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CHAPTER II
THE SERIOUSNESS OF SIN!
Modern man does not have an appreciation of the evil of sin.
Hence, he usually thinks nothing of committing even serious sins and has little sorrow for them! REALITY however is what GOD thinks about sin and how He reacts to it.
The purpose of this Meditation is to develop a better understanding of the seriousness of all sin, particularly our own! All sins, even those we think we got by with, will be either atoned for in this life or punished in the next. Be prepared to take notes on any inspirations or thoughts during this meditation.
Place yourself in the presence of God.
See Him looking at you, perhaps as the loving Sacred Heart of Jesus, or perhaps as Christ The King. Humbly adore Him.
Preparatory Prayer (always the same):
“Oh God my Lord, please grant me the grace that all my intentions, all my actions, and all my works may be directed purely to the service and praise of your Divine Majesty.”
“Ask for the Grace that all my intentions, actions, and operations may be directed
“Ask for the Grace that all my intentions, actions, and operations may be directed
purely to the praise and service of His Divine Majesty.”
“Ask for the Grace of shame and confusion, because I see how many have been lost
on account of a single mortal sin, and how many times I have deserved eternal damnation,
because of the many grievous sins I have committed.”
From the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, First Exercise.
What is Sin?
Sin is a voluntary transgression against The Law of God. Jesus Christ loved us so much that he became for us the Sacrificial Lamb to atone for our sins. He is “The Lamb of God”. He suffered greatly for each and every one of your sins and mine. The Jews and the Roman solders were only the instruments for His Crucifixion, we were the cause. Think about it. Every time you sin, you help crucify Our Lord. You take a turn with the whip during His terrible scourging. You take a turn hammering into His head the crown of thorns. You take a turn at placing the nail on His hand and driving it through it, into the wood of the Cross. You do all these things and He responds with: “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.”! Oh what love on His part! Oh what ingratitude on your part for you turn right around and sin again (take another turn crucifying Him). Well, now you do know better. Will you continue to smite your Beloved Redeemer? Think about it!
Man is composed of a Body and a Soul, an animal nature and a spiritual nature. The soul is simple – it has no parts, therefore it will live forever. From the soul we get: The intellect (the mind), the will (heart, love, goodness). The passions are the lower part of man.
The passions (anger, love, etc) are the ones that are usually disordered. Sins of the flesh are bad but the least of the Mortal sins.
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Sins of the Will (malice, hate) are worst still. Hearts are restless till with God.
Sins of the Mind are worse yet (heresy). It is a great evil when the intellect is disordered.
Sin begets sin. Each sin spiritually weakens the soul and reduces its ability to resist future sin. One sin often leads to another and can easily become a habit. Our will to resist sin is weakened and may even disappear. Initially “The Spirit is willing to be good but the flesh is weak”. Eventually, the Spirit is not even willing to be good. We literally become slaves of sin, piling one sin on top of another. We will have nothing in common with God. We will have much in common with the Devil. The Devil gains a strong influence over us. He causes you to do His Will. Sin makes us incompatible with God.
“Vice is a monster of so frightful mien, as to be hated, only need to be seen,
yet seen too oft, familiar with her face, we first endure, then pity, then embrace.”
Alexander Pope
Scary isn’t it! Vice is all around us!
A PARADOX:
We commit sin, thinking it will make us happy.
But God is perfect Goodness, perfect happiness.
Therefore sin causes us to be unhappy – not happy.
When we are tempted, we don’t think the sin will make us unhappy. After the sin, there is much regret.
Those who live a life of sin are very unhappy. Sin frustrates happiness. So many sinners live a very unhappy life. Some even commit suicide. They can no longer face themselves. They have allowed themselves to become slaves of sin.
For a happy life, reform your life. See your errors and reform your life.
What would you think if you saw somebody deliberately mutilating their body? We would be horrified if we saw somebody deliberately sawing their finger or arm off with a power saw. We would be horrified if we saw somebody deliberately banging their head on a rock till it was bloody. All these things harm the body. Yet our reaction is so much different when we see somebody deliberately destroying their soul! Destruction of their soul is far more serious than destruction of their body. We need to develop an appreciation for the grave seriousness of sin.
Nothing defiled will enter Heaven. All sin (thoughts, words, action) must be accounted for, not only what we do but also what we omit.
Temptation is not a sin unless we entertain it. Temptation can be an opportunity for merit when we resist it. Avoid the opportunities to sin. Flee from sin and all occasions of sin. When you consent to an occasion of sin, you consent to the sin!
The first sin was the sin of the Angels. The second sin was Original Sin, the sin of Adam and Eve. Actual Sin is sin we commit ourselves. There are two kinds of Actual Sin: Mortal Sin and Venial Sin.
Mortal Sin is a grievous offense against The Law of God. Just as mortal wound to the body will kill it, similarly, a Mortal Sin spiritually kills the soul. A soul that is guilty of an unforgiven Mortal Sin is spiritually dead. It is devoid of Sanctifying Grace. A person who dies in Mortal Sin will suffer the pains of Hell for eternity. Three things are necessary for a sin to be Mortal.
1. The Matter must be grave. In other words it’s a big sin. Such as murder, theft of serious money, fornication, adultery, missing Mass on Sunday without a good reason, scandal to others, heresy, participating in non-Catholic “religious” services, etc.
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2. Full deliberation (full knowledge) that the act is really a sin. You cannot commit a sin by doing something that you did not know was a sin. This condition (ignorance) however, does not get everybody off the hook. Almighty God in His Mercy has imprinted upon our nature a “Code of Conduct”. In other words, all men know intuitively the difference between right and wrong. For example no matter how primitive a people are, they still know it is wrong to steal, commit murder, cheat, etc. This “Code” is called the Natural Law. All men are held accountable to this Law. All men also are given the Grace to seek out and embrace the Truth. For example when a non-Catholic fails to go to a Catholic Mass on Sunday, he may not thereby have committed a Mortal Sin because he was ignorant of this necessity. However he may be guilty of the Mortal Sin of neglect to investigate the Truth of the Catholic Religion. In other words, his ignorance of the Truth is his own fault, freely chosen. Invincible ignorance (through no fault of our own) is an excuse. We are however held accountable for culpable ignorance (when we choose not to learn).
3. Full consent of the will. This occurs when the act is a serious sin and we know it but decide to do it anyway. After giving our full consent, we have already committed a Mortal Sin, even if later, something prevents us from the act itself. For example, a man plans to commit murder and intends to carry it out – Mortal Sin. If in the attempt, he is stopped from carrying out the murder or if he changes his mind, he still has the Mortal Sin on his soul. Don’t however think that at this point you may as well go ahead and complete the sinful act since you already have the Sin. Planning the act is a Mortal Sin – True. Carrying it out is another Mortal Sin. The pains of Hell are in proportion to the number and gravity of all our sins. Some poor souls pile Mortal Sin on top of Mortal Sin all their lives. Some die after their first Mortal Sin.
Venial Sin is a smaller offense against God. It is still evil but does not damn a soul to Hell. It does however severely weaken the soul, like a broken arm or leg or bad cold can severely weakens the body. Therefore we should try to avoid venial sins, which harm the soul, as we try to avoid harm to our bodies. How well could you run a race with a broken leg or even a sore toe! Similarly, how do you expect to participate in the race to save your soul when it is weakened with Venial Sins!
The Forgiveness of Sin:
During the Sacrament of Baptism, all of our sins are removed. This includes Original Sin inherited from Adam and Eve and all of our Actual Mortal and Venial sins.
Sins committed after Baptism are normally forgiven through the Sacrament of Confession, where imperfect Contrition is sufficient. Imperfect Contrition is when we are sorry for our sins because we realistically fear going to Hell. Most of us have imperfect Contrition.
Perfect Contrition is when we are sorry for our sins because we have offended God, Whom we love so much. It is possible that with Perfect Contrition, our sins will be forgiven outside of the Sacrament of Confession. Those in danger of death, who do not have access to a Catholic Priest, should pray for the Grace of Perfect Contrition. We cannot however rely on this. Most people die the way they live. Many of the saints however, have been granted the Grace of Perfect Contrition. For example St. Mary Magdalen and St. Peter shed many tears because they offended Our Lord whom they loved deeply. Because of this, they became Great Saints. All of us wish our Contrition was “Perfect”. Many of us may even believe our Contrition is “Perfect”. Do not however, make the error that you need not go to Confession, since your Contrition is “Perfect”. Be warned, that the easiest one for us to fool, is ourselves. Deep down, most likely have imperfect Contrition. Those with Perfect Contrition will always, as soon as possible, confess their sins in the Sacrament of Confession.
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Hierarchy of Creatures:
Consider the hierarchy of Creatures. For example: rocks à plants àwormà cockroach, insects àrabbit, dog, à man à Angels à GOD.
Consider the result if a lower life form transgresses or irritates a higher lifeform. For example a mouse vs. a cat.
What is our normal reaction to a creature that offends us? For example what is our normal reaction to a mosquito that is dining on our arm? à S P L A T! What is our normal reaction to a cockroach that dares come into our home? à S Q U A S H!
Consider how GOD, Who is far above us in the hierarchy of creatures, has reacted to sin:
For only one sin God Justifiability created Hell and cast the rebellious Angels into It.
For only one sin God Justifiability cast Adam and Eve out of The Garden of Eden.
For only one Mortal Sin, many have Justifiability died and gone to Hell.
