance” in question #74 of the Summa Contra Gentiles

“The multitude and diversity of causes proceeds from the order of divine providence and arrangement. Supposing an arrangement of many causes, one must sometimes combine with another, so as either to hinder or help it in producing its effect. A chance event arises from a coincidence of two or more causes, in that an end not intended is gained by the coming in of some collateral cause, as the finding of a debtor by him who went to market to make a purchase, when his debtor also came to market.*

To clarify, St. Thomas’ writing only has to deal with chance, not things like “lucky charms,” which are of course a matter of superstition.

If by “luck” we mean the coming together of favorable conditions to produce a positive situation, then I don’t see how it could be wrong, so long as we believe that this is a part of Divine Providence and not random conspiracies of the universe or something silly like that.

Honestly, I am a bit of a Catholic nerd, but I have a healthy (I think) sense of humor. I often ‘correct’ people when they say “good luck,” pointing out that “luck is for pagans.” I do this mostly as a feeble attempt at humor but also to challenge others to think about what they actually say. My preferred alternative is “god speed”. However, I do recognize that “good luck” is an English idiom that essentially just wishes another well in their future endeavors, without the literalistic connotation of ‘luck’ as such. I could write at length about the existence of such a thing and its definition, but I will spare you.

God speed! (May God speed you on your journey)

Ditto to both of Micah’s statements above - we studied this question for a full class period during one of my philosophy classes a few years ago. Luck is definitely a Catholic-compatible term… but in the proper context.

I don’t think it’s a big issue, as we are not referring to pagan luck, but it’s best to avoid the word. I always say “I wish you the best”

From someone with a math background - I see “luck” as falling in line with statistical probabilities.
Does God really have input in all statistical outcomes?  Heads or tails?  Or does some of this fall within the concepts of the “free will” of God’s creation?
Luck, statistical probabilities… this can all fall into a much deeper context of providence vs free will.
Good luck to ya’ll in trying to figure it all out! ;)

I’m sometimes hesitant to say “good luck” and I think we should be careful when we use it, but I also think in certain situations it’s appropriate.  For example if someone were about to play in a sporting event or play in a poker tournament or something like that I would think saying good luck would be fine.

I try to say “Have a Good morning,afternoon,or evening” but before I say it to a person I focus on the word “Good” (thinking of it with the honor and respect that Jesus gave to the word when He said “call only your Father in Heaven Good”) and maybe God will bless this person because of it - in other words, my intention when I say “Have a Good day” means may God Bless your day because only God is Good. Confused, yeah, me too..

I don’t understand why people think it’s necessarily heretical to wish others good luck in its true sense.  To hold that position is to claim to know how God operates the universe.  Though God actively controls at least some historical events through natural laws or direct divine intervention, it is a bit much to say he must control all of them in this way.  It is possible that God’s algorithm for ordaining results of certain mundane activities is by luck. If he wills luck to be a factor, then “luck” still falls within his permissive will.  So if I roll a dice, people who don’t believe in luck say that God, instead, directly willed me to have a certain number every time.  Or with a ball that lands one inch fair or foul.  Or that a certain raindrop falls on my head or misses me.  God clearly sets some events like gravity according to set laws.  However, others he MAY (not DEFINITELY, we don’t know) allow to be the result of a luck-mechanism.  I’m not going to tell God how he should run the universe.  Unless you’re willing to, criticizing the phrase “good luck” strikes me as presumptuous.

