Hell.

[UnityofTrinity]

Have anyone notice that the homilies have eluded from these subjects lately? No mentions of hell or sins, just the usual “be holy” or “stay kind”. Of course these are important but without homilies on hell and sins many are left ignorant of what they’re doing. The result, Catholics who support abortion and gay marriage.

 

[Deo_Gratias42]

We had a great homily on Hell and going there a few weeks ago…but I go to Mass in the EF. I’ve never heard a homily on Hell before in the OF…even when the Gospel was the one about Peter being handed the keys to the Church and being told “The Gates of Hell will not prevail”

 

[Deus_lo_vult]

There’s a great line in a Peter Kreeft essay, whose name eludes me at the moment but he says something to the effect of “these days, homilies are more likely to be about recycling and littering than about theology.”

What irks ME the most is not only that the perils of Hell are not stressed by priests, (which constitutes a failure on the part of shepherding priests to safeguard the souls of their flocks) but even that the theological bases of Catholic beliefs are not at all explained or stressed. I think the biggest wedge between ‘cafeteria’ Catholics and Church hierarchy is that a lack of understanding…liberal Catholics clash with the Church so often because they’ve been mislead.

Take the ordination of an all male priesthood. I think a lot of liberals assume off the bat that the reason behind this policy is that “the sexist Catholic Church hates women!” (sic). This assumption is ignorant of the fact that Tradition is a third pillar of the Catholic Church, along with Scripture and Church teaching. But a careful study of papal encyclicals, or Blessed Pope John Paul II’s Apostolic LetterOrdinatio Sacerdotalis reveals that for 2,000 years all Catholic clergy (whose predecessors were all men) inherit their power and authority from Apostolic Succession (John 20:21–23).

Because Jesus and the Apostles were all men (God does nothing superfluously) There has never been a female priest (to anyone’s knowledge) because Jesus instituted an all male priesthood…in an era when he would have been in close contact with priestesses of other ancient religions, and therefore no Church official has any right to overturn this tradition.

The Church Fathers also speak to this!

What was the point of this long diatribe? Priests never explain these things to their parishioners. So they persist in their ignorance. I think for this same reason most Catholics haven’t the faintest idea why the Church opposes contraception. They probably just assume that the Church is full of old fogeys and party-poopers who made an arbitrary decision so no one would have any fun.

 

[UnlikelyHomeDad]

What are you talking about? There’s no such thing as Hell. It’s made up in order to scare people into doing what they want. I’m sure Satan is only a fairytale too. Why would God create a bad place like that for those who don’t want Him? Uh, maybe that’s why he created it… I better go re read my bible again., but in the mean time, Hell is not real. [the idiotic man says to himself as he justifies all the sin in his life and says “but that’s how God made me”, justifying an active sex lifestyle with multiple partners, male or female, and says “if it feels good, then do it”.

Actually, not too long ago, 6 months, one of our preachers mentioned Hell, but it was brief. Maybe that’s why he’s being transferred out.]

 

[timotheos]

Have anyone notice that the homilies have eluded from these subjects lately? No mentions of hell or sins, just the usual “be holy” or “stay kind”. Of course these are important but without homilies on hell and sins many are left ignorant of what they’re doing. The result, Catholics who support abortion and gay marriage.

There is a whole thesis to be written on this subject. Many in the world just do not seem to take God, judgement and hell seriously, and our priests don’t seem to like the subject either. For all of the emphasis on “be nice” and “be a good neighbor” rhetoric, I find there is disproportionately much more in the Gospels warning us of the dangers of complacency. Yes, there is infinite mercy from the Father, but *we must be in a serious and humble relationship with God to receive it *-- and to understand and acknowledge the deep, deep depth of our sin, and continued tendency toward sin.

I agree that a few homilies on the subject of hell are sorely needed now, as a start. Then follow up with a sermon on – no, not heaven – but a depiction of Judgement, that awful, terrifying meeting in which each one of us will be alone, face to face with the One who authored our very being and holds our very existence in his hand, who will take us through every word we ever spoke (or didn’t speak), every action we ever took (or didn’t take), and every thought we ever had, no matter how horrible it was, or private we thought it was. All in excruciating detail. Can you say, “my Jesus, mercy”?

It is never, ever too early to begin a serious and humble relationship with God.

 

[Lochias]

I would rather hear homilies on how to live a good Christian life, as our head priest gives, how to spread God’s Kingdom through the earth as priest, prophet and king. Any Catholic who can pick up the Bible and read it can learn that Hell is bad, and that we do NOT want to be judged there. Why is it up to the priest to go on in horrible detail about the horrors of Hell, instead of instructing folks on how to AVOID Hell, as our priest does? To be blunt (and I apologize if this statement offends), I rather thought that Hell was already scary to anyone living their faith as Jesus instructed us to do.