Yet, we (you!) have committed many, many sins and yet He has so far shown us only His Mercy, through the Sacrament of Confession! Why? We offend Him, He forgives us when we are sorry and receive the Sacrament of Confession. Then we turn right around and offend Him again and He forgives us again through His Great Sacrament! We do this again and again and He has still so far forgiven us. Why??? Why has He shown us His Mercy, rather than His Justice, so many times? Many pile Mortal Sin on top of Mortal Sin and show no remorse! They don’t even ask for forgiveness through The Sacrament of Confession and yet He lets them still live to sin again. Are you one of these? Why is He so patient with you when He has quickly sent so many others to Hell? Why? Why is He being so patient with YOU! ? Think about it. How many of your sins and how much of your ingratitude will He tolerate before
S P L A T !
God often brings good out of evil. For example from His Passion and Death on the cross He gave us our Redemption. Don’t confuse Redemption with Salvation. He Redeemed us without our help. He will not Save us without our cooperation. God often has turned great sinners into great Saints. For example: St. Mary Magdalen, St. Augustine, etc. He has so far been patient with you because He wants you to become a great Saint. Think about it. Think about reforming your life to that of a Saint. The only other alternative is an eternity in Hell. Think about how your good example will help others save their souls. Think about how your bad example will lead others to Hell, particularly those closest to you. Think about it. Do you love them enough to reform your life?
The First Sin – The Sin of the Angels:
We have already noted the hierarchy of creatures: rocks, plants, animals, people, Angels, God. Within the Angels there is also a hierarchy. There are Nine Choirs of Angels: Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones, Dominations, Powers, Virtues, Principalities, Arc Angels and Angels. Angels are pure spirits. They have intuitive intellect. They have great knowledge and great strength.
One of the Greatest of the Angels was Lucifer (Light Bearer). He and about 1/3 of the other Angels, probably from all nine Choirs, were created… committed the sin of Pride, by refusing to serve God (their “function”) ….and were cast into Hell. Because of their great intellect, they fully knew the consequences of their action. They would never repent. They felt that it was “Better to reign in Hell than to serve in Heaven!”
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Some have speculated that Lucifer was so proud that he wanted to be like God.
Some have speculated that their Sin was refusal to accept the Incarnation. They were appalled at the idea of Christ becoming Man, a creature so far beneath them in the hierarchy of creatures. Out of pride they would not adore the God-man, Christ.
Some have speculated that their Sin was a refusal to accept The Blessed Virgin Mary’s role as “Queen of Angels”.
The fallen Angels were turned into Devils. They retain their intellect and power. And use them when tempting us.
“And there was a great battle in heaven, Michael and his angels fought with the dragon,
and the dragon fought and his angels . . . And that great dragon was cast out, that old
serpent, who is called the devil and Satan . . . “ The Apocalypse 12:7-9
“For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood; but against principalities and powers,
against the rulers of the world of this darkness, against spirits of wickedness in the high
places.” Ephesians 6:12
Let us meditate on the fact that for only one sin by the Angels, Hell was created and they were cast into it F O R E V E R! This is what GOD thinks about Sin. Think about it: the reality of the evil of Sin (every sin). Because of only one sin Hell was created! Compare this one sin of the Angels with your many sins and what they deserve.
Yet… He is so patient with YOU?! Why?!. You have not appreciated His many helps, nor all of the material and Spiritual gifts He has showered on you throughout your life. With every sin you spit in His face! How much longer will He put up with such a creature?! Look what happened to the Angels! You are far lower than the Angels. Think about it.
The Second Sin – The Sin of Adam and Eve:
Adam and Eve lived an idyllic life in the Garden of Eden. There was no sickness, hunger, temperature extremes or biting insects or other sources of pain or discomfort. Adam knew everything and did not suffer. Like the Angels however, they were tested to see if they would do God’s Will (their function). The Devil tempted them with the sin he knew best – Pride. Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit (of good and evil) because they thought they would then be like God. He lost all because of only one sin of pride!
What did our unchanging God think of this sin? See the consequences all around us! He cast them out of Paradise. They were now subject to sickness, hunger, death, temperature extremes, aging, and biting insects and all the sources of pain and discomfort that we their descendants know so well. They had to work hard to even survive! The worst punishment of all was an inclination toward sin! They now had to face temptations of all kinds. Other vices besides pride became common: greed, anger, lust, envy, etc. All must be overcome in order to be Saints and attain Heaven. All of Adam and Eve’s descendants till the end of time suffer these trials because of the 2nd sin! This is how serious sin really is! This is what our unchanging God thinks of sin.
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Yet you have committed many serious sins (not just one). You have so often ignored His offers of Mercy (Confession). You have been so ungrateful for what He has given you. You have been even rude with your tepid prayers and Holy Communions (you invite Him into you tainted soul and then tepidly ignore Him - your guest). Yet you, He has so far endured! Why???! “Speak Lord, thy servant heareth.” You are still alive!? Amazing! Why?? Think about it….Maybe you still have time to fulfill your “function”. Maybe you still have time to become a Saint. You had better get started now. “I know not if He will give you tomorrow.”
The Third Sin – That of one who went to Hell because of only one Mortal Sin!
There is a limit as to the number of sins God will allow. Some are allowed only one mortal sin. Some He gives more than one chance.
In order to commit a mortal sin a person must be able to realize it is a sin and decide to do it anyway. For the average person, this “age of reason” is about seven years old (for some it could be a little younger or a little older). Due to our sinful nature and the temptations all around us, it is likely that most seven-year-olds have committed a Mortal Sin. It could be a lie to parents or teachers, cheating on a test, stealing from a friend, bullying a little brother, or any of a host of things.
Suppose a youngster, just seven years old, steals a jacket from one of his classmates and in the process of getting away gets hit by a car and dies. His first Mortal Sin and then death.
Suppose a youngster, just seven years old, takes his first sample of dope. It’s an overdose and he dies. His first Mortal Sin and then death.
In the world, how many seven-year-olds die everyday? How many of these have Mortal Sins? Think of it. So many with only one Mortal Sin… then death….
then Hell F O R E V E R!
If God, who is so good, punishes one sin with an eternity in Hell … then sin is very grave indeed!
However it would be better to be in Hell for one Mortal Sin than for 1000 Mortal sins! The pains of Hell are in proportion to the number and seriousness of sin.
Yet, you with many mortal sins are still live? Why? Why did those with only one Mortal Sin, face Judgment, without much chance to repent and you with many sins and many ignored chances to repent are still given another chance? Why? Think about it. How much longer will He let you procrastinate!
Meditation On Our Own Sins!
Place yourself in the presence of God and humbly adore Him.
Imagine yourself standing before GOD in all His Majesty! All your sins are exposed to all – public sins and private sins: every thought, impurity – open to everyone. Your corrupted soul trapped in a filthy body before the all-Good God, beholding this creature that has sinned so often. All sin – open for all to see.
Ask for the Grace of an intense sorrow for your sins.
Ask for the Grace to realize the gravity (the seriousness) of your personal sins.
Ask for the Grace to make a good thorough Examination of Conscience.
Ask for the Grace, the desire, and the sense of urgency to make a good Confession.
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In his youth St. Augustine was a great sinner. He met St. Ambrose who forced him to look at himself as God sees him. St. Augustine became a great Saint.
Observe yourself – see how foul, defiled, crooked, ulcerous your soul is.
Disorder of the Soul is much worse than disorder of the body.
Look at yourself – NOW! Ask for the Grace to Sigh and grieve over your sins.
Our Soul should be Holy, Temples of the Holy Ghost. Sin is disorder and ugliness; the “abomination of desolation” takes over our soul.
If you understood what sin really is, you would never sin again.
Sin destroys your END and with terrible consequences.
The Greatest Evil in the world is Mortal Sin. How many have I committed?
How many sins have we lived with for years with no thought? Which sins effected others (bad example, scandal)?
Our senses (to see, to hear, to taste, to feel, to smell) are Gifts from God and windows to our soul. Do we use them to help us get to God or to offend Him?
Go over your sins and feel sorrow.
What do you do in your daily life? Are you on the wrong track? Have bad habits? Watch too much TV? Have bad companions?
It is not rational to put creatures before GOD! Sin is therefore irrational. We reduce ourselves to the level of brute animals. Behave like a pack of dogs – inhuman.
Think of how disgusting it is when we see a dog go back to his vomit and start lapping it up! When we repeat habitual sins it is worse and more disgusting than if we started lapping up our vomit like a dog. Learn to see sin as it really is – disgusting .
Sin is diabolical. The sinful man has no human dignity.
It is very DUMB to put yourself in temptation!
We want God to do things our way. It doesn’t work that way. There is only one way to go to Heaven. We must stay in the State of Grace and make frequent use of the Sacraments. We don’t know better than God.
All other “ways” lead to Hell! Over one Mortal Sin many go to Hell.
We must HATE Sin. Sin is an offense against the infinite goodness of God. Sin produces disorder in all mankind: illness, sorrow, suffering, death. The malice of sin spits in God’s face. Makes us an enemy of our Good and Loving God. He is repulsed by sin. Sin is the ultimate EVIL. Because of sin God died on the Cross for us! We should be very much moved by such Love. Ask for mercy. What should I do for Christ?…… I should strive for the rest of my life to grow in personal Sanctity.
Think of how ashamed we would be if everybody could see our sins! Think of how ashamed we should be because GOD does see all of our sins.
