When you know people you love are going to Hell

[LilyM]

I believe the odds to be somewhere around 1 in 5000. That’s the ratio of the saved to the damned, if you believe. St. Leonard of Port Maurice, and St. Vincent Ferrer. See St. Leonard’s famous sermon on this subject here:

olrl.org/snt_docs/fewness.shtml

In one of St. Vincent Ferrer’s revelations, 5 people out of 33,000 we saved in one hour. That is disturbing and frightening, when you contemplate it.

Nothing to be disturbed by. Firstly - remember Our Lady has given the great promise attached to the Brown Scapular … ‘those who die wearing this garment will not go to Hell’. Even though the Scapular is not a magic talisman, that surely means an awful lot of devout souls over the course of the history of this devotion.

Same with the promises attached to the Nine First Fridays.

And there are many other sainted visionaries who if memory serves have given very different figures. One example:

"The Curé of Ars, the patron of all parish priests, used to preach that the greatest act of charity towards your neighbor is to save souls from Hell. One day when he was hearing confession in a little church, the devil, in the form of a man, raged and screamed, “I hate you. I hate you because you stole from my hand 85,000 souls.” olrl.org/doctrine/hell.shtml

Now even if we count those who never personally saw or heard the good Cure, and merely heard or read about him and were converted by doing so - 85,000 still implies much better odds than 5 out of 33,000, if all were saved just by the efforts of this one saint, no?

 

[iluvmybabies]

I have grown up with my parents telling me I am doomed to hell for everything I have ever done…I have the hopes and the wish that there is still a chance for me to make it into heaven…

I am trying my hardest to live right…May GOD have mercy on us all…

 

[jmcrae]

Is a deathbed change of heart possible, sure. Is it universal, or even probable? IMHO that’s not very likely. Perhaps I’ve seen too many lung cancer patients smoking in the parking lot at the oncologists office.

Right - and if we as human beings can’t muster up the will-power while we’re still at least reasonably strong, to avoid a kind agony that we know for certain will take place (having already experience a foretaste of it), after a life-time of one bad habit, how will we muster up the will-power to avoid a kind of pain that we’re not even sure really exists, after a life-time of every kind of bad habit?

 

[Shin]

Stirring words!

Hell is the great motivator for us to get our lives in orders today, and not tomorrow! For tomorrow may be too late!

We must serve God and not idols, no idols, no habits of vice, addictions, and so forth. We must break free from all attachments that prevent us from going and doing whatever God desires whenever God desires. We must serve God, and spend all our days in virtue and for Him!

When I need to be stirred to do good, and I do not love God enough in deed, rather than in wishful thinking, I listen to sermons on Hell (see those below) and read them, and they stir me to reform my life further. God help us all.

‘It often happens that when we take less care of our body, we have better health than when we bestow upon it too much care.’

St. Teresa of Jesus

‘In spiritual life, when you cease to climb, you begin to descend.’

St. Bernard of Clairvaux

 

[Rascalking]

The best way to avoid eternal salvation is to be sure of others.-Me.

 

[lovemysix]

“Surely everyone who goes to Hell has family members who love them.”

No doubt. I’m simply saying that my love for my family members is what buoys my hope in God’s mercy for them.

“Actually, that was Dante, and he was referring to known sinners among the clergy who were causing scandal to the faithful.”

Do you know exactly where that is in Dante? I researched on the web a bit and discovered the quote is widely attributed to St. John Chrysostom and sometimes to St. Athanasius, but nobody can seem to come up with a citation for either one. I didn’t find a reference to that direct quote from Dante, though, either. I will have to dig out my copy and maybe even read it once again (it’s been a long time since college!)

“The sinners that Jesus spent his time with were repenting of their sins, returning sevenfold whatever they had stolen, quitting their less-than-ethical jobs and leaving hearth and home to travel everywhere with Jesus. They weren’t remaining in their sins, and they certainly weren’t scoffing at Jesus or denying His existence.”

I don’t think we are in disagreement here. That is why I put “sinners” in quotations. Jesus could see through to the heart of these folks that the rest of society still despised and regarded as sinners. Which is precisely why I believe the Final Judgment is wisely left up to Him.

In my search for quotes, I did find this one from St. Louis DeMontfort, and it pretty much sums up my feelings about how we should pray for our loves ones (and ourselves, for that matter!):

“Pray with great confidence, with confidence based upon the goodness and infinite generosity of God and upon the promises of Jesus Christ. God is a spring of living water which flows unceasingly into the hearts of those who pray. – St. Louis de Montfort”

 

[LilyM]

Why do you think Jesus repeated so often ‘do not be afraid’, and said ‘there are many rooms in my Father’s house’ - not to mention 'I have come that my JOY (not His condemnation or vengeance) may be in you, and that your JOY may be complete (not your fear of eternal wrath nor despair of salvation for self or others).

I have a distinct feeling that while Jesus absolutely wanted us to be aware of Hell He certainly didn’t want us to be so doom-and-gloomy and petrified - not to mention outright despairing - as some of y’all are. Two of the three great virtues are faith and hope, remember - both of which seem to be in mighty short supply around here, and I ain’t so sure about the love either.

 

[GraceDK]

How do you feel? What do you do?

I know that several people very close to me will go to Hell and I’m not sure how I should feel or react.

Anybody else faced this situation?

Yes… I have felt something similar.

My advice is: Pray like everything depended on you.
Believe and trust like everything depends on God.
Believing prayer is the most best thing you can do, because some people are not open to God… Only God’s Grace can make them open.
Also, show them your joy, your good example, your peace and tell them what the Lord has done for you. Personal testimony and prayer…

 

[TLM08]

How do you feel? What do you do?

I know that several people very close to me will go to Hell and I’m not sure how I should feel or react.

Anybody else faced this situation?

This is a common fear for those are compulsive (like me) in a religious way. While it’s indeed possible that they are going to hell, none of us know for certain based on any concrete fact. Our belief in Jesus and God is not based in concrete fact either. It is a matter of faith!

Scaring loved ones with “hell stories” will only make them think you are a nut. The best thing you can do is invite them to go to church with you and share the positive side of your faith. I speak from experience because I went through this same thing a year or two ago.

 

[1holycatholic]

Our belief in Jesus and God is not based in concrete fact either. It is a matter of faith!

Belief in the existence of God is not just a matter of faith. That would be fideism which is explicitly contrary to the teaching of the Church.

vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__PA.HTM
35 Man’s faculties make him capable of coming to a knowledge of the existence of a personal God. But for man to be able to enter into real intimacy with him, God willed both to reveal himself to man, and to give him the grace of being able to welcome this revelation in faith.(so) the proofs of God’s existence, however, can predispose one to faith and help one to see that faith is not opposed to reason.
vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__PB.HTM
36 “Our holy mother, the Church, holds and teaches that God, the first principle and last end of all things, can be known with certainty from the created world by the natural light of human reason.” Without this capacity, man would not be able to welcome God’s revelation. Man has this capacity because he is created “in the image of God”.

 

[mrpathetic]

I have grown up with my parents telling me I am doomed to hell for everything I have ever done…I have the hopes and the wish that there is still a chance for me to make it into heaven…

I am trying my hardest to live right…May GOD have mercy on us all…

1. Go to your parish this afternoon, and make a general confession to your confessor. Perform whatever pennance that your confessor assigns. You will receive absolution from the priest.
2. Start living the life of a true disciple, through faith, hope, and charity. Perform real reformation of your life, if you haven ot already done so.

You can still repent, so long as you still have breath in your lungs. Anyone is capable of chosing salvation - it does not matter if you were a profligate sinner before. You can still chose salvation **now. **

It is your choice, so make it.

 

[txzimmer]

I have grown up with my parents telling me I am doomed to hell for everything I have ever done…I have the hopes and the wish that there is still a chance for me to make it into heaven…

I am trying my hardest to live right…May GOD have mercy on us all…

Surely you are not doomed to hell. Our God is a very forgiving God. All you have to do is ask. Live the way Jesus has told us to live. Sounds like you are on your way.

 

[brigid12]

How do you feel? What do you do?

I know that several people very close to me will go to Hell and I’m not sure how I should feel or react.

Anybody else faced this situation?

There is no way, no way for anyone but God to know where anyone is going after they die on earth (the Church won’t even say definitively about Hitler or Stalin).

God wants us to live (ourselves) according to His Commandmants to our best ability, to be merciful to all other people, and to show complete humility to Him (see Micah 6:8). We don’t know anyone else’s heart nor do we know His Will (timing, etc.) We must have confidence in His forgiveness and in His love.

 

[Sierrah]

How do you feel? What do you do?

I know that several people very close to me will go to Hell and I’m not sure how I should feel or react.

Anybody else faced this situation?

To be honest all you can really do is pray from them. God gave us all free will and it’s up to us to choose him. Pray that your love ones do so.

 

[GraceDK]

I have grown up with my parents telling me I am doomed to hell for everything I have ever done…I have the hopes and the wish that there is still a chance for me to make it into heaven…

I am trying my hardest to live right…May GOD have mercy on us all…

Dear sister in Jesus.
Surely you are not doomed for hell. You parents were wrong.
You believe in Jesus… He is your one and only ticket through the Perly Gates of Heaven. Starting from today you can rest assured.
Also I want you to meditate on the words of Paul in his letters to Romans… he says that Christ is our justification.
Christ is our justification.
That means… He is the one who through His blood alone has reconciled you with your heavenly father and there is nothing in the world that can seperate you from His Love… AMEN! And hear what Jesus said: “Fear not, little flock, for my Father has already decided to give you the kingdom”.
Always say: “Your will be done… forgive us our traspasses”. Everything you need is in that prayer.

Jesus says: “Do not be afraid”. He surely has been grieved because of the horror that has filled you… There is no fear in love. He wants you to have the fullness of joy… He always wanted to share it with you.
Its that simple… :hug3:

 

[georgemiller]

I agree that no one should ever make the judgement that someone has or will go to Hell. I believe Jesus said that we should not make those kind of judgements and that only He is to make those judgements. However, we can make judgements as to whether one’s behavior is morally good or bad. In so doing, if one believes they can, they should also in a Christian loving way try to help that individual. God bless, george.

 

[Katechesis]

I have heard Fr. Corapi in a radio show say that the use of contraception by a married couple registers as rejection on some level.

What i have not seen/heard anyone say, that the husband insisting/forcing it on his wife could care less about her health spiritually or physically, and that registers up front to all his lack of love. its kind of like saying, “Ah, go to hell!” to his own wife! (let alone “rejection at some level”).