The approaching New Year is the perfect opportunity for us to make - and follow through on - a positive resolution which will impact our eternal future.

How about this one: Working on getting to Heaven?

Where Are We All Headed?

I am currently reading The Urgency of the New Evangelization: Answering the Call by Ralph Martin, (OurSundayVisitor, 2013).

Martin wants us to understand now – not later – that whatever the prevailing culture tells us, hell is real and we are all going there if we don’t wake up to the Truth – not some ‘tolerant’ and ‘relative’ version of it.

“Out of His profound compassion God reveals to us the ways that lead to life and death. We neglect them at our eternal peril. And not to tell the truth to those we love is to be guilty of a genuine lack of compassion.”

The world around us wants us to believe that God doesn’t exist, and His commandments don’t apply to us anymore. (Code for 'don't tell me what to do - I don't want to behave myself.')

We Christians are becoming increasingly marginalized, and branded at best as irrelevant, at worst as ‘intolerant’ and indulging in ‘hate speech.’
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“As Christian culture collapses and we again face a situation that has more in common with the early Church than anything we’ve known in our lifetime, the words of the early Church become more and more meaningful and applicable.” (My italics.)

What Is Hell?

In 1936 St. Faustina was led through hell by an angel.

Among the terrifying sights she beheld were the “special tortures destined for particular souls. These are the torments of the senses. Each soul undergoes terrible and indescribable sufferings, related to the manner in which it has sinned.” And not just temporarily, mark you – this is for all eternity.

She explains further, “I am writing this at the command of God, so that no soul may find an excuse by saying there is no hell, or that nobody has ever been there, and so no one can say what it is like…I noticed one thing: that most of the souls there are those who disbelieved that there is a hell.” (My italics.)

St. Catherine of Siena was also given a vision of hell and God told her that those in hell “see the devil as he really is – more horrible than the human heart can imagine. ….Even with all you have seen you do not really know how horrible he is.”

By giving into sin and the devil’s deceptions and lies we gradually become as extreme in ugliness and horror as he is and ready to join him in hell.

Unlike what the world today wants us to believe, there is no glamor in evil, no beauty in perversion and no happy ending for those of us who persist in sin and lies.

Who then Can Be saved?

(See also my post Divine Mercy Sunday. Jesus is desperate for us to repent and ask forgiveness before it is too late.)

Martin points out how the devil has turned the current emphasis on God’s mercy to his own evil purposes. Focusing only on the merciful side of God, and forgetting the consequences of sin and lack of repentance, “some people have, mistakenly, gotten the impression … that sin is no big deal and that God in His mercy will never allow anyone to be lost. This is not at all … what the Lord showed to Faustina.”

This way of thinking has resulted in “a dangerous presumption on God’s mercy” which is also a sin.

As St. Paul tells us, we “must obey the truth” – The Truth, not some twenty-first century ‘progressive’ version of it. “He will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and instead live lives of wickedness. (Rom. 2:8)”

However, St. Paul says “He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers (Rom. 2:7)”

God longs to offer us His mercy, but can only do so if we ask for it with a repentant heart and the determination not to sin anymore.

Yes, we will fall – time and time again – but we have to get up time and time again and ask for God’s forgiveness with a penitent and humble heart. 

We cannot approach God with the attitude that He somehow ‘owes us.’ He owes us nothing – His mercy is a free gift which we cannot earn. He wishes to give it to us, but we have to ask properly for it, with humility and an awareness of our human failings.

If you recall, Lucifer refused to fulfill those conditions, and look where that got him.

The additional good news is, says Martin, that “The Father tells Catherine that (our loved ones who are) already with Him continually intercede for us who are still on the journey and that the Father will do everything to answer their prayer ‘provided only that you do not foolishly resist my mercy.’” (My italics.)

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​What to Choose?

Consider what Martin writes here:
“It’s interesting to note how the Father shows Catherine that as each person dies they actually rush to where they want to be. In a very real way each person chooses their own destiny over the course of a lifetime and at the moment of death embraces what has truly become their choice.”

