I used to be very hard on myself for what I got up to when I was far away from God. But now looking back down the years I can see that there was too some things that kind of dragged me along. Kind of like the strong currents of life. War is a very strong current . I am not excusing myself, but still I think God is very, very loving but never random in what He gets up to.
I think you know at the Last Judgement two things will delight and amaze us. God's wonderful Mercy and Gis wonderful , amazing Justice . The two, Justice and Mercy go hand in hand . The Justice of God will be our delight. Even though people these days look at you as if you're mad if you mention it
The US Bishops wrote the most insightful letter on this year's ago. They said that Justice must always be tempered by Mercy and Mercy by Justice. Wonderful.
I have ready many things at what happens at death in my life from many different sources even outside the faith. I have always found it fascinating. Some say many sinners and I would guess it's the lukewarm, that when they are before the Lord, they don't even recognize Him and choose to just walk away. They choose hell and separation because they were lukewarm in life and thus lukewarm at judgement too. I have also heard that many are so horrified by their sins in life and feeling the effects of them, they choose to not accept that God could ever forgive them even in that one last moment for mercy and thus it is the unpardonable one last sin of rejecting God's love and mercy.
God's justice is the other side of His mercy coin. We see this in the prayer that Jesus Himself taught us: Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us! I sometimes fear too many pray the above line from the Our Father too glibly.
God constantly forgives us , just as we constantly have to forgive others. Perhaps we are never more like God than when we forgive. Perhaps the hardest thing of all is to forgive ourselves. Especially as the years roll onwards.
I just ordered this Personally, for me, this post resonates with my experience. I never hated God when I was "away" from him. I never talked I'll of Him. And I somehow knew that one day I would return to Him. Now I often reflect (and verbalise) that if I were God, with the things going on I'm the world today, how "I'd just end it!!" The babies in the womb being butchered. The hatred. The violence. The broken families. Etc etc etc. But if He had have ended it because of those things earlier; before my return. I'd be in hell today. The things going on in the world today are terrible. No doubt. Those people suffering are perhaps, in some way, balancing evil so that He can save as many souls as possible. It must be a terrible, terrible balancing act for Him.
at the moment when masses are celebrated in hospital chapels, are demons afraid to approach the dying who have already obtained the grace of repentance?
So much insight here Jack. I have loved ones who have left God so to speak. I earnestly hope for more time for them that they may return but I know time is running out. I think we all know it. God's patience and mercy are infinite. But...as the OT shows us, when its over then it is really over. May God have mercy on us all!
Demons seemingly go everywhere--even Catholic Churches where the Blessed Sacrament is. I expect however in a Catholic hospital where the Blessed Sacrament is present the outpouring of grace is huge and therefore souls are safer.
I concur that forgiving ourselves for our stupidity with regard to personal sin is an ongoing struggle for me. I look back and shudder with horror.
Sometimes when I'm wondering about God's point of view, I think about my little golden-haired, bright-eyed 3 year old, and imagine him one day never speaking to me and doing all kinds of things that are wrong and hurtful...and I know that unless I were basically forced to, there is no way I'd ever just decide I'm so fed up with my own child that I want to send him to eternal torture, where he'll never again have the chance to run back into my arms. It ties my stomach in knots just to think about it. Every person out there, no matter how far they've fallen, was once an innocent little child, and has the potential of running back into their loving Father's arms....if enough of us were praying and sacrificing to earn that grace for them. It's so incredibly sobering when I take the time to remind myself of this. It happened a few days ago. I was outside with my kids and looked across the apartment complex at a young woman walking up the stairs....and out of nowhere, an image of her suffering in the flames of Hell flashed across my mind, and it literally took my breath away, like a punch to the stomach. I prayed for her, and thought, oh my goodness...How many have I not prayed for? How many has no one prayed for? How many people do we casually cross paths with every day of our lives that are only days, weeks, or years away from the eternal flames of Hell?
Christ is the hound of heaven. God always exhausts his mercy and hunts us down. Everyone has free will to respond or not.
Powerful experience. A reminder to always pray for poor sinners. A great short prayer we can repeat all day long is "Jesus Mary I love you save souls" (ftom Sr Consolata Bertone who got it from Christ Himself)and Fr Blount encourages "most precious Blood of Jesus save us and the whole world"
When Protestants tell me that works aren't necessary for salvation, I always ask them if they find forgiveness easy and they normally say no after a hesitation. I say, 'No, it's a work and a hard one but according to Jesus' own words, it's absolutely necessary. So, at least one work (and a very hard one) is necessary. Agreed?' I can't recall anyone ever rushing to become Catholic but I am confident that their certainty that they are saved without works is punctured a little.
But, knowing God's mercy, we are not absolutely certain of the bad thief's final destiny. He still had time.