Son of the Right,
what I was going to spare everybody was a discussion on the nature of luck. “So if I roll a dice, people who don’t believe in luck say that God, instead, directly willed me to have a certain number every time.” I wouldn’t call that luck. The factors involved are theoretically calculable: weight of the dice, original position, force, torque, and friction of the landing surface. I don’t think I am being presumptuous by assuming that these laws of physics will hold true in an event. However, I am willing to grant the usage of the word luck to such an event, if by luck we mean the seemingly arbitrary or random occurrence of a particular event, that contains factors which cannot be practically calculated. But even if the word luck is used, the fact remains that what actually contributes to outcome of the event is not random chance at all, but mixture of natural forces. This is all with the additional understanding that miracles (the intervention of God contrary to the laws of nature) do indeed happen. I find it interesting that this scientific approach to the natural world strikes you as presumptuous, when this is the spirit under which the sciences started (by Christians, I might add), namely, that God has so ordered the world according to reason, that reason can understand the world. If you are willing to grant that ‘luck’ is actually either reasonable or divine intervention, then I am willing to grant the ‘usage’ of the term for events with outcomes that are practically incalculable, as long as it is understood that they are indeed reasonable.

The etymology of the word [gheluc “happiness, good fortune,” of unknown origin. Related to M.H.G. g(e)lücke, Ger. Glück “fortune, good luck.” ]
it would seem to be less of a problem…to say good luck!

I say “good luck” all the time without hesitation.  If asked, and sometimes/often when not asked, I explain that “luck” stands for “Living Under Christ’s Kindness”.  What could be wrong with that!

Luck is used in probability theory. It is mathematics not theology

Luck is a pagan god (I believe Roman, don’t matter), so why curse someone by a false idol when we can and should bless them with a Godly blessing. It is these little things that take away our true beliefs without knowing it. How many people use A.D. after the year? One Bishop said no big deal, and he is suppose to be leading us. Pope John Paul, the Great Obideant One, told us to be differant from the world and show our Catholicism to people by the way that we live, not to blend in with them. For the married women that are ashamed to be know as married and use the hideous title of ms. (what-ever that means), shows just the direction that their faith is taken. Many years ago in a far-away galaxy, there was a song that said “little things mean a lot” (Kitty Kalen?) and how many husbands found this out when they forgot important things such as: 1st date, 1st kiss, day that he proposed, etc, etc. Need I say more? God Bless you. +JMJ+

Some wonderful Carmelite Nuns I know always say , upon parting, the following:  May God Reward You. To which the reply is either “Amen” or “At your service”. I have come to prefer this to any other.

This discussion though reminds me so much why I love being Catholic.

May God reward you all.

Casually saying “Good luck” to friends and even to total strangers in the supermarket line was SOP for me until a few years ago. A young woman holding her baby was checking out in front of me at a supermarket when she commented on my small miraculous medal on a chain around my neck. She said her mother had one like it and proceeded to relate a number of sad incidents in her own life. “Bad choices,” she said, but she was getting a handle on things now, and gave God the credit. As she was leaving I said “Good luck with things”. She said “There’s no such thing as luck. It’s all God’s doing.” I said, “You’re right. God bless you and your little baby.” That continues to be my SOP when the occasion calls for it, always “God bless you”, not the strangely unfinished “God bless…”(but without the baby part, usually). It is not said unthinkingly, at least not yet, as it was with the former wish. Some look askance, some thank me. But now I sincerely mean it as a prayer.

I try to avoid the word “luck” also and tend to use a phrase with God’s Blessing also.  Just a matter of semantics, to many, but I have a choice and wish to praise God and give Him credit in all instances.  God Bless you and a very Holy and Blessed Holy week and Easter season.

I say “Blessings to you”  or simply “God bless you”.

Me thinks man doth ponder exceedingly on such as whether he can indeed impart luck, be it good or bad, on another. We are such as we are and if I want to say Good Luck to someone beginning a new adventure in their life I will. And I really doubt that such a phrase as that will be the blackened key to Hell. Seems to me we’ve much too much time on our hands of late.

There’s little enough mention of God in this secular society, so why not break through all the silence with a simple ‘God bless’?

I think I have it: May the things of God and nature that are statistical be with you.

I personally believe in the existence of luck. Apostolic Christians are not hyper-Calvinists, who think that divine sovereignty negates the existence of human free will. Not all events are orchestrated by God’s express will, although all are within the scope of His permissive will and will ultimately issue in His perfect will. God “causes all things to together for good to those who love God,” but He does not directly cause all things. It would be presumptuous to think that we can discern the will of God at any given moment simply by observing events around us. Luck is real, but it is not ultimately sovereign.

GK Radix, what seems presumptuous is that one claims to know God doesn’t implement a random element into the laws of nature.  How do you prove that God doesn’t do this?  If you can’t, if you criticize someone for believing in luck, that would be presumptuous, no?

@JMJ, there is no Roman god named Luck. There’s not even, to my knowledge, a Roman goddess named “Fortuna,” but there is an allegorical character, which is no more evil in nature than the allegorical figures in any literature (Death, Life, Wisdom, Folly, etc.).

There is no mention of “luck” in the Bible. And if Matthew stumbled into a “luck” translation somewhere (i.e., Sirach 8:19 (RSV) ), it is incorrect. This is what Scripture actually says in the Scripture that Matthew points to in the beginning of his post:
“Before a stranger do no matter of counsel: for thou knowest not what he will bring forth.” Ecclesiasticus 8:21 (Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible)

I personally stay away from the phrase “good luck”...

————-

J+M+J
It is a known fact that not all translations of Scripture are accurate and thus create confusion as is demonstrated in the topic of this post.  The Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible is the best there is.  “Pope Damasus assembled the first list of books of the Bible at the Roman Council in 382 A.D. He commissioned “St.  Jerome” to translate the original Greek and Hebrew texts into Latin, which became known as the Latin Vulgate Bible and was declared by the Church to be the only authentic and official version, in 1546.”  Here’s the website:  http://www.drbo.org/  You will find wonderful additional readings and devotions on the website.  God bless you.

I’ve struggled with this phrase myself.

I have found that evangelicals see the phrase as a lack of faith.

My (Catholic)daughter told a (protestant)friend of hers, “Good luck”, before she gave a speech, and her friend replied, “There’s no such thing as luck.”

So my daughter said,“Oh, good providence then!”

However, I know one of St. Patrick’s prayers includes the request that “God put luck on our food”.

I can see where it’s meaning could be explained as a form of providence to the faithful, while others may see it as a scandalous lack of faith because of the “lucky charms” and other superstitious uses of the word.

I agree though that using the name of God as long as we are still free and able is great gift that we should make use of as often as possible!

God Bless!

St Louis de Montfort says in his Examination of the Conscience that horseshoes, not the game, but the ones you hang open side up on your wall is sinful (Satanic).  Yikes! I had one when I was a kid.

FiliusDextris,
I think ‘random,’ like infinity (in relation to anyone or thing other than God), is a philosophical absurdity. I don’t think it has a place in a reasonable and ordered world. The long Catholic theological tradition maintains that the world is indeed ordered and reasonable. (Honest scientific inquiry supports this presupposition.) You are right, I can’t prove that ‘luck’ doesn’t exist, just like I can’t prove that gravity exists (it is just a theory, after all), but I am confident that any example you can give of random, chance, or luck, I can explain based on reasonable principles and causes.

JR,
Me thinks man doth ponder exceedingly on such as whether he can indeed impart luck, be it good or bad, on another. We are such as we are and if I want to say Good Luck to someone beginning a new adventure in their life I will. And I really doubt that such a phrase as that will be the blackened key to Hell. Seems to me we’ve much too much time on our hands of late.
Nice diction. BTW some still believe that words mean things and are willing to debate over their meaning, especially in a world where sophistry reigns. I’m a rather big fan of the Truth, so forgive me for spending a little time thinking about it; it’s better than watching tv. Also, I don’t think hell requires a blackened key to enter; it seems more likely that the door is wide and the path to find it is easy.

Maybe: May the Good Lord be with you

Since I don’t believe there is such a thing as luck, since the Lord keeps all things in existence.  I tell people I wish them well, all my best, Godspeed, God bless, etc.

There are sometimes when I say good luck purposefully so that I can correct myself to that person telling them there’s no such thing as luck and I wish them all my best.

