Faith under Attack
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The Dogma of Hell – Part V
Hell, Purity & Sanctifying Grace
Besides some major sins against the Ten Commandments that should be considered in an examination of conscience, which we pointed out here, there are also the Seven Capital Sins that tie in closely with the Commandments:
The importance of purity
Nothing is more significant in our life than purity.
Many nations have been destroyed by impurity more than by invasions. The pagan Roman Empire fell first through the corruption of private and public morals. Sodom and Gomorrah disappeared from the face of the earth because of unnatural sins against purity that cried to Heaven for vengeance. An impure society is a doomed society.
And what do we have in the world today? Impurity at its epitome which will be corrected, it would seem, only by a Divine Chastisement as Our Lady predicted at Fatima and Quito.
Our bodies belong to God, and we cannot use them for any form of impurity. St. Paul tells us that our body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost. The Sixth and Ninth Commandments mandate purity of body and mind, for the sin of impurity extends to thoughts as well as acts.
The cradle of impurity is the passions of our sensibilities. To “justify” our bad tendencies and wrongdoings of our passions, we invent excuses in our mind. Also, our mind by itself can be the source of temptation when we do not control our memory – recalling and dwelling on past sins – and our imagination – sensual daydreams. Bad thoughts must be dispelled by prayer and directed to things that are good in the eyes of God.
To avoid impurity, we might consider the following traditional suggestions:
Sanctifying grace
To avoid Hell, one must remain in the state of sanctifying grace. Sanctifying grace is our honor, glory and joy, to be treasured at all costs. Its value in our soul is greater than all the natural worth of the universe. Thus Satan employs every ruse with the aim of making us lose it.
Indeed, how many Catholics today even know what sanctifying grace is, and its supreme importance for avoiding Hell and attaining salvation? Here is a short outline:
Given that in our time of general apostasy this doctrine about sanctifying grace is no longer preached and taught, how many faithful have an idea of what it is and its import?
Recourse to Our Lady
Should a person feel discouraged at the difficulty of attaining Heaven, let him turn to Our Lady.
The Most Holy Virgin is that blessed ark, says St. Bernard, where anyone who takes refuge will escape the shipwreck of eternal damnation. At the time of the deluge, even the brute animals were saved in Noah’s ark. And so, under her protection, even sinners are saved.
One day in a vision, St. Gertrude saw Our Lady with her cloak spread wide open. Under its folds were many wild animals: lions, bears, tigers – all of whom had taken refuge there. The Saint noticed that the Virgin Mary did not chase the beasts away. She welcomed them kindly and caressed them. From this, St. Gertrude concluded that not only the most ferocious sinners are not rejected by Mary, but they are even welcomed and saved by her from eternal death.
Let us then enter this ark, let us take refuge under the cloak of Our Lady and she will not spurn us, but will secure our eternal salvation.
Another secure means to salvation, in this author’s opinion, is to have recourse to St. Joseph, Mary’s holy spouse, asking him also to intercede for us to achieve final perseverance and perfect contrition for our sins.
Conclusion
It is well known that the children of darkness are consumed by the pursuit of pleasure, goods and power. What is less acknowledged is that the children of light, who are engaged in the great pursuit of salvation, often waste much of their time, which should be given to glorify God. This deprives them of laying up greater treasures in Heaven. Such dissipation can lead to Hell or to a very long stay in the cleansing fires of Purgatory. Therefore, let us strive with all our might while we still can to store up treasures in Heaven.
It seems appropriate to end this series on Hell by asking a blessing traditionally used by clergy for their congregations and by the laity for both their family and friends: Benedictio Dei omnipotentis, Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti descendat super nobis et maneat semper. In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen. (1)
- Pride, which is actually the cause of all sin;
- Avarice, the inordinate love for riches and worldly goods;
- Lust, the inordinate craving for or indulgence in sexual pleasure;
- Anger, the desire of vengeance, different from righteous anger, which arises from seeing the law of God broken;
- Envy, resentment or sadness at the success or property of another, which can generate anger, hatred, jealousy and malice;
- Gluttony, overindulgence in food or drink;
- Sloth, a culpable lack of physical or spiritual effort, which disinclines one to do what is necessary for salvation.