Far better, in my opinion, to concentrate on God’s love and mercy. The fear of horrible, angry judgement can be a tool used by Satan to foster despair and apathy in the faithful, if it’s not handled very carefully.

 

[Bezant]

Have anyone notice that the homilies have eluded from these subjects lately? No mentions of hell or sins, just the usual “be holy” or “stay kind”. Of course these are important but without homilies on hell and sins many are left ignorant of what they’re doing. The result, Catholics who support abortion and gay marriage.

What do you mean, “lately”? It’s rare to hear one at all, at least where I live. On the other hand, I’m in favour of priests emphasizing the struggle towards meriting heaven, rather than telling us to avoid hell. Righteousness is about positive, decisive action and faith – someone who merely avoids what is bad, I think, can’t be called righteous. And I’m sure there are plenty of Catholics who believe in hell but would support either issue regardless of this trend.

 

[UnlikelyHomeDad]

I would rather hear homilies on how to live a good Christian life, as our head priest gives, how to spread God’s Kingdom through the earth as priest, prophet and king. Any Catholic who can pick up the Bible and read it can learn that Hell is bad, and that we do NOT want to be judged there. Why is it up to the priest to go on in horrible detail about the horrors of Hell, instead of instructing folks on how to AVOID Hell, as our priest does? To be blunt (and I apologize if this statement offends), I rather thought that Hell was already scary to anyone living their faith as Jesus instructed us to do.

Far better, in my opinion, to concentrate on God’s love and mercy. The fear of horrible, angry judgement can be a tool used by Satan to foster despair and apathy in the faithful, if it’s not handled very carefully.

I agree, however, preachers have a moral obligation to at least mention the consequences of sin. It might coerce people into introspection. Hell, needs to be understood as eternal separation from God by choice.

 

[Lochias]

I agree, however, preachers have a moral obligation to at least mention the consequences of sin. It might coerce people into introspection. Hell, needs to be understood as eternal separation from God by choice.

I don’t think I could logically reach any other conclusion but that one, based on the homilies I hear. I think, in at least some of the cases, that some folks may need to simply sit up and pay closer attention to what their priests are telling them to do. Just my two cents.

 

[Deus_lo_vult]

The fact at issue is not merely the existence of Hell and the very real possibility of damning oneself…I think very few Catholics are unaware of the mere fact of Hell.

The main concern I think are the CONDITIONS under which one goes to Hell. I think most Catholics know that people in Hell have chosen Hell. What most Catholics don’t hear enough is for instance, that receiving the Eucharist when one is not properly disposed to is a mortal sin. They don’t hear that Confession is required AT LEAST once a year, and failing to receive absolution once a year is a mortal sin. They don’t hear that one MUST receive the Eucharist on Easter Sunday and failing to do so is also a mortal sin.

Are most Catholics even familiar with the conditions of grave sins? If they were anything like me, I should say NOT.

Even in the rare occasion that Catholics are made aware of the magnitude of their sins, they are not reminded of the indirect sins we commit by participating in the sins of others

From the Catechism:

1868 Sin is a personal act. Moreover, we have a responsibility for the sins committed by others when we cooperate in them:

-by participating directly and voluntarily in them;

-by ordering, advising, praising, or approving them;

-by not disclosing them or hindering them when we have an obligation to do so;

-by protecting evildoers;

1869 Thus sin makes men accomplices of one another and causes concupiscence, violence, and injustice to reign among them. Sins give rise to social situations and institutions that are contrary to the divine goodness. “Structures of sin” are the expression and effect of personal sins. They lead their victims to do evil in their turn. In an analogous sense, they constitute a "social sin."144

I don’t know ANY Catholics save one or two who are even aware of why the 7 Deadly Sins are called Capital Sins…worse still most Catholics don’t know their contrary virtues! Everything I know about sin I had to research on my own. I’ve never heard a homily about the conditions of sin. I wish I was a parishioner of the Rockford, Illinois diocese.

At the very least I think that priests should be reminding their flocks that the Catholic faith really IS the fulfillment of Judaism insofar as it is a richly complex faith that begs hours of dedicated study, like its forebear Judaism.

 

[timotheos]

I would rather hear homilies on how to live a good Christian life, as our head priest gives, how to spread God’s Kingdom through the earth as priest, prophet and king.

Yes these homilies should continue. But given the time allotted to these types of sermons, how many are truly converted to this action? I fear it is a lot like hearing the call to tithe – the target is set, but the arrow falls terribly short. It is too common to become comfortable with our shortcomings, and occasionally it is good to be shaken out of this comfort.