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contramundum7
Guest
I can’t even remember… and i have been Catholic all my life…
Jesus spoke on the subject a lot…
Jesus spoke on the subject a lot…
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agoukass
Guest
Hell and damnation sermons… The priest at the parish that I used to attend (traditional Catholic) used to talk about it a lot in his homilies. If you met him at his office, you wouldn’t think that a mild mannered man like him would be capable of it. He just didn’t seem like the hell and damnation type until he got into the pulpit.
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BarbaraTherese
Guest
Back in my early teens I think - 62 years now - and then we had some classic sermons on the horrors of Hell and most often from the Mission Priests as we called them that gave at least one Hell and Damnation mission each year in our parish. They would have been Passionsts or Jesuits judging from their religious habits to memory and more likely Passionsts I think. They use to put the fear of God and the terrors of Hell into me. Mum and Dad shifting putting us in a newly developing outer suburb where we only had Mass every couple of weeks at first ended the Hell and Damnation stuff. And the priest in the closest suburb where one could attend Sunday Mass, was quite a character, quite!
The problem with all the Hell stuff is that people were being induced to toe The Church line, whatever it may be, to the letter out of fear…and for the children present it was an absolute Hell just to sit and listen I think…this, in my early years anyway was carried by nuns into the schoolroom in the main.
But then I think the pendulum has swung too far the other way at least here in Australia…we not only never hear a whisper of Hell, but Heaven neither - nor certainly anything really connected to spirituality and a prayer life which becomes foundational to going out to others. It is all “let’s get together and be friends in the parish” type of ‘inspiration’, which is really wonderful (if inward looking) but more to matters than that I think. That is solely my assessment of course based on my experience which is limited. I was talking to a priest friend a few weeks ago and he commented “Perhaps I ought to be addressing these things in my homilies”…I hope he will - he is in our parish as relief on odd ocassions - but now retired.
Thanks for asking the question - a reason to reflect back on the journey…Blessings Peace Joy…Barb
The problem with all the Hell stuff is that people were being induced to toe The Church line, whatever it may be, to the letter out of fear…and for the children present it was an absolute Hell just to sit and listen I think…this, in my early years anyway was carried by nuns into the schoolroom in the main.
Code:
Vatican2 turned me upside down wondering what it was all about now, but in the long run Vatican2 was the best thing that ever happened for me to get my Faith into a perspective that was more in line with the Gospels and connected to my actual daily living in a way I found meaningful and not frightful and not a servitude of fear. I was really fortunate and blest that my College nun prime teacher was very advanced for the times and totally steeped in Scripture, The Gospels and Church theology. She was a credit to the College motto too of "Veritas" (Truth) and encouraged us to seek, research and ask questions without any sort of fear. She was my teacher as Vatican2 was in session.Thanks for asking the question - a reason to reflect back on the journey…Blessings Peace Joy…Barb
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blessedstar
Guest
I have not heard a hell fire and brimstone sermon for a long while since I was a very small child (about 6 or 7 years old) and I used to think ‘Why are you shouting at everyone Father?’. However I regularly hear sermons of asking people to go to confession, sermons about sin and the awfulness of it and sermons about true repentance and loving God. I have heard sermons about the ways of satan and his traps and tactics. The Priests do talk about hell but not in a way to scare the living wits out of people.
Our Priests are wonderful; they don’t use fear to drive people to Jesus they tell the Truth in their sermons which logically leads the hearer to hear the whole picture, that there is a price for sinning, there is a debt to be paid and that we should go to confession and do our penance with love.
It is not enough to tell people what not to do and rage on and on about the consequences of not doing what you should be. It is important to know what to do and why Jesus did what He did in order that people may follow a pattern for life and make that pattern Christ Jesus in His Ways.
One Priest I know always says in his sermons ‘If your sins be as scarlet, Jesus will wash them as white as snow’ When I first heard that, way back when, it had a great impression upon me. I would ask for confession even as I passed a Priest in the street and would give my confession there and then by the roadside and the Priest would always hear it and absolve me as people went about their day walking past us. I didn’t care who saw me. It planted in me a true and balanced seed of repentance for my past life and a true love of the Merciful Sacrament of Reconciliation and the peace this Sacrament brings. It made me brutally honest with my ‘self’ and most of all it made me love Jesus and thank Him more and more growing in love of Him and not fear of Him.
See now I am thinking of my opportunity for confession this Friday when I see a Priest I know and already I am joyful, excited and filled with peace at the thought of it.
We are not to be a miserable bunch of sinners, but a joyful bunch of sinners always repenting.
In the Living Prayer of my life
Our Priests are wonderful; they don’t use fear to drive people to Jesus they tell the Truth in their sermons which logically leads the hearer to hear the whole picture, that there is a price for sinning, there is a debt to be paid and that we should go to confession and do our penance with love.
It is not enough to tell people what not to do and rage on and on about the consequences of not doing what you should be. It is important to know what to do and why Jesus did what He did in order that people may follow a pattern for life and make that pattern Christ Jesus in His Ways.
One Priest I know always says in his sermons ‘If your sins be as scarlet, Jesus will wash them as white as snow’ When I first heard that, way back when, it had a great impression upon me. I would ask for confession even as I passed a Priest in the street and would give my confession there and then by the roadside and the Priest would always hear it and absolve me as people went about their day walking past us. I didn’t care who saw me. It planted in me a true and balanced seed of repentance for my past life and a true love of the Merciful Sacrament of Reconciliation and the peace this Sacrament brings. It made me brutally honest with my ‘self’ and most of all it made me love Jesus and thank Him more and more growing in love of Him and not fear of Him.
See now I am thinking of my opportunity for confession this Friday when I see a Priest I know and already I am joyful, excited and filled with peace at the thought of it.
We are not to be a miserable bunch of sinners, but a joyful bunch of sinners always repenting.
In the Living Prayer of my life
P
PhilotheaZ
Guest
Several years ago the parish I belonged to was building a new church. The old one had been torn down, and for about a year we celebrated Mass in the parish hall/school gymnasium which lacked proper air conditioning. If you turned on the blowers, they were so loud nobody could hear the priest. If you turned them off, people complained about being too hot.
One Sunday, our pastor, exasperated from all the complaints about the temperature, gave a three-word homily: “Hell is hot.” He then sat down.
I think many of us never forgot it.
One Sunday, our pastor, exasperated from all the complaints about the temperature, gave a three-word homily: “Hell is hot.” He then sat down.
I think many of us never forgot it.
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barbfromtucson
Guest
I think it’s a shame that hell isn’t spoken about more often.
What I also think is bad is that the power and the presence of Satan is not preached about this day and age as well.
–Barbara
What I also think is bad is that the power and the presence of Satan is not preached about this day and age as well.
–Barbara
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Mijoy2
Guest
I’m a revert, I’ve been back to the church for 3-4 years now. I’ve yet to hear a sermon on Hell, mortal sin, reconciliation, artificial contraception or abortion. Yet that is prety much all I hear on EWTN.
How can there be such a disconnect? Why is there little to no continuity? Do the Bishops monitor, in any way, what goes on in the parish?
How can there be such a disconnect? Why is there little to no continuity? Do the Bishops monitor, in any way, what goes on in the parish?
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OneAugustKnight
Guest
Less than 6 months ago. At my last parish we heard them pretty regularly. I hope to hear the same type of thing from my new priest, but I don’t know his style that well yet. He seems to talk about the news a lot. So unless a homily about what happened in San Francisco counts as a homily about Hell . . .
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Leopard
Guest
Probably a few months ago. We don’t hear homilies about hell all the time, but neither do we hear homilies about heaven all the time, or about purgatory, marriage, religious vocations, abortion, Christian stewardship, confession, social responsibility, etc., etc., all the time. None of these topics is neglected, every one gets its turn.
The only element of our homilies that we do usually hear all the time is an explanation of the day’s readings and how whatever other topics relate to them.
The only element of our homilies that we do usually hear all the time is an explanation of the day’s readings and how whatever other topics relate to them.
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daughterofmary
Guest
Sometime last year. I went to a Mass celebrated by a young Dominican priest. It was a Monday. I remember because he talked about how not many people want to hear about Hell, especially after their weekends. I know the priest fairly well and he has a great love for souls. He told me he is not going to not mention hell simply because some people do not wish to hear about it or because it is out of style. He said he is not going to Hell for anyone, meaning that he is not going to not talk about something that needs to be talked about and thus put his own soul in danger. He is the only priest I have ever known to have given a sermon on hell (besides Fr. Corapi). Besides them two I have never heard another priest speak about it. 
EDIT: But, I should mention, we have three priests at our parish. Sometimes I do not attend my parish for Mass but rather another one. Every homily I hear is not given by a specific priest. It could very well be that I do not hear many homilies on Hell because the priest for that week is preaching on a different subject. The next week, while I am not present at that Mass, he could very well be talking about Hell and I could be missing it.
Fr. Corapi though and that priest I mention always seem to speak about Hell or the Devil or at least mention one if not both of them every time I listen to them.
EDIT: But, I should mention, we have three priests at our parish. Sometimes I do not attend my parish for Mass but rather another one. Every homily I hear is not given by a specific priest. It could very well be that I do not hear many homilies on Hell because the priest for that week is preaching on a different subject. The next week, while I am not present at that Mass, he could very well be talking about Hell and I could be missing it.
Fr. Corapi though and that priest I mention always seem to speak about Hell or the Devil or at least mention one if not both of them every time I listen to them.
J
jrabs
Guest
Actually about 3 weeks ago. My parish has an amazing older priest that pulls out all the stops almost every time he preaches. He is on a 4 week rotation.
He tackles all the hard topics. I also notice he often has a line waiting to thank him after mass.
He tackles all the hard topics. I also notice he often has a line waiting to thank him after mass.
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thistle
Guest
You should come to my church. The priests regularly talk about hell.
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pnewton
Guest
It was just a few weeks ago. Hell was mentioned in the gospel so our priest made it a point to remind us of the reality of Hell.
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Melo
Guest
Blessed star, thank you for this reply. It is a wonderful way to look at it. When I first read the title post, I was thinking ‘hmm why is that?’ But after reading your post, I agree with you.I have not heard a hell fire and brimstone sermon for a long while since I was a very small child (about 6 or 7 years old) and I used to think ‘Why are you shouting at everyone Father?’. However I regularly hear sermons of asking people to go to confession, sermons about sin and the awfulness of it and sermons about true repentance and loving God. I have heard sermons about the ways of satan and his traps and tactics. The Priests do talk about hell but not in a way to scare the living wits out of people.
Our Priests are wonderful; they don’t use fear to drive people to Jesus they tell the Truth in their sermons which logically leads the hearer to hear the whole picture, that there is a price for sinning, there is a debt to be paid and that we should go to confession and do our penance with love.
It is not enough to tell people what not to do and rage on and on about the consequences of not doing what you should be. It is important to know what to do and why Jesus did what He did in order that people may follow a pattern for life and make that pattern Christ Jesus in His Ways.
One Priest I know always says in his sermons ‘If your sins be as scarlet, Jesus will wash them as white as snow’ When I first heard that, way back when, it had a great impression upon me. I would ask for confession even as I passed a Priest in the street and would give my confession there and then by the roadside and the Priest would always hear it and absolve me as people went about their day walking past us. I didn’t care who saw me. It planted in me a true and balanced seed of repentance for my past life and a true love of the Merciful Sacrament of Reconciliation and the peace this Sacrament brings. It made me brutally honest with my ‘self’ and most of all it made me love Jesus and thank Him more and more growing in love of Him and not fear of Him.
See now I am thinking of my opportunity for confession this Friday when I see a Priest I know and already I am joyful, excited and filled with peace at the thought of it.
We are not to be a miserable bunch of sinners, but a joyful bunch of sinners always repenting.
In the Living Prayer of my life
J
JimR-OCDS
Guest
The last time I heard a homily on hell, or mortal sin, was about 20 years ago, when a cranky old priest came to our parish to give a parish retreat during lent. He pretty much condemned every one to hell. Women for wearing slacks to Church, Divorced Catholics,
teens, those in the music ministry for not using proper music(which he never defined) and you name it. He was suppose to speak 5 nights, but after he insulted and brought to tears, the woman who volunteered to come to the rectory to cook meals, while he was visiting, our pastor asked him to leave.
Yup, we all learned about hell and mortal sin from him.
Jim
teens, those in the music ministry for not using proper music(which he never defined) and you name it. He was suppose to speak 5 nights, but after he insulted and brought to tears, the woman who volunteered to come to the rectory to cook meals, while he was visiting, our pastor asked him to leave.
Yup, we all learned about hell and mortal sin from him.
Jim
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drpmjhess
Guest
“Hell” as a physical place with red-suited devils running around with pitchforks is outdated mythology; perhaps that’s why educated priests don’t preach about it. Our parish priests (Dominicans) emphasize the idea that "hell’ is state of alienation from God.
Petrus sum
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Eileen_T
Guest
I just finished reading *My Visit to Hell *by Paul Thigpen. I couldn’t put it down after the first couple of chapters. The thought of all those tiny aborted babies floating there waiting for their parents to accuse them was scary.
Has anyone read the book 23 minutes in Hell by Bill Wiese?
I listened to him talk about it video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3557441432446312669
Several years ago a book was published, entitled Beyond Death’s Door by Dr. Maurice Rawlings. Dr. Rawlings, a specialist in Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular Disease, resuscitated many people who had been clinically dead. Dr. Rawlings, a devout atheist, “considered all religion “hocus-pocus” and death nothing more than a painless extinction”. But something happened in 1977 that brought a dramatic change in the life of Dr. Rawlings! He was resuscitating a man, terrified and screaming — descending down into the flames of hell:
Jesus says of the man in Luke 16:
23 "And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in TORMENTS. . . "
24 “. . . for I am TORMENTED in this FLAME.”
28 “. . .PLACE OF TORMENT.”
The Bible describes it as weeping (Matt 8:12), wailing (Matt 13:42), gnashing of teeth (Matt 13:50), darkness (Matt 25:30), flames (Luke 16:24), burning (Isa 33:14), torments (Luke 16:23), everlasting punishment! Jesus Christ says in Matthew 25:41 “Depart from me, ye cursed, into EVERLASTING FIRE, prepared for the devil and his angels.”
In Matthew 13:42, Jesus says: “And shall cast them into a FURNACE OF FIRE: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”
Sounds pretty physical to me.
Has anyone read the book 23 minutes in Hell by Bill Wiese?
I listened to him talk about it video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3557441432446312669
Several years ago a book was published, entitled Beyond Death’s Door by Dr. Maurice Rawlings. Dr. Rawlings, a specialist in Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular Disease, resuscitated many people who had been clinically dead. Dr. Rawlings, a devout atheist, “considered all religion “hocus-pocus” and death nothing more than a painless extinction”. But something happened in 1977 that brought a dramatic change in the life of Dr. Rawlings! He was resuscitating a man, terrified and screaming — descending down into the flames of hell:
Dr. Rawlings said, no one, who could have heard his screams and saw the look of terror on his face could doubt for a single minute that he was actually in a place called hell!
drpmjhess said:
Jesus says of the man in Luke 16:
23 "And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in TORMENTS. . . "
24 “. . . for I am TORMENTED in this FLAME.”
28 “. . .PLACE OF TORMENT.”
The Bible describes it as weeping (Matt 8:12), wailing (Matt 13:42), gnashing of teeth (Matt 13:50), darkness (Matt 25:30), flames (Luke 16:24), burning (Isa 33:14), torments (Luke 16:23), everlasting punishment! Jesus Christ says in Matthew 25:41 “Depart from me, ye cursed, into EVERLASTING FIRE, prepared for the devil and his angels.”
In Matthew 13:42, Jesus says: “And shall cast them into a FURNACE OF FIRE: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”
Sounds pretty physical to me.
D
drpmjhess
Guest
Jim, I didn’t realize slacks-wearing was a hellable offense. Did this priest condemn people who eat stroganoff, who wear polyester, and who commit other Deuteronomic infractions?
Do different peoples get assigned to different hells? Does Jewish hell serve ham sandwiches? Do bad Muslims get 70 old non-virgins? Do bad Hindus get reincarnated as paraplegic toads?
These are, after all, important theological questions.
Petrus
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BarbaraTherese
Guest
An Order of religious sisters I know of (back in pre Vatican2 days) would not receive visitors in slacks…now they wear them themselves…
D
drpmjhess
Guest
Back to the original point of this thread: what is the point of preaching about hell, about which we know nothing? Why not preach love and repentance and forgiveness instead?
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