Fr. Larry Richards

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I listened to his CD on Confession. He’s very funny but educational at the same time.
 
I saw him in person and let me just say I am scared that I may go to hell.
 
**Nightfly,

Why do you feel that way? Because of his way of speaking? He’s very blunt but he says it like it is. Go to confession, start w/ a clean slate, you’ll be fine if you do. 😉 Our God is a merciful, loving, God. He’s not up there just waiting to put people in Hell, He wants us w/ Him in Paradise so as long as we REPENT of all our sins. Good luck!**
 
He says you are either going to heaven or hell. Be a saint or you go t hell. H ealso says that every action and thought puts you in the direction of heaven or hell. I go to confession, alhough have not been in a month. He does tell it like it is and I am not sure people understand the gravity of this. Her said Mother Teresa can get to heaven and say she was a living saint, "TOO BAD, NOT ENOUGH, YOUR GOING TO HELL! Oh, he also says that to do the rigt thing, have pure thoughts, say the rosary, go to confession can be a selfish act if you do this because you want to avoid hell. As he put it, people are going to hell like snowflakes falling to the ground. I see both sides but the fear does stick out in my mind. I studied him intently and took notes. If anyone has any facts that are different about what he has said I would like to hear it.
 
Nightfly said:
He says you are either going to heaven or hell. Be a saint or you go t hell. H ealso says that every action and thought puts you in the direction of heaven or hell. I go to confession, alhough have not been in a month. He does tell it like it is and I am not sure people understand the gravity of this. Her said Mother Teresa can get to heaven and say she was a living saint, "TOO BAD, NOT ENOUGH, YOUR GOING TO HELL! Oh, he also says that to do the rigt thing, have pure thoughts, say the rosary, go to confession can be a selfish act if you do this because you want to avoid hell. As he put it, people are going to hell like snowflakes falling to the ground. I see both sides but the fear does stick out in my mind. I studied him intently and took notes. If anyone has any facts that are different about what he has said I would like to hear it.
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Nightfly,

I think that you have to look at what Fr. Larry is saying and understand it in the context in which he is talking about it. He is being very blunt in his preaching and that is what attracts me to his “style” as it is true that we are called to be saints. The Saints are the ones that are in heaven and that is where we (ultimately) want to be. I do not know what one has to do to go straight to heaven, many (as it has been told) will go through a final purification in purgatory, but our goal has to be heaven.

As to what Fr. Larry says about Mother Theresa, you have to understand the context in which he is saying this. He says that if Mother gets to heaven and God asks “why should I let you into heaven?” and Mother replies “I was a living saint” that this would not be good enough, it is not only what she did that will get her to heaven. His premise behind that part of the talk was to show us that nothing that we do on earth is the reason that we will get to heaven. It is because Jesus Christ died for our sins that the gates of heaven were opened up for us. It is what HE did not what we do.

As for confession being a selfish act, the context of that in the talk was that when we go to confession it is should not be viewed by us as a time to simply get our “punishment” for doing things wrong. Sin is ultimately not choosing God. Going to confession is our way to say that we are sorry to God for having offended him. Then we take that sorrow and turn it into repentence, turning from that sin and never wanting to perform that sin again. We don’t go to confession just to avoid hell. If so that is selfish, that is only focusing on US, not on HIM. Confession is about our relationship with God and acknowledging our sins.

Fr. Larry has always preached this way and he has always been blunt, yet true to the teachings of the Catholic Church. Take time to listen to several of his other talks, I think that they will bless you abundantly.
 
He has his point of view and he believes it as he states it.I think by listening to him you can.t help but becoming a better person.I think what he says has to be said and its apropo in this day and age when this world is becoming so liberal.He doesn’t frighten me but I do wish I could live up to his standards.I pray to God for forgiveness and ask for mercy.
 
You said " it is not only what she did that will get her to heaven." This implies that you are saying works have something to do with it. I don’t have the time now to read everythingbut that just stuck out.
 
Nightfly said:
You said " it is not only what she did that will get her to heaven." This implies that you are saying works have something to do with it. I don’t have the time now to read everythingbut that just stuck out.
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Works do have something to do with our salvation. But we will not be saved by our works alone. (Not by faith alone for our Protestant brethren either). It is the grace of God in cooperation with the good that we do and our faith that will save us. Again, that is why Fr. Larry said the reason that we will get to heaven (if God were to ask us) is “because Jesus Christ, Your (God) Son died for my sins.”

Here is a good article by Jimmy Akin:

catholic.com/thisrock/1999/9909chap.asp
 
He also wrote that the person you dislike the most is how much you love Jesus. Again, where is teh tipping point of works? I could be taken advantage of everyday if I thought I had to help every person in need. I will read that when i get a chance.
 
Nightfly said:
That article confuses me
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It is only by the grace of God that we will get to heaven. We are called to cooperate with God’s call to love others through our works and to have faith in Him. But without the grace of God, without Jesus Christ dying on the cross for us, all the works and all the faith is for naught.
 
Nightfly said:
He also wrote that the person you dislike the most is how much you love Jesus. Again, where is teh tipping point of works? I could be taken advantage of everyday if I thought I had to help every person in need. I will read that when i get a chance.
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I love that quote by him!

It forces you to live a Saintly life not a sucker’s life…Many Saints loved their enemies, but few if any allowed themselves to be taken advantage of…If you can find a Saint who was (taken advantage of) please let me know.
 
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