Perceptions

Perceptions

Eileen Renders                                          March  2024

   If we think about a particular subject of curiosity, to resolve that contemplation, we will come up with our perception of how that issue of curiosity might work. And when it comes to our faith, there are many mysteries for which we have no answers, and this is why it is called faith. We believe without proof. Remember when St. Thomas, known for his doubting that Christ had indeed risen from the dead and asked to touch his side? He became known as “Doubting Thomas”. Jesus, allowed Thomas to touch his side and said; “Blessed are those who believe without seeing.”

   There are many answers we have not been given, still, we believe in heaven, hell, and purgatory. Where heaven and hell are exactly, we have no answers. What we will find when we pass over to the other side, we also have no accurate information. We do know that heaven, or paradise is full of peace, joy, and contentment. We have also heard that hell is brimstone and fire and that those sentenced to eternity in hell will burn in agony.

   Here is where I would like to share my faith perceptions with my brothers and sisters of the Catholic faith. To begin with, we rarely try to perceive heaven and all the joys that await us there. But we can rely on Christ’s words when He said; “I go before you to prepare a place for you.” If we all have a customized place in heaven, when I get there, I will be surrounded by family, but my backyard will include many animals, including Dogs, Lions, Elephants, and more!

   Purgatory will be no more, most of us in my belief, are cleansed here on earth through the many losses, pain, suffering, and failures that each of us experience. But as long as we remain faithful, and offer up our cross to unite with Jesus’ Cross, we have endured our Purgatory.

   Hell? I believe because of how the bible used words more than 2,000 years ago, we often are not sure how to perceive the correct meaning of the message. Example; In one version of the Catholic Bible, it states that Christ was born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontus Pilate, died, and was buried. He descended into hell…..? That has always deserved a question mark. Back then hell was a name used to describe the Land of the Dead, or Hades. Jesus did not go to hell as we might understand it.

   Certainly, if heaven needs no worry, or concern in our daily life, and Purgatory may be here on Earth, it appears that it is Hell that may from time to time, draw most of our concern or curiosity.  Therefore, I want to share my perception of what hell is.

   To begin with, I must say that the God of my understanding has nothing but Love and Mercy for the creatures He created. Having said this, we must keep in mind that He is a Just God. He saved us through sin by dying on the Cross after much suffering and left us an opportunity to enter into his Kingdom after death for eternity. The opportunity comes with keeping His Ten Commandments and frequenting the sacraments.

   Now I must dismiss the idea that God would give us back our body to be reunited with our soul to cast us into hell where we would endure excruciating pain through burning, and that it would continue that way for eternity! God would not (I believe) enjoy such a torturous agony that would last forever.

   I perceive Hell to be a state of emotional and spiritual despair. To consider that someone dammed into hell will never see the face of God, never be reunited again with family, and spend eternity reviewing the wrongs, the sins that caused one’s damnation, and never availed the opportunity to sincerely apologize is hell. And sometimes in life, if we live long enough, we will feel that kind of regret over something we said or have done if we are a good soul. And I also like to believe that most of us are.