I know where I want to spend eternity. How about you?

It makes us desperately want to warn our loved ones, doesn’t it? Like the rich man in hell who wanted Abraham to warn his five brothers so they not end up like him.

"Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.' (Luke 16:29)”
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Let's heed the warnings in the Bible – those Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth – before it’s too late for us, as well!

​Endnote:

Here are a few excerpts from the book's impressive endorsements. They may help you better understand what the book is about and how powerful its message is.

“Ralph Martin masterfully develops a biblically based summons to the critical work of evangelizing, a work on which depends the very salvation of countless souls.” Monsignor Charles Pope, pastor, blogger and Our Sunday Visitor columnist.

“(Ralph Martin) effectively establishes that the primary reason for the urgency of the New Evangelization is that the eternal destinies of people we love – indeed all people – are at stake.” Janet Smith, who holds the Father Michael J. McGivney Chair of Life Ethics at Sacred Heart Major Seminary.

“After reading it, you are called to decision.” Gavin D’Costa, Professor of Catholic Theology, University of Bristol.

“The book will be of particular value to the laity, many of whom continue to believe that the duty to evangelize falls mainly on the clergy and religious. Martin shows … the error of this view.” Colin Donovan, S.T.L., Vice President for Theology, EWTN.

Christ suffered Agony in the Garden of Gethsemane not only because of the horrendous suffering He was about to endure. He also sweated beads of blood from anguish over knowing that vast numbers of people would ignore His sacrifice and continue along the wide, easy path to destruction. 

Not All Will Be Saved


“This is the chalice of My Blood….which will be poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins.” (Eucharistic Prayer during Mass – my emphasis.)

He didn’t say ‘poured out for all.’ His sacrifice would only benefit those who believe in Him.

It is not sufficient simply to say to ourselves, in private: “I believe in Christ.”

We have to live our lives as followers of Christ: this includes speaking up in His Name and being prepared for ridicule and persecution as a result.

It means standing up to public opinion – or rather, those who purport to represent public opinion, employing loud, bullying tactics to threaten into submission those who don’t agree with their secular agenda.

Sin Is Real                                                                                               
We who have stood by weakly and allowed the removal of God from the public arena and morals will have to answer to Him for our cowardice. Where were we when Christ needed us to fight the good fight?

And those in authority who are leading the population astray will pay the wages of sin, too, together with those pushing their amoral agenda down our throats.

“Jesus said to his disciples: "Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come (Luke 17:1).” (My emphasis.)

As Martin G. Collins writes:  “Anyone who leads others into sin bears great guilt. Only a deep-seated wickedness attempts to confuse and destroy another's potential.”

Lucy of Fatima said: “Taking into account the behavior of mankind, only a small part of the human race will be saved.”

And So Is Hell

"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it (Matthew 7:13-14).”

Is our final aspiration to number among the “souls going down into the abyss as thick and fast as snowflakes falling in the winter mist”? Blessed Benedict Joseph Labre.

St. Padre Pio was asked what he thought about modern people who don’t believe in hell: “They’ll believe in hell when they get there,” he replied.

Unless we repent and change our ways by conforming to God's will, we’re going to discover the truth of that saint’s statement.

He has given us a choice, and if we’re humble enough to recognize God’s authority, we shall be taking the right road.

But those who are ‘too smart’ to believe in God will find out just how smart they really are after they leave this world. They'll meet their Creator, and in that brief moment realize that in Him they have found the Truth.  Then they will yearn to be with Him forever. But it will be too late.

Christ can save them while they're here on earth, but not afterwards. They’ll be cast out of His Presence for all eternity.

“If you wish to imitate the multitude, then you shall not be among the few who shall enter in by the narrow gate,” warns St. Augustine.

Is it really worth throwing away Jesus' sacrifice for us and risking our souls and those of our children?

Further Reading

SR. LUCIA of FATIMA GIVES WARNING: "MANY WILL BE LOST"

The Third Secret of Fatima

The Fathers and Saints on the Fewness of the Saved

Have you ever tried to do the right thing but run into unexpected and infuriating obstacles?

