Jesus allegedly told me years ago that He likes to surprise me. A big surprise of this period of my life (81 years-old) is that my old enemy
has become my friend.
Here is the story. Having whined about the miseries of tech for 30 years, including having to confess screaming at the phone or computer, now my PC is giving me a huge gift. My whole family in distant parts is on a chat board every day. Now, I used to make fun of facebook saying who wants to know what every friend ate for breakfast? But, with this intimate family chat I find it is a way of virtually being together, especially because the younger techies put up
tiny videos of themselves doing funny things.
So now I am sending up praise-prayers of gratitude for tech.
has become my friend.
Here is the story. Having whined about the miseries of tech for 30 years, including having to confess screaming at the phone or computer, now my PC is giving me a huge gift. My whole family in distant parts is on a chat board every day. Now, I used to make fun of facebook saying who wants to know what every friend ate for breakfast? But, with this intimate family chat I find it is a way of virtually being together, especially because the younger techies put up
tiny videos of themselves doing funny things.
So now I am sending up praise-prayers of gratitude for tech.
On a totally different note, I always picture myself soaring into purgatory, ante-room of heaven. But the Holy Spirit gave me a different image - crawl into purgatory on your knees!
A Santa Claus Tie-in
Probably even younger people than I remember the children’s song Santa Claus is Coming to Town.
Now atheists, such as myself before my conversion at 21, like to say that believing in God is as stupid as believing in Santa Claus. (Of course, we never knew that Santa Claus, historically, is based on a real saint Nicholas.)
Probably even younger people than I remember the children’s song Santa Claus is Coming to Town.
Now atheists, such as myself before my conversion at 21, like to say that believing in God is as stupid as believing in Santa Claus. (Of course, we never knew that Santa Claus, historically, is based on a real saint Nicholas.)
However, there is this line in the song that goes: he’s coming to see if you’ve been naughty or nice…with the implication that if you were naughty you don’t get glorious gifts from Santa Claus.
Now, here’s the tie-in.
Now, here’s the tie-in.
Some theologians seem to not only hope that no one goes to Hell, but even think that there is no one in Hell, contrary to the Catechism which says we shouldn’t think we, personally, can put others into Hell but that Hell, as a real destination, is confirmed in Scripture.
So, in effect, such dissenters are making Jesus into a Super-Santa Claus figure who doesn’t even care if we are unrepentantly naughty, but brings us to heaven no matter what. And the reward is not little Christmas gifts but an eternity of blissful union with the Trinity.
It is as if a human father would threaten a child with banishment but then say, “but, of course I’ll never do that.”
So, my take is that even if everyone is saved in the end through God’s mercy and the purifications of purgatory, it is extremely presumptuous
to make hell an empty threat.
And we see the result of such dissent exhibits itself in some priests never talking even about praying for the souls of the dead. In their funeral homilies, such will only talk about whatever was good in the person who died as if
heaven is the only destination.
Jesus on the Cross, dying for our sins, has little resemblance to the Santa Claus of the department stores.
P.S. After writing this, I had an uneasy feeling that there was something missing, which came to me after a long nap.
The point is that a really naughty child doesn’t really get the full joy of Christmas even if they get gifts. Why? Because they are too greedily anticipating and playing with their gifts that they don’t experience the more important thing of the loving hearts of those who gave the gifts.
Similarly, someone said, anyone who really hates God cannot be in heaven because heaven is the experience of God.
So, in effect, such dissenters are making Jesus into a Super-Santa Claus figure who doesn’t even care if we are unrepentantly naughty, but brings us to heaven no matter what. And the reward is not little Christmas gifts but an eternity of blissful union with the Trinity.
It is as if a human father would threaten a child with banishment but then say, “but, of course I’ll never do that.”
So, my take is that even if everyone is saved in the end through God’s mercy and the purifications of purgatory, it is extremely presumptuous
to make hell an empty threat.
And we see the result of such dissent exhibits itself in some priests never talking even about praying for the souls of the dead. In their funeral homilies, such will only talk about whatever was good in the person who died as if
heaven is the only destination.
Jesus on the Cross, dying for our sins, has little resemblance to the Santa Claus of the department stores.
P.S. After writing this, I had an uneasy feeling that there was something missing, which came to me after a long nap.
The point is that a really naughty child doesn’t really get the full joy of Christmas even if they get gifts. Why? Because they are too greedily anticipating and playing with their gifts that they don’t experience the more important thing of the loving hearts of those who gave the gifts.
Similarly, someone said, anyone who really hates God cannot be in heaven because heaven is the experience of God.
Long ago, I got an inkling of this truth. I was waiting in a Church with my husband for some famous priest healer to bless him (my husband had terrible late onset asthma). As we waited, I realized I wanted a favorable outcome but didn’t really want that saintly priest to spend any time with me. Why not? I was comfortable with my own state of soul and didn’t want
such a holy person to perhaps stretch me?
So, purgatory purifies and expands our souls. We are not ready to go right from this life into heaven unless we are truly saints. As in the famous poem of Cardinal Newman (now blessed?) The Dream of Gerontius, where the dying soul catches a glimpse of God and prays “Take me away!” realizing he needs to be purified first.
Of course, purgatory is not hell, but if we have ever in our lives felt repelled by the holiness of another, we can imagine how there could be someone who doesn’t at the time of death pray for mercy, but stands its ground in defiance.
such a holy person to perhaps stretch me?
So, purgatory purifies and expands our souls. We are not ready to go right from this life into heaven unless we are truly saints. As in the famous poem of Cardinal Newman (now blessed?) The Dream of Gerontius, where the dying soul catches a glimpse of God and prays “Take me away!” realizing he needs to be purified first.
Of course, purgatory is not hell, but if we have ever in our lives felt repelled by the holiness of another, we can imagine how there could be someone who doesn’t at the time of death pray for mercy, but stands its ground in defiance.
In Purgatory, the remaining infestation of the beasts of iniquitous vice are expelled from the heart of the penitent soul.
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