- To assist at Mass on all Sundays and Holydays;
- To fast and abstain on appointed days;
- To confess our sins at least once a year;
- To receive Holy Communion in Easter season;
- To contribute to the support of the Church;
- To observe the laws of the Church concerning Matrimony.
The importance of purity
Nothing is more significant in our life than purity.
Many nations have been destroyed by impurity more than by invasions. The pagan Roman Empire fell first through the corruption of private and public morals. Sodom and Gomorrah disappeared from the face of the earth because of unnatural sins against purity that cried to Heaven for vengeance. An impure society is a doomed society.
The moral decadence of Rome led to its fall
Our bodies belong to God, and we cannot use them for any form of impurity. St. Paul tells us that our body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost. The Sixth and Ninth Commandments mandate purity of body and mind, for the sin of impurity extends to thoughts as well as acts.
The cradle of impurity is the passions of our sensibilities. To “justify” our bad tendencies and wrongdoings of our passions, we invent excuses in our mind. Also, our mind by itself can be the source of temptation when we do not control our memory – recalling and dwelling on past sins – and our imagination – sensual daydreams. Bad thoughts must be dispelled by prayer and directed to things that are good in the eyes of God.
To avoid impurity, we might consider the following traditional suggestions:
- Be modest in looks, dress, words and actions;
- Do not associate ourselves with immodest or impure companions;
- Carefully avoid impure books, movies and internet sites, and do not listen to impure language of any type;
- Pray at the first temptation against purity;
- Confess and receive Holy Communion frequently;
- Have a great devotion to the Mother of God, the Most Pure Virgin.
Sanctifying grace
To avoid Hell, one must remain in the state of sanctifying grace. Sanctifying grace is our honor, glory and joy, to be treasured at all costs. Its value in our soul is greater than all the natural worth of the universe. Thus Satan employs every ruse with the aim of making us lose it.
Too few realize the importance of being in the state of sanctifying grace at death
- It is a participation in the divine life that sanctifies our souls and makes us friends of God and gives us a claim to the inheritance of Heaven;
- It makes us temples of the Holy Ghost.
- It is lost by every mortal sin.
- It is restored by repentance, confession and absolution by a priest .
Given that in our time of general apostasy this doctrine about sanctifying grace is no longer preached and taught, how many faithful have an idea of what it is and its import?
Recourse to Our Lady
Should a person feel discouraged at the difficulty of attaining Heaven, let him turn to Our Lady.
Our Lady is the refuge and hope of all sinners
One day in a vision, St. Gertrude saw Our Lady with her cloak spread wide open. Under its folds were many wild animals: lions, bears, tigers – all of whom had taken refuge there. The Saint noticed that the Virgin Mary did not chase the beasts away. She welcomed them kindly and caressed them. From this, St. Gertrude concluded that not only the most ferocious sinners are not rejected by Mary, but they are even welcomed and saved by her from eternal death.
Let us then enter this ark, let us take refuge under the cloak of Our Lady and she will not spurn us, but will secure our eternal salvation.
Another secure means to salvation, in this author’s opinion, is to have recourse to St. Joseph, Mary’s holy spouse, asking him also to intercede for us to achieve final perseverance and perfect contrition for our sins.
Conclusion
It is well known that the children of darkness are consumed by the pursuit of pleasure, goods and power. What is less acknowledged is that the children of light, who are engaged in the great pursuit of salvation, often waste much of their time, which should be given to glorify God. This deprives them of laying up greater treasures in Heaven. Such dissipation can lead to Hell or to a very long stay in the cleansing fires of Purgatory. Therefore, let us strive with all our might while we still can to store up treasures in Heaven.
It seems appropriate to end this series on Hell by asking a blessing traditionally used by clergy for their congregations and by the laity for both their family and friends: Benedictio Dei omnipotentis, Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti descendat super nobis et maneat semper. In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen. (1)
- May the blessing of Almighty God, Father, Son and Holy Ghost descend upon us and remain forever. In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, Amen.
Posted June 20, 2014
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