GK: Let’s give you a shot.  Say I promise to donate all my earthly belongings to one lucky person whose name I draw out of a hat.  One name in the hat for all six billion people in the world.  Which natural law(s) governs the name I choose out of the hat?  If that’s too easy for you, which it might be, what about just choosing a random number between one and six billion out of my mind.  I have no clue which number I would call out when the time comes.  The person that gets chosen - to what does he owe his good fortune?  Natural law?  Did God preempt my free will and have me choose a particular individual’s number?  If I won such a lottery, I’d feel pretty lucky.  Can I say for sure that it was God’s direct will?  or maybe just his permissive will, and lucky me?

To all of the following prefix “May God grant you (a)...” or “I wish you (a)...”:-

Good morning!
Good day!
Good night!
Safe journey!
Good trip!
Good success!
Play well!
Happy outcome!
Best man win! etc, etc.

(Knock ‘em dead! might be pushing the spirit of things?)

I usually say “I wish you well.”

Whatever our religious persuasion, it is a breach of etiquette, that is, rude, to instruct or to direct other adults, unless we are police officers or parking attendants.

Unless we are sworn-in officials of the law, etiquette requires that if we wish to direct another adult to do or not do anything, it is necessary that we ask it as a favor, while apologizing for inconveniencing them.

Man in a theatre sitting behind a woman wearing a hat: “I’m terribly sorry, Madam; I’m afraid I don’t seem to be able to see the screen. I wonder if you would mind removing your hat?” That’s polite. You’re asking a favor and apologozing, asking her to help you out. Not to say, “You should take your hat off in the movie theatre. I can’t see.” That’s rude.
No one will want to comply.

Or “move your car, will you? I can’t get my passenger out.” Rude.
No one will want to comply. No one wants to be *told* what to do, as if taking commands from a superior. 

Instead to say, “I’m terribly sorry, sir, my disabled grandmother is having trouble getting out of my car. May I ask you to assist us by moving your car just eighteen inches or so in the other direction. Thanks very much for your help. We so appreciate it.” In most cases, the other driver will have already moved his car out of your way, before you finish getting the words out of your mouth, and is sitting there waving you on, waiting patiently until you and Granny have cleared his taillights.

But in the former case, he’s liable to want to pop you in the mouth instead.

You p_ss people off by commanding them as if you were their superior, or instructing them as if they were a child and you the adult. Do we as Christians really want to go around p_ssing people off unnecessarily - for no good reason? I don’t think so.

The Church is commissioned to propose the truth by publicly teaching it and preaching it, but private lay individuals are not so commissioned, other than to offer fraternal correction to those who are already their brothers and sisters in Christ. To give fraternal correction properly, it is best to begin by sayin, “Come groan with me, my brother, over my past sins and offenses, for we have much to answer for. Let us weep together, and then dry one another’s tears for God has been most merciful to me a sinner, and His mercy to you and to me is everlasting. Let us hearten and encourage one another in doing good, that we may live together in His joy here on Earth, and rejoice together in Heaven with the angels and the saints. Now I have something more to say to you…”

If we begin in that way, our fellow Christian will most likely be willing to listen.

Polite corrections are humble and lowly-of-heart. Well-made fraternal corrections are humble and lowly-of-heart.

If one says “Good Luck” to me, obviously wishing me well, and I rebuke them, I am in the state of sin of not assuming the best (and in this case obvious) sentiment of the person.

I pray that God will bless all with common sense.

Valete!

If you say it to me, I’m going to assume you don’t mean, “Happy Tarot-card reading!” or “Happy Horoscope!” And I wouldn’t care to correct a peer in a social setting with my opinion on ‘blessing’ someone v. wishing luck. I’m going to assume you mean well and those were the words you chose. I may in return say, “God bless” or “Best to you as well.”

GK: Let’s give you a shot.  Say I promise to donate all my earthly belongings to one lucky person whose name I draw out of a hat.  One name in the hat for all six billion people in the world.  Which natural law(s) governs the name I choose out of the hat?  If that’s too easy for you, which it might be, what about just choosing a random number between one and six billion out of my mind.  I have no clue which number I would call out when the time comes.  The person that gets chosen - to what does he owe his good fortune?  Natural law?  Did God preempt my free will and have me choose a particular individual’s number?  If I won such a lottery, I’d feel pretty lucky.  Can I say for sure that it was God’s direct will?  or maybe just his permissive will, and lucky me?

First, in good humor, I would ask you what kind of hat you were using. But you have succeed in pointing out a glaring error in my argument: the free will of persons. In addition it natural forces and divine intervention, humans act; they are subjects. Although to certain degree various factors go into both picking names out of hat (position of name, and factors, often based on habit or other proclivities, in your choosing) and picking a number (tendencies, habits, and other proclivities), there is definitely an element of free will that falls outside of God’s intervention and the laws of nature. However, it is your free will that chooses the number, not luck. What people call luck would just be the happy coincidence between the number you chose and the effect it yields based on the predetermined conditions. Free will and its effects, falling under the umbrella of God’s permissive will, are the deciding factors, not luck. Once again, I will not begrudge the use of ‘luck’ if it is understood that it has no power to act, it is only a title for happy coincidence. Finally, I would like to thank you FD, you helped to chance my rather mechanistic worldview to account for the free will of persons. I would like to spare the NCregister readers any further debate. God speed, and good luck!

I find no problem in saying ‘good luck’ since for me it’s just a plesanty, like the English ‘how do you do?’.

Maria, a state of sin for correcting someone that is worldly? Don’t you want them to be right with God? Don’t be afraid as someone much wiser than me has said.  +JMJ+

I catch myself saying “good luck” too.  Instead I say “I pray everything works out for”.  In cards I write “Peace and Blessings”.  I do like “May God reward you”, I think I’ll be using that. Thanks, AED.

Are you serious?!
I’m thinking we Catholics have *much* bigger fish to fry.
:-(

I don’t often use the term “good luck”, at least I don’t think I do. I try to say “God bless you” or “take care” or “be well” but perhaps if someone is going to Vegas the term is appropriate, but what we mean is “good fortune”. The term luck implies a degree or randomness generated by some unknown universal force (“karma”) other than God. Personally I attribute all “randomness” to the wisdom of God so I think the phrase “God bless” is most appropriate.

And Yes Mary, with Good Friday tomorrow I think we do have a lot of fish to fry Mary, but just the same this is fun, dontcha think?

Mary, bigger fish to fry? Pope John Paul II, every night read about the Saint’s and when he was too sick, his aides would read for him. Why do we have so many of these saints to help us in our daily struggles? It is because of the so many small fish that comes into our lives which can take us closer to God or take us away from Him. These Saints were very human and no different than us, except that they lived for God with every breath that they had. They all knew that this planet is only a training ground for a greater place called Heaven. Have a Blessed Easter and may Jesus fill your hearts, everyone. +JMJ+

Oh, come on! I’m a Catholic and I shall continue to wish people “Good luck” without worrying about any pagan connotations! I doubt that there’s one person in ten thousand who thinks about hidden shades of meaning. Honi soit qui mal y pense. I can’t believe that people get exercised about an innocuous expression of good wishes; would that there were no more serious problems facing this world.

@ Expat:  Just more fundie Catholic nonsense.  Seriously, if they wanna be consistent, why don’t they stop using the pagan names of the months and the days of the week, too?  The real sin is not in wishing another good luck but saying/doing nothing while predatory Priests roam free to rape even more children.  Lord, have mercy.

Stating “good luck” is defineately not a Faithful statement to make. It does not put Jesus into the picture at all, but rather happen-chance. Life is more about Faith than it is about luck (guypenrodCDbreathedeep@amazon). How many of us, though, have stated to people who have just gotten married-I wish you luck-Look at the divorce rate!

Bello! Volevo solo rispondere. Ho amato a fondo il tuo post. Continuate così grande www.ncregister.com.

Thank you all for posting!  It does seem a bit strange to refer to luck when its existence is unlikely.