One of Satan's great achievements during this century is not only in convincing many that he doesn't exist, it also encompasses those who refuse to believe that hell exists. Hell does exist, the Bible speaks of hell as does the Catholic Church, yet hell has also become an uncomfortable teaching, why is this so?
Let us first look at what Scripture teaches us, for it says in Job, "Complete darkness is in store for him; the fire which shall consume him needs not to be fanned. The heavens shall reveal his guilt, and the earth shall rise up against him. The flood shall sweep away his house with the waters that run off in the day of God's anger. This is the portion of a wicked man, and the heritage appointed him by God." Once again Scripture teaches us, in Deuteronomy,"Since they have provoked me with their 'no-god' and angered me with their vain idols, I will provoke them with a 'no-people'; with a foolish nation I will anger them. "For by my wrath a fire is enkindled that shall rage to the depths of the nether world, Consuming the earth with its yield, and licking with flames the roots of the mountains." We are also given a warning about what awaits those who refuse to believe in the existance of hell and therefore live their lives with no accountability and a refusal to repent. As it warns in the Book of Luke when Jesus speaks of the rich man who upon death finds himself in hell, he then wishes to warn his brothers but is told it is too late, will it be too late for you?
We also read in the Catholic Catechism these words,"The teaching of the Church affirms the existence of hell and its eternity. Immediately after death the souls of those who die in a state of mortal sin descend into hell, where they suffer the punishments of hell, "eternal fire." The chief punishment of hell is eternal separation from God, in whom alone man can possess the life and happiness for which he was created and for which he longs.(1035)" Do we glibly carry on in sin as if hell were for everyone else but not you?
Another great and grave danger is when people resign themselves to spending time in Purgatory, mainly because they do not wish to amend their ways even though by their continuous wrongful actions they are challenging God's Justice. If you know your behaviour is unacceptable to God and you refuse to amend or sincerely repent of your sin, then you will be lucky indeed to escape hell fire. To rely on Purgatory in order for you to continue to sin is to usurp God's Authority and to treat your Heavenly Father with ill conceived contempt. Do you think God cannot see your obstinacy and your refusal to obey His Commandments? Or do some Catholics also embrace the theory 'once Saved always Saved'?
If the Bible and the Catholic Catechism are not enough we also have our Saints who through the Mercy of God also warns us of hell. As Saint Faustina writes in her diary, "Today, I was led by an angel to the chasms of hell. It is a place of great torture; how awesomely large and extensive it is! The kinds of tortures I saw: the first torture that constitutes hell is the loss of God; the second is perpetual remorse of conscience; the third is that one's condition will never change; the fourth is the fire that will penetrate the soul without destroying it – a terrible suffering, since it is a purely spiritual fire, lit by God's anger; the fifth torture is continual darkness and a terrible suffocating smell, and, despite the darkness, the devils and the souls of the damned see each other and all the evil, both of others and their own; the sixth torture is the constant company of Satan; the seventh torture is the horrible despair, hatred of God, vile words, curses and blasphemies. These are the tortures suffered by all the damned together, but that is not the end of the sufferings. There are special tortures destined for particular souls. These are the torments of the senses. Each soul undergoes terrible and indescribable sufferings, related to the manner in which it has sinned. There are caverns and pits of torture where one form of agony differs from another. I would have died at the very sight of these tortures if the omnipotence of God had not supported me. Let the sinner know that he will be tortured throughout all eternity, in those senses which he made use of to sin. I am writing this at the command of God, so that no soul may find an excuse by saying there is no hell, or that nobody has ever been there, and so no one can say what it is like. I, Sister Faustina, by the order of God, have visited the abysses of hell so that I might tell souls about it and testify to its existence." Once can see that this is a terrifying description of what awaits those who show no sorrow or remorse for their sins against the Triune Spirit.
We also see in the writings of Sister Josefa Menendez these cautious words, "I saw several souls fall into Hell, and among them was a child of fifteen, cursing her parents for not having taught her to fear God nor that there was a Hell. Her life had been a short one, she said, but full of sin, for she had given in to all that her body and passions demanded in the way of satisfaction...". We read these words that were written in 1923, to what depths must society sink too in order for us to heed these dire warnings? The children of Fatima were also shown how terrifying is the pits of hell and so a prayer was instituted within the Church, "O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of Hell and lead all souls to Heaven, especially those most in need of Thy Mercy."
We need to understand in order to obtain and gain God's Mercy we must seek it with all our hearts, mind and soul and then go and sin NO more. We know that Jesus came for the sick to heal them of their sins, he mixed with the sinner but did not become defiled by their proximity. But our Lord did not come to heal us only for us to return once again in full knowledge and consent to that self same sin. That is not remorse nor is it repentance but it is presumption!
Ask yourself when was the last time your Priest gave a sermon on sin and the effects it will have on your soul? When did your Priest warn you of the consequences of unrepentant and unconfessed sin? When has your Priest spoken about hell? Also for parents when was the last time you spoke to your children of hell and the consequences of their unrepentant sins? When was the last time you spoke of chastity, purity and holiness to your children?
Who guides your conscience Hollywood, the media or God? When the Catholic Church warns us not to read certain materials who of us immediately go out and buy it? As if an author or Hollywood had all the answers and the Church has lost its relevance. When we disobey the warnings of the Catholic Church and instead do the exact opposite of its Teachings and pay little heed of its warnings then we are little better than Adam and Eve who were tempted to disobey God and succumbed to that temptation. Adam and Eve also did not heed God's Commandment or warning and so suffered the consequences of which we still feel today.
In the words of St. Leonard of Port Maurice, "To be saved for all eternity, to be damned for all eternity, and to not make your every effort to avoid the one and make sure of the other, is something inconceivable."
If hell does not exist then neither does Heaven, for if we cannot attain Heaven we will then settle for hell.
Peace of Christ to ALL
Copyright © 2005 Marie Smith. All rights reserved.
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