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We must have a HORROR for Sin because of the consequences of Sin. God did not create suffering; it’s the result of sin. Because of sin, God flooded the world killing everything except Noah and those creatures in the Ark. Because of sin, God rained fire and brimstone on the cities of Sodom and Gomorra. Our Lady at Fatima told the children that War was punishment for sin.
We must HATE sin because of what sin is. Sin is an offense against GOD! There is no such thing as a “victimless sin”. Sin hurts all of mankind even our “private” sins.
God has given us the gift of our senses: eyes, ears, touch. How often have we used these Gifts from God to offend Him Who loves us so much?
I did not fight to avoid sin! Coward! Traitor! Pity the soul that is a slave to sin. Pity the soul that continuously goes back to his vomit!
Therefore never sin again and become a Saint.
Where do you fit in the hierarchy of thinking creatures?
1. At the top of the pyramid is God. GOD
2. Next comes The Queen of Angels and Saints. The Blessed Virgin Mary
3. Next come The First Angelic Hierarchy. Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones
4. Next come The Second Angelic Hierarchy. Dominations, Virtues, Powers
5. Next come The Third Angelic Hierarchy. Principalities, Archangels, Angels
6. Next come 20 Centuries of Saints, St. Peter, St. Paul, St. Matthew, St. John, St. Thomas
thousands of holy souls. St. Luke, St. Anthony, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. James,
St. Mary Magdalen, St. Agnes, St. Catharine, St. Augustine,
St. Theresa, St. Mark, St. Philomenia, St. Ignatius, St. Phillip,
St. Cecilia, St. Ann, St. Comas, St. Damian, St. Bartholomew,
St. Laurence, St. William, St. Joan, St. Dominic, St. Athanatius,
St. Pius V, St. Pius X, St. Louis, St. Justin, St. Christopher,
St. Joseph, St. John the Baptist, St. Philip, St. Prosper, St. Basil,
St. Theresa the Little Flower, St. Louis, St. Stephen, St. Augustine,
St. Monica, St. Barnard, St. Genesius, St. John Berchmans, St. Ives,
St. Barbara, St. Sebastian, St. Francis de Sales, St. Elizabeth,
St. Alexis, St. Dunstan, St. Isidore, St. Jerome, St. Crispin, St. Eligius,
St. Raymond, St. Francis Xavier, St. Peter Claver, St. Camillus,
St. Crispinian, St. John Chrysostom, St. Jerome Emiliani, St. George,
St. Peter Celestine, St. Nicholas, St. Valentine, St. Vincent Ferrer,
St. Hadrian, St. Fiacre, St. Vincent de Paul, St. David, St. Brendan,
St. Albert, St. Claude, St. Gregory, St. Maurice, St. Lydia, St. Dismas,
St. John Nepomucene, St. Martha, St. Apollonia, St. Jude, St. Ferdinand,
St. Isidore, St. Sebastian, St. Eligius, St. Genesius, St. Agnus, St. Andrew,
St. Aloysius, St. Dorothy, St. Arnulph, St. Severus, St. Amandus, St. Roch,
St. Patrick, etc…And so on for thousands of more Saints over 20 Centuries.
7. Next comes the / \
current mass of / \
mankind. / you \
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You find youself in the midst of the current mass of the living, most of which are not trying to save their souls. Who are you among so many? Above you is a mountain of Great Saints and Angels. Who are you compared to all these Great Saints and Angels. Who is comparable to the Almighty and Powerful and Just GOD? Are you not less than a worm, compared with these!
When you commit a sin, you ungrateful little creature, you have the audacity to turn away from this Great and Loving God who wants only your well being!
When you commit a sin, you ungrateful little creature, you have the audacity to show Him that you prefer one of His paltry creatures to Him! You abandoned the road to Heaven for a trifle!
When you commit so many sins (you, who are so little in the hierarchy of creatures), why has God put up with them so far?! Why has He not S Q U A S H E D you already?
When you commit sin you show that you prefer your disgusting vomit to our loving and good God!
Who am I to offend GOD?
God is eternal….I am created.
God sees all….I see little.
God is all….. I am nothing.
God is unchangeable… I am changeable.
God is all knowing…..I am ignorant.
God is almighty…..I am weak.
On Ash Wednesday, we are reminded: “Remember man that thou art dust and into dust thou shalt return! Yet we shake our fist at GOD, who created us. God has loved you, despite the fact that He has no need for you. We are ungrateful brats before GOD when we offend Him. We should be ashamed when we use His many gifts to us to offend Him.
Think of our Guardian Angel’s reaction when we sin against our loving God whom he loves so much. With his Angelic Powers he can squash us. Yet he prays for us instead!
God will not be mocked!
The Angels had only one chance. Me he gives many chances.
By sin, we bring ourselves down to the level of animals. We are nothing in comparison to GOD. See how prone to evil we are.
The greater the dignity of the offended, the greater is the offense. GOD has infinite Dignity. Therefore sin is an infinite evil. As we are offending Him, He preserves us (our life, our senses). How many Mortal Sins are we addicted to?
If you love your sin and have made peace with it, then you do not love God.
God hates sin.
The one who loves sin, hates God.
Who is like GOD? Who do you think you are, to dare to defy GOD?!
Better yet, what does God expect of you, that He has so far shown you so much patience?! Undoubtedly He sees that you have the potential to become a Great Saint. This is your function – become a Great Saint. How do you plan to go about it? Think about it.
One cannot sin against Light and Truth and be Saved.
To give up trying, is a very grave sin against the Virtue of Hope.
Pray for the Grace of an ever-increasing sorrow for your sins.
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Ask for the Mercy of Jesus. Grieve over your sins. Beg for forgiveness. He owes us nothing, we have to beg. We must amend our lives. We must put away our sins.
Review your sins. Beg to see our sins clearly. No more deceiving ourselves. Think of the malice of our sins. See how repulsive they are (worse than an infestation of snakes or rats or bugs). See myself as a sore or abscess. It is time we stopped offending Him. Beg for sorrow for our sins. Beg for an intense sorrow for our sins. Be amazed at our ingratitude. God sees EVERYTHING. Ask for forgiveness. Beg for forgiveness and repair the damages to family, friends, and acquaintances. Consider who GOD is and who you are.
God has given us so many Graces! Yet we still sin! Oh the ingratitude! God will not be mocked.
Consider the current crises in The Church. How many millions of people don’t even realize it? How many have been given the Grace to find a Traditional Mass. We know all these things. We have been given these Great Graces that others are denied. Yet we sill sin! Oh the ingratitude! We throw so many Graces back into His Face!
Many of us have been given the Grace and have made Ignatian Retreats in the past and sill went back to our sins! What are we compared to The Angels, the thousands of Saints. What are we who dare to shake our fists to God? Everything that we have that is good, (eyes, ears, etc.) came from God. Everything we have that is bad (our sins) came from us.
Many have no opportunity to repent. You don’t know if God will give you tomorrow. Pay attention as to why you commit sins so as to amend your life and put things in order. Go through Mary so that your poor offerings will be upgraded by Her, who gives them to Her son.
Through the centuries, Almighty God in His Mercy, has allowed some of His saints to see the sufferings in Purgatory and in Hell. There are many good books concerning what was revealed to them. One of these books is “PURGATORY Explained by the Lives and Legends of The Saints” by Fr. F. X. Schouppe, S.J. Keep in mind that the souls in Purgatory suffer greatly but unlike those in Hell, they will eventually be allowed in Heaven. Our prayers for the Poor Souls in Purgatory can shorten their time there.
THE STORY OF A SOUL IN PURGATORY:
The following true story about Sister Teresa Gesta, is taken from Chapter 14 of Father Schouppe’s book. Sister Teresa had been for many years mistress of novices and in charge of the Sacristy at the Convent of Franciscan Tertiaries in Foligno, Italy near Assisi. She was a model of fervor and charity. She had however, transgressed in some points the strict poverty prescribed by the Rule of her Order. She died suddenly, November 4,1859 of a stroke.
Twelve days later, on November 16, a sister named Anna Felicia, who succeeded her in office, went to the sacristy and heard terrible moans which frightened her. She heard a plaintive voice, accompanied with a painful sigh, “Oh! My God, how I suffer!” Then the room was filled with thick smoke, and the spirit of Sister Teresa appeared, moving toward the door. Having reached the door, she cried aloud, “Behold a proof of the mercy of God.” Saying these words, she struck the upper panel of the door, and there left the print of her right hand, burnt in the wood as with a red-hot iron. She then disappeared.
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The rest of the sisters were astonished to find a strong odor of burnt wood. Sister Anna Felicia told what had occurred, and showed them the terrible impression on the door. They instantly recognized the hand of Sister Teresa, which had been remarkably small. The sisters passed the night in prayer and all received Holy Communion for the poor soul of Sister Teresa. Many outside the convent also prayed for her. On the third day, November 18, Sister Anna Felicia, heard the voice of Sister Teresa. At the same instant a globe or brilliant light appeared before her, illuminating her room with the brightness of daylight. She then heard Sister Teresa say that she was entering into eternal glory. She then rose to Heaven.
During an investigation, which was held immediately on November 23, in the presence of a large number of witnesses, the tomb of Sister Teresa was opened, and the impression upon the door was found to correspond exactly with the hand of the deceased. It is still preserved with great veneration in the convent.
This is just one of the many interesting stories in this great book. If the poor souls suffer so much, many that during life had what we would consider as “minor” faults, what about you. What will be your fate after death? ……..Think about it. There are many ways which we can reduce or eliminate time in Purgatory. The revelations about Purgatory and Hell are a great Mercy for us from God. They motivate us to reform our lives, to strive to live like Saints.
God is all Holy. He wants us to be Holy. When we sin we rebel against Him. When He sees us rebel against Him, He must cast us off.
It is vital to understand this Truth. This is Truth. This is the way it really is. Those who tell you different, are liars.
Pray an “Our Father” to Our Lord in thanksgiving for the grace to complete this meditation. Pray a “Hail Mary” to Our Lady (the Mediatrix of All Graces) in thanksgiving for her help.
Did you take any notes during this meditation? If you did you may want to review them now. If not, you may want to record and thoughts you had. You may want to go through this meditation and take additional notes. They will be helpful to review sometime in the future.
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St. Aloysius Gonzaga Retreat House
19101 Bear Creek Road – Los Gatos, CA 95033-9546
Tel: (408) 354-7703 - Fax (408) 354-7369
(Excerpts from letter by Father Jacques Emily Oct. 11, 2006)
My dear Faithful,
“We will know at the moment of death, that God has made us feel His wrath by afflicting us with the plague, by letting us be defeated by the infidels, by letting heresies spring up, by allowing us to fall into so many sins, by weighing us down with so many corporal and spiritual afflictions, it is because having looked for men of prayer who would intercede between Him and His people in order to appease His just anger, He did not find any.” (Blessed John of Avila)
These words of the great preacher of Andaulusia who was a friend of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the confessor of St. Theresa and one of the great figures who inspired several important documents of the Council of Trent, cannot leave us indifferent. Blessed John of Avila reminds us of this great truth that God’s justice demands reparation for the offenses against His Divine Majesty, and that men of prayer act as lighting conductors of mankind, who protect the world from God’s chastisements by appeasing His just wrath with their prayers and penance to obtain forgiveness and mercy for the crimes of men.
Alas, these men of prayer are more and more needed in our days when sin and corruption of all kinds seem to cover the earthlike a sea of refuse. That is why God is punishing the world in order to bring men back to reason and sinners to penance, as good parents do by correcting their arrogant child in order to bring him up in the respect of values and to inspire him with gratitude and love for those from whom he has received everything.
If God is now punishing the world, it is precisely because of the arrogance with which men have abandoned Him and have fallen into the worst corruption; but it is also because there are not enough just souls interceding for His Mercy. If the city of Sodom had possessed ten just men within its walls it would have been saved. The escalation of wars, genocides, famines and the growing threats of nuclear attacks are the priced that men are paying for their sins and their abandonment of God. “He hath chastised us for our iniquities” (Tobias, 13.5)
Our Lord and Our Lady have in numerous occasions repeated this truth and have many times begged us seriously to take heed of the warnings that She and Her divine Son have addressed to us. “If my people do not wish to submit themselves, I shall be forced to let fall the arm of my Son. It is so heavy and weighs me down so much I can so longer withhold it…I gave you warning …but you did not heed it.” (Our Lady at La Salette) “I want you to continue reciting the Rosary every day in honor of Our Lady of the Rosary, in order to obtain peace in the world and the end of the war, because only she can help you….Do not offend the Lord our God any more, for He is already too much offended!” (Our Lady at Fatima)
Let me quote some important parts of the message that Jesus and Mary gave to Sister Elena Aiello between 1954 and 1961, “The hour of the justice of God is close, and will be terrible. Tremendous scourges are impending over the world, and various nations are struck by epidemics, famines, great earthquakes, terrible hurricanes, with overflowing rivers and seas, which bring death and ruin. If people do not recognize in these scourges the warning of Divine Mercy, and do not return to God with truly Christian living, another terrible war will come from the east to the west. Russia with her secret armies will battle America and will overrun Europe. The river Rhine will be overflowing with corpses and blood. Italy also will be harassed by a revolution. The Pope will suffer greatly.” These words echo perfectly those that Our Lady told to the children at Fatima: “Many times Our Lady told us that many nations will disappear form the face of the earth…that Russia will be the instrument of chastisement chosen by Heaven to punish the whole world if we do not beforehand obtain the conversion of that poor nation…” (Sister Lucy).
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“Spread devotion to MY Immaculate Heart, in order that many souls may be conquered by My Maternal Heart. Do not fear, for I will accompany with My maternal protection My faithful ones, and all those who accept MY urgent warnings, and they- especially by the recitation of the Rosary—will be saved.” (Our Lady of the Feast of the Immaculate Heart, August 22, 1961) Our Lady as She did in Fatima commends us once more to embrace the devotion to Her Immaculate Heart and to pray our daily Rosary. Have we seriously taken heed of Her request?
“…Tremendous will be the upheaval of the whole world, because men---as at the time of the Deluge---have lost God’s way, and are ruled by the spirit of Satan. Priest must unite by prayers and penance. They will be accomplished through the love and mercy of the Heart of MY Son, and of MY Immaculate Heart—the Mediatrix between men and God. By accepting this invitation, and by uniting their tears to those of My Sorrowful Heart, priests and religious will obtain great graces for the salvation of poor sinners.” (Our Lady, on Good Friday, April 8, 1955)
“…The Madonna then came closer, and with a sad expression, showed me the flames of hell. She said: ‘Satan reigns and triumphs on earth! See how the souls oar falling into hell. See how high the flames are, and the souls who fall into them like flakes of snow, look like transparent embers. How many sparks! How many cries of hate, and despair! How much pain… What torture, My daughter, in MY maternal Heart! Great is My sorrow to see that men do not change! The justice of the Father requires reparation—otherwise many will be lost.’ (Our Lady on Good Friday April 7, 1950)
“Numerous scandals are bringing souls to ruin….Particularly through the corruption of youth. Stirred up and unrestrained in the enjoyment of pleasures of the world, they have degraded their spirit in corruption and sin. The bad example of parents trains the family in scandal in infidelity, instead of virtue and prayer, which is almost dead on the lips of many. Stained and withered in the foundation of faith and sanctity –the home.”
These words of Our Lady are heavy and serious but how many people really care, and even among those who claim to be traditionalists? How many families still have this diabolical television with its “numerous scandals which are bringing souls to ruin”? How many parents still allow immodesty to be tolerated in the household when the Apostle, the Church and the saints have constantly denounced this source or corruption and sin? “The Most holy Virgin is very sad because no one has paid attention to Her message, neither the good nor the bad. The good continue on their way but without giving any importance to Her message. The bad, not seeing the punishment of God actually falling upon them, continue their life of sin without even caring about the message. But believe me, Father, God will chastise the world and this will be in a terrible manner. The punishment from Heaven is imminent." (Sister Lucy to Fr. Fuentes)
“The wills of men do not change, said Our Lord to Sister Elena, they live in their obstinancy and sin. More severe are the scourges and plagues to recall them to the way of God; but men still become furious, like wounded beasts (and harden their hearts against the Grace of God). The world is no longer worthy of pardon, but only fire, destruction and death.”
“There must be more prayers and penances from the souls faithful to Me, in order to appease the just wrath of God, and to temperate the just sentence of punishment, suspended on earth by the intercession of My Beloved Mother, who is also the Mother of all men.” (Our Lord on Good Friday, April 16, 1954)
Pope Pius XII blessed Sister Elena and the work that she was doing for the orphans, and her miraculous life and her prophecies has been meticulously scrutinized by Mgr. Spadafora who was an eminent scholar form the Pontifical University at the Lateran in Rome. We should them take very seriously these Prophecies and generously respond to these requests of prayer and penance that Our Lord and Our Lady so urgently requested. We have to become more than ever souls of reparation for the sins of men, for the sins of our relatives and for our own past and present sins!
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We have to unite our prayers, our penance, our sufferings and all our works to those the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary on Calvary to appease the divine Justice, to mitigate the chastisements to come, to obtain the conversion of sinners, the conversion of Russia and the end of the crisis of the Church. “We should not wait for an appeal to the world to come from Rome on the part of the Holy Father, to do penance. Nor should e wait for the call to penance to come from our Bishops in our diocese, nor from the religious congregations. No! Our Lord has already very often used these means and the world has not paid attention. That is why now, it is necessary for each one of us to begin to reform himself spiritually. Each person must not only save his own soul but also the souls that God has placed in our path…” (Sister Lucy)
I wish to encourage you, My dear Faithful, to begin today this spiritual reform of your lives, and having been placed by divine Providence in this Retreat House at Los Gatos, I can tell you how beneficial and fruitful it would be for your soul to attend a five days’ retreat. Do not delay any longer; do not procrastinate with the work of your sanctification in order to be ready when the Lord will come since “You do not know either the day or the hour”. We must become these souls of prayers and penance who like Moses on the mountain retain the arm of God from punishing the people and begging for their conversion. Parents particularly must become by their piety, by their high esteem for their duty of state, by their sacrifices and their vigilance in protecting their children from the fashions and the spirit of the world, the models and the inspiration of their family.
“And this do, understanding the time, for it is now the hour for us to rise from sleep, because now our salvation is nearer than when we came to believe. The night is far advanced; the day is at hand. Let us therefore lay aside the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light…But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and as for the flesh, take no thought for its lusts.” (Rom. 13, 11-14)
“But take courage, I have overcome the world.” (John 16, 33)
“In the end, My Immaculate Heart will triumph!” (Our Lady at Fatima)
Father Jacques Emily
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