Four of the Medjugorje visionaries have seen Hell - souls choose to go to Hell by the choices made in life and at the moment of death: Vicka: “People turn away from God by choices they make. In this way they choose to enter the fire of hell where they burn away all connection to God. That’s why they can never get back to God. It takes God’s mercy to get back to Him. In hell, they no longer have access to God’s mercy…They choose to destroy their beauty and goodness. They choose to be ugly and horrible. People do this all the time. Each choice that is against God, God’s Commandments, God’s Will, singes God’s image in us…They become one with hell even while they have their body. At death they go on as they were when they had a body.” Jakov: Question: “Jakov, did you see hell? Jakov: “Yes. Question: “Can you tell us about it? Jakov: “Very seldom do I talk about hell…I choose not to think about hell. The self-chosen suffering there is beyond your ability to comprehend. Question: “Does it cause you pain? Jakov: “More than you can understand…Because no one needs to go to hell. It is the ultimate waste. Question: “What can people do to keep from going to hell? Jakov: “Believe in God, no matter what happens in a lifetime.”
I think Jesus mentions hell directly or indirectly round about 20 times in Scripture. As far as I can see He mentions heaven only two or three times. Jesus was lucky He didn't have a Bishop or He would have been in trouble!! The trouble maybe is we don't really believe in evil...and since we do not believe in evil we cannot believe in the consequences of evil. Part of the trouble with this is that life becomes in a way unimportant for if at the end of life we're all going to get into heaven through the actions of a God who has become, basically a kind of sugar daddy then why not just get on with life and draw from it what material enjoyment we can. On the other hand if we believe in hell life is imbued with a great sense of urgency, of importance. It also teaches us to be aware of and on the defense from, the devil. Its so interesting when Our Lady speaks for what she says and does is in direct contravention of our own religious culture. I was reading an interesting thing in the latest edition of 'Inside the Vatican Magazine' which I just got yesterday. Its a story Cardinal James Francis Stafford told about something that happened in Baltimore back in August of '68. He had been invited as a {then} priest to a large meeting of priests in South Baltimore to discuss the recent Encyclical 'Humanae Vitae' The priest in charge was an ex marine but instead of it being a discussion it was a rail road in which the priests were more nor less directed to sign a petition to reject the Encyclical. Fr Francis Stafford defended Humanae Vitae by simply asking if anyone present had actually read it. None of them had. But they all signed the petition and they became very angry at the future Cardinal cursing him, growing very angry and abusing him, mocking him and making him feel ashamed. But he held out. Things have turned full circle now and the worm has turned at last. But I think thats the trouble with a lot of folks have with Marian apparitions. What she has to say for herself doesn't sit easily with a lot of clergy from that generation. She, like Cardinal Stafford is out of step. One thing the Cardinal said interested me. He mentioned that there were no prayers said, before ,during or after the meeting, not even to invoke the Holy Spirit. The thing with the Gospel is it never changes, it never adapts with the times. It does not seek to become 'relevant'. People say that if they talk about hell folks will laugh. But what does that matter? Either it is the truth or it is not the truth. That's all that matters. Sister Faustina, the beatified Polish nun was shown Hell in 1936. Here is her account from her Diary (741): "Today, I was led by an angel to the chasms of hell. It is a place of great torture; how awesomely large and extensive it is! The kinds of tortures I saw: the first torture that constitutes hell is the loss of God; the second is perpetual remorse of conscience; the third is that one's condition will never change; (160) the fourth is the fire that will penetrate the soul without destroying it-a terrible suffering, since it is a purely spiritual fire, lit by God's anger; the fifth torture is continual darkness and a terrible suffocating smell, and, despite the darkness, the devils and the souls of the damned see each other and all the evil, both of others and their own; the sixth torture is the constant company of Satan; the seventh torture is the horrible despair, hatred of God, vile words, curses and blasphemies. These are the tortures suffered by all the damned together, but that is not the end of the sufferings. There are special tortures destined for particular souls. These are the torments of the senses. Each soul undergoes terrible and indescribable sufferings, related to the manner in which it has sinned. There are caverns and pits of torture where one form of agony differs from another. I would have died at the very sight of these tortures if the omnipotence of God had not supported me. Let the sinner know that he will be tortured throughout all eternity, in those senses which he made use of to sin. (161) I am writing this at the command of God, so that no soul may find an excuse by saying there is no hell, or that nobody has ever been there, and so no one can say what it is like. I, Sister Faustina, by the order of God, have visited the abysses of hell so that I might tell souls about it and testify to its existence. I cannot speak about it now; but I have received a command from God to leave it in writing. The devils were full of hatred for me, but they had to obey me at the command of God. What I have written is but a pale shadow of the things I saw. But I noticed one thing: that most of the souls there are those who disbelieved that there is a hell. When I came to, I could hardly recover from the fright. How terribly souls suffer there! Consequently, I pray even more fervently for the conversion of sinners. I incessantly plead God's mercy upon them. O my Jesus, I would rather be in agony until the end of the world, amidst the greatest sufferings, than offend You by the least sin."
The Evil One never fails to twist and pervert the Truth. One of the blessings of the last 50 years is the emphasis on God's love. It is priceless and fathomless; mercy is its twin sister! As Padraig tells us, God is madly in love with us! But satan steps in to distort this. He teaches a lie: mercy trumps justice. God is too loving to allow anyone (well, maybe Hitler) to go to Hell. The consequence of this lie is a misconception of our Holy God, who becomes basically a kind of sugar daddy then why not just get on with life and draw from it what material enjoyment we can. There is a Hell! We reap what we sow! I wept when reading Sr. Faustina's description. We must never forget that the Cross demonstrates more clearly than all else, the Mercy and Justice of God. From 2Corinthians: God made Him sin, who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God! To God alone belongs the glory! Lord have mercy!
You remind me of the story I heard one time about a large group of children who used to play on a street on summers evenings. As evening drew on the different parents came on and called their children home. All apart from one little boy , whose parents never called him. The other children grew envious of him, wishing they could stay out as late as they wanted. However when they said this to the boy he began to cry and said, 'The one thing I wish more than anything is for my mummy or daddy to call me in. But they never bother, for they don't care if I come home or not'. Justice is the other arm of love. Without justice love is meaningless, without love justice is meaningless. Any parent knows this. God is our Father . He is love. He is Just. All love involves risk. Again any parent would say this. Children must grow into freedom. This freedom involves risk . They can go one way, they may choose another. But the choices they will make with their lives are real choices. God is our Father. He leaves us real choices. We can go one way or go another. Our choices involve risk. But without freedom,there can be no love. Love involves real eternal risk Mary is the Mother who stands at the gate calling us her children home. Some of us will come, some of us won't. But at least we are not like the little boy who stood there and no one ever called him. Our choices are important . Thats why there is a hell. Our choices redound in eternity.
Remember it's only a 'choosing' in the sense that souls in a state of actual mortal sin go there by their own sinful choices in life. If we want to choose Heaven, we try our best to do God's will. A sinful soul will therefore reject God at the moment of death, and accepting the gravity of his sins, is sent to Hell.
