Let's make sure we don't go to Hell

HELL

Mk. 9: 38-43, 47-48

During a parish Mission I remember visiting a particular home.  The moment I entered I sensed a very unhappy and cold atmosphere.  After spending fifteen minutes with the couple the husband saw me to the door and said, "Father, if ever you preach on Hell, use the example of my wife and me for there is no love between us.  Living without love is like living in Hell.'

I have heard some Catholics say there is no Hell – but Jesus Himself refers to its existence.  "Fear Him, (meaning God,) Who has power to cast body and soul into Hell."  It is the home of Satan and his fallen angels.  In His parable of the Sheep and Goats, Jesus warns us that we could find ourselves in Hell - if we do not love God and our neighbour.  The consequence of these failings, He warned, would be to hear the words, "Depart from Me into the fire of Hell prepared for the Devil and His angels."

What is Hell like?  No one knows exactly, because no one has ever come back from Hell to describe it for us.  Jesus speaks of Hell in terms of everlasting fire.  It is not the fire we see at a barbeque or a bonfire.  That fire could not afflict the soul, which is a spirit.  To be thrown into fire causes extreme pain and fire is mentioned to indicate the extreme suffering one will experience in Hell.  The real excruciating suffering in Hell is the pain of loss, the loss of the eternal separation from God.  This constitutes the worst of Hell's suffering.  The persons in Hell know that the only Person who can make them happy is God and yet they hate Him.  Hell is being fully aware that God is waiting for us with open arms and we can never be with Him through our own fault because we have rejected Him.  It is similar to the ache in the heart of lovers who are separated.  All they want is to be with each other, but this is impossible.  That pain is nothing compared to the pain of never again being able to love and possess God.

There is a tremendous loneliness in Hell, hating God, hating everyone and hating yourself.  It is no good thinking if your friend goes to Hell that you will be able to enjoy each other’s company and console each other.  You will be hating each other, wishing you could just turn back the clock and be given another chance to love God and your neighbour.  But this is impossible.  My Mum used to tell us, in Hell there is a clock, which ticks and says, "Forever and ever!  Forever and ever!"  No picture can paint the reality of Hell.  May God forbid any of us to go there!

I love this illustration of the difference between Heaven and Hell.  A man dies and is first shown Hell.  He saw everyone sitting at a sumptuous banquet with the finest food and drink, but was surprised to see that everyone was starving.  Then he noticed a weak man trying to feed himself.  He couldn't, for the forks, spoons and knives were all six-foot-long and he couldn't get the food to his mouth.  Next, he was shown Heaven and there he saw exactly the same scene, a sumptuous banquet, but here no one was starving.  He noticed when anyone was hungry the person opposite just picked up their spoon and fed them.  In Hell there is only hate and selfishness, but in Heaven there is only love and thoughtfulness.

To deserve Hell, we must have broken our relationship completely with God.  Let us take an example.  The Church, knowing that God wishes to be adored by all Catholics through Sunday Mass, teaches that deliberately, and without good reason, to miss Mass on Sunday or the Saturday Vigil Mass is a mortal sin, and you cannot go to Holy Communion again unless you first confess that sin in Confession and receive absolution.  To commit any mortal sin requires three conditions to be present.  One, it must be a sin of grave matter. The Church considers that missing Mass on Sundays is a grave sin because it breaks one of God's Ten Commandments - “Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day”- and turning down God's invitation to worship Him with His children as He wants is a serious sin.  The second condition is that you know it is a serious offence against God, and the third condition is you deliberately commit the sin.

Life is like a tree.  If a tree leans in one direction it will fall in that direction when it dies.  It cannot fall in the opposite direction!  So, too, with our lives.  If all the time we are leaning towards God, then with God's grace, it is likely that we shall fall into His arms when we die.  But if our lives never point to God then it follows that we will almost certainly die in enmity with God.

In fact, I would advocate that we try to attend Mass as often as possible as the best way of expressing love for God.  If we want to avoid Hell, we must make sure we love God and our neighbour!   Each of us is one of God's children.  He never wants to lose anyone and He never sends anyone to Hell – any individual who is there has chosen it for himself or herself.  Satan's one wish is for us to offend God and draw all of us into His kingdom.  We must not let this happen and we must be constantly fighting him.

Lord Jesus, please take us to Heaven, Your home.  WeI never want to break Your heart because You love me so much.  May we never choose to go to Hell, the home of Satan.  May we daily say this prayer every day for ourselves and everyone, "Heavenly Father, do not consider what we truly deserve, but forgive us our sins and lead us all to Heaven to be happy with You forever."

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