This post may have no positive impact on anyone's life or it may be exactly what some soul needs to hear. It will likely cause some to attack me personally. I will leave the outcome of this effort where it belongs - in God's hands. 

It is an invitation to take a look into our own souls. Where have we been and where are we headed? 

Just when I thought this world had exhausted the ways it can devise to offend the God who made us in His image and likeness,  I glance at social media or school curriculum and shudder in utter shock and dismay.

Too many have abandoned common sense and reason. They have no idea why God created them. Some are unable (or unwilling) to define the difference between a male or female. Others argue that there are more than two sexes. Still more believe that they can transition from one sex to another as they choose. Black has become white. Truth has been replaced with lies. The common good abandoned for personal gratification and self-pleasure. Good is defined as evil, and evil good. You have freedom of speech but only to the extent that your listener agrees with the substance of what you say. 

I could go on and on but you understand the point I am trying to make.

It is an act of love to remind our fellow human beings that there is a God and that someday we will all stand before His throne of Justice. Human deception and sinfulness will come to an end. Eternity will begin - one of unending bliss in the Presence of God Almighty; the other in unceasing torment. 

God has implanted in the hearts of every soul He has created, an innate awareness of natural law - what is right or wrong. So it is not judging a person whose conduct is objectively contrary to God's commandments if you point that out  - lovingly. Such fraternal correction is indeed an act of love - an obligation each of us has - no matter how difficult  it may be to share that truth and no matter how angry someone may become with us.

There was a time when no sane person would advocate killing someone simply because they rejected his or her sharing God's immutable Truth. Tragically, we are no longer at that place. God have mercy on us!

The reasons we have reached this troubled state in our society are varied and numerous. 

I want to focus on one: the deafening silence of Christians and Christian Churches - their failure to teach the Truth, live It, and defend It - their failure to fraternally correct family and loved ones who objectively live in ways contrary to God's law. 

Wake up! We who have been silent in the face of sin will be treated at the time of our particular  judgment in the same manner as the unrepentant sinner - an eternity of torture and separation from the God.  

To paraphrase, St. Jerome: Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of God. The following is one portion of Scripture that we better read and take to heart:

"Son of man, he said to me, take into your heart all my words that I speak to you; hear them well. Now go to the exiles, to your countrymen, and say to them: Thus says the Lord God! — whether they heed or resist…

Thus ,the word of the Lord came to me: Son of man, I have appointed you a watchman for the house of Israel. When you hear a word from my mouth, you shall warn them for me.

If I say to the wicked man, You shall surely die; and you do not warn him or speak out to dissuade him from his wicked conduct so that he may live: that wicked man shall die for his sin, but I will hold you responsible for his death. If, on the other hand, you have warned the wicked man, yet he has not turned away from his evil nor from his wicked conduct, then he shall die for his sin, but you shall save your life.

If a virtuous man turns away from virtue and does wrong when I place a stumbling block before him, he shall die. He shall die for his sin, and his virtuous deeds shall not be remembered; but I will hold you responsible for his death if you did not warn him. When, on the other hand, you have warned a virtuous man not to sin, and he has in fact not sinned, he shall surely live because of the warning, and you shall save your own life.” 

(Ezekiel 3:10-11, 3: 17- 21)

There is still time to turn the tide, to save our souls and of those we know and love. Regain your voice. Break your silence. Enter this spiritual battle. Share, live and defend God's Truth! 

​​I am blessed to be a Lay Dominican. However, the ideas expressed on this blog are my own and do not represent the endorsement of or position of the Order of Preachers as a whole. I am neither responsible for, nor endorse content (e.g. banner ads, pop-up ads, etc.) that may be linked to this blog.

Hell - The Fiery Forever Furnace

Among the many problems within our Church today is the fact that far too many Catholics do
not know or live their faith. This is in large measure due to poor catechesis and the reluctance of some priests to teach the full and undiluted Truths of our Faith. Too many are content to tickle our ears and not seek to save our souls.

I believe, as did St. Vincent Ferrer, O.P., that we cannot be timid when addressing problems in
our Church and the lukewarm manner in which many of us live out our faith. St. Vincent, like the noted Italian Franciscan preacher, St. Leonard of Port Maurice referenced below, was direct and confronted people with the Truth since it is only the Truth that will set hearts and souls free.

There is a fear that the average Catholic in the pew can not "handle" the Truth, will not accept the Church's teachings and will take a hike when they are forced to listen to and live them. 
Better, many argue, that we skip over the "hard points" of what we must believe, so that we don't lose any more parishioners. For those of this theological bent, zeal for the salvation of souls is an archaic and unnecessary concept.

During this Holy Week, we Catholics should have some solid instruction on sin and the eternal
consequences given the price our Loving Lord Jesus paid for our transgressions. The realities of sin and Jesus' suffering and death are front and center this week in our liturgy, Scripture and meditations. Yes, Virginia. Hell is real - real hot. It's a fiery forever furnace of torment for souls who did not believe it existed and who failed to avoid it by seeking God's forgiveness and mercy. Not a few of these sorry souls eagerly acquiesced to the false teachers among them who told them not to worry about hell. God, they proclaimed,  is merciful and would never condemn any one to hell. Therefore, we can have a reasonable hope that all men are saved. Hell, these pundits suggest, is vacant (if it even exists at all).

Though preachers who say these things are dead wrong, once they and their followers arrive in hell, no one will have any recourse against them for their untruthful and heretical teachings.
They and their followers will suffer eternal separation from the God who always wanted them to be with Him eternally and who provided them with all the graces they needed to achieve His goal. They can't blame Him if they end up in hell. It was their choice not to believe God..

So in order to avoid such an unnecessary and eternal fate, let's act as adults this week. Take the time to read, absorb, ponder, understand and accept the Church's full teaching on hell.

Read this homily preached by St Leonard of Port Maurice.

His sermon, The Little Number of Those Who Are Saved,  will make you think. It will cause you
to become uncomfortable and even squirm. But you can give yourself no greater gift this Lent
than to listen to the Truth penned by the hand of a man emboldened by the Holy Spirit, who
though deceased now for more than 268 years, is still being used by God to save souls. Thank
God we can still read his sermon today. St. Leonard's words were true then; they are true now.

They have always been and will forever be true.

Choose eternal life!
Lord, Jesus Christ, be merciful to all of us sinners!

​I am blessed to be a Lay Dominican. However, the ideas expressed on this blog are my own and do not represent the endorsement of or position of the Order of Preachers as a whole. I am neither responsible for, nor endorse content (e.g. banner ads, pop-up ads, etc.) that may be linked to this blog.