The Horror of the Cross
The Horrors of Hell are Equal in Degree to the Glories Found in Heaven!
Photo By: Flickr/Scary Side of Earth
I'm currently reading a book about the horrors of Hell. Honestly, I am not sure what motivated me or inspired me to read such a book, but it has had a horrifying effect on me. The book is by Paul Thigpen and called "Saints Who Saw Hell". I cannot overemphasize the terror and horror portrayed in these vivid and graphic depictions of Hell described in this book. The torment and suffering that the damned endure for all of eternity should shake us to the core. The possibly and realization that so many souls end up in such a dreadful and wretched place and suffer unspeakable torture and suffering is beyond what our minds can even imagine. Once in Hell, the mercy of God is absent and no longer available. That so many of us, neglect to seek this mercy or even worse take it so for granted and assume its effects, demonstrates the sin and vice immersed in presumption and arrogance like no other.
As Christians, it is time to get to work and warn people of the very real danger and existence of Hell. The fact that so many Catholics neglect their Faith to the point of rejecting Mass and the Sacraments is a testimony to just how wicked and effective Satan is and how easy it has become for him to direct us to our own peril in pursuit of the offerings of this world. As Satanic activity and occult practices gain popularity and abortion rages rampant, our devotion and commitment to Christ wains and diminishes. Satan truly rules this world of ours, but only because we allow it. We are waging war as soldiers for Christ and defeat in these battles means more souls for Satan. In the end, we will be judged for what we have done, and what we have failed to do. So, even if it might hurt someone's feelings, or offend them, we must speak up. There are just certain things that are wrong, and even if our cultures embraces these vices we must speak up and sound off. Lots of us tolerate and even promote mortal sins such as abortion, artificial contraception, same sex marriage, homosexual relationship and lifestyles, premarital sex, drunkenness, missing Mass on Sunday, the list goes on and on..... There is a sense of urgency that must accompany our warning against these sins, because nobody knows when Jesus will come again, and he comes for each and every one of us at death. Yes, Jesus is the King of Mercy, but Mercy is not poured out on those who don't recognize their sins and their need of forgiveness, and then fail to truly repent. Mercy and Justice are a package deal, and the necessity of Mercy is rooted in the very real aspect of justice. Mercy demands it, as a matter of fact. So, don't forget about that side of Mercy's coin. There is no mercy for those in Hell.
I was contemplating on this as a sat in Church this morning. As we head into Advent we focus on the four last things, and the coming of Christ, not just His coming at Christmas, but his second coming as well. I was so very disturbed by the viciousness and ugliness of Hell as described in this book, and was pondering why it has to be this way. As I pondered, I reflected on how glorious Heaven must be, how truly joyful, beautiful, bright and wonderful, and then it hit me in the head like a ton of bricks. Hell is so horrid because Heaven is so glorious. The wonder of Heaven is equivocally equal to the horrors of Hell. That makes sense to me. Our reward will be great, but so too, our punishment. The magnitude of glory in Heaven is equal to the abomination or terror of Hell. They demonstrate the balance found in justice - but not any justice - God's Divine justice.
There is a popular meme on social media right now, one that I hate by the way. It states: Grace is when God gives us good things that we don't deserve. Mercy is when He spares us from bad things we deserve. Blessings are when He is generous with both." So I will call this out for the heresy that it is. Everything that comes from God is good, and EVERYTHING comes from God. Grace is the very life of God poured out into our hearts through the Sacraments, Grace sanctifies and transforms us into the image of Christ. Mercy is granted to us when we repent of the bad things we do against God, and we show remorse and seek forgiveness. Blessings prepare us to receive His Graces. God is very generous to all of us, but this meme forgets about Justice. Justice is when God does give us what we deserve - and we will all stand before Him for this Judgement. I know that the idea of Justice isn't warm and fuzzy and "feel good", but neither is our Faith and what is required of us as Christians. There are many times that being a Christian won't feel good and God might feel distance, and it might feel like Grace and Blessings are absent. So, please, we must not let messages like this lull us into a false sense of entitlement and security. There are definite demands made on us to enter Heaven, and ignoring them in favor of the feel good, be happy, and spiritual but not religious heresies projected in memes and quotes like this are not of God and are not beneficial to our journeys.
God is Good, and that is why Hell is so dreadful, how could anything absent from God be anything but?
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About the Author
I am a wife and mother of two grown sons. Although I am Cradle Catholic, I experienced a profound reversion to the True faith several years ago that motivated and inspired me to dive more deeply into an understanding of the Church and Her teachings, and why She has these teachings and where they come from. Surprisingly, for me, the more I read and discovered, the deeper my love of the Catholic Church and her teachings became. This certainly is a journey that doesn't end, and so as I uncover more amazing facts about our Faith and Church, I just can't help but want to share what I'm learning. So, I began writing for Catholic 365.
I have recently served for a year and a half as the Executive Director of a very active and busy Crisis Pregnancy Center on the West side of Cincinnati. God is so good and does answers prayers, even though He knows at times, we have no idea what we are asking for. The pro life cause is paramount to our times, I am so honored and humbled to have had the experience and opportunity to serve women and the unborn in this capacity! I am also very grateful to God, for allowing me to see for myself, that perhaps such a calling was not His long term plan for me. We go where God seeminly calls us, and for me, that was a return to corporate America. I currently work as a recruiter and sales onboarding specialist where I am helping a Franchising company open and support small businesses that serve seniors and the elderly, giving them opportunities to age in place and live thier final chapters with dignity. It is the other end of the pro life spectrum and such an amazing endeavor!
I love being able to share this great faith of ours and use this platform as a way to express my deep love and devotion to our Lord. We need each other, and this effort has truly become a wonderful way to connect with all of you- my brothers and sisters in Christ!