How did you react? Maybe by raising your fist heavenwards and complaining to God, “Why are you making this so impossible?!”

There you are, attempting to do His will ─ usually something you don’t want to ─ and He blocks your progress.

Does Being Good Have to Be So Difficult?

Why, Lord, should I bother carrying out Your will when you make it way harder than necessary?  I’m not asking for a pat on the back ─ just no impediments. Is that too much to ask?

Then an insidious thought creeps in: maybe, just maybe, this isn’t what God wants? A naughty hope begins to flicker: is this my ‘out,’ and I don’t have to do it after all? As if visiting your sick mother, or weeding your wheelchair-bound uncle’s garden or ─ name your obviously good deed ─ could possibly be against God’s wishes!

I’ve noticed that sometimes God does let me off the hook when I’ve proved wholeheartedly committed to doing His will. But His MO in those cases isn’t to make it hard to carry out the task: suddenly it doesn’t need doing any more. This is not at all the same as trying to duck out of an unpleasant task because we think sudden difficulties prove that it’s against God’s plan for us.

What Is Evil?

O.K., Miz Know-It-All, you may ask, then what’s the deal when the job clearly needs doing, but events conspire against us when we attempt to perform it?

The answer is: Beware, Satan at work! God isn’t throwing rocks in our path – the Opposer is.

I’d never looked up the word ‘Satan’ until our parish priest happened to mention it in a sermon. Previously I’d assumed it was just a name, without any specific meaning.

‘Satan’ is Hebrew for ‘the opposer,’ ─ in the sense of ‘the one who opposes God’s will.’ He is also the great deceiver, who rejoices every time he tricks us into believing it’s not God’s will, and stops us carrying it out.

This knowledge is enormously helpful. Understanding that the devil is working hard to prevent my salvation, by throwing deterrents at me every time I try to do a good deed, has completely changed my viewpoint.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not a saint: my knee-jerk reaction is still to get annoyed! But now I take a few deep breaths and conclude:  “Wait a minute, if Satan making such an effort to put me off, I must be on the right path!” 

It is enormously liberating to view obstacles in this light.

Can you imagine how frustrating it is for the Devil when his attempts to take us down end up helping us do God’s will instead?

The Devil Hates the Rosary

Because the Rosary is a powerful weapon against hell, the Devil loathes it. Now that I’m praying mine regularly, he has it in for my beads.

First he had our English Bulldog chew the decades old one I had from Lourdes - and my Catechism, for good measure.
 
Then he lost my replacement Rosary when I went to drop off some things at church.

A kind friend gave me a new one, and as usual I picked it up to pray in the car on my way to Mass. But in my hand was a tangled mess. ‘Somehow’ the chain links had become stuck and the beads were forming an extra little loop. I was already driving, so couldn’t do anything about it.

I thought, ‘Aha! The Devil doesn’t want the Virgin Mary to hear my 54 day novena!”

I prayed anyway, skirting around the new loop, and untangled the links with some difficulty when I arrived at church.

This made the Devil angry.

In church I pulled the Rosary out of my purse: it had come apart. One of the chain links had opened and separated from its neighbor. Mass was just beginning, so I had to wait until afterwards to connect the links again.

Since then my Rosary has been left alone. For the time being.

Dealing With the Devil’s Head Games

Sometimes inappropriate thoughts enter my head during Mass, and I wonder where they came from.

For a moment I feel really guilty. But then I remember who put them there (another name for Satan is the ‘accuser’) and recall that the saints were often assailed by him that way. Invoking their help dispels the thoughts and the guilt.

The more we advance in our spiritual life, the more attacks we can expect from the Devil. We can take comfort in knowing that he wouldn’t bother harassing us if we weren’t on the path to salvation.

I’m sure Satan must be thrilled he’s of such use to us on our road to Heaven!

P.S. He's trying to stop me publishing this post by bringing up 'authentication errors' :)