Fourth Sunday after Easter
J.M.J.


Taken from "A BRIEF CATECHISM FOR ADULTS"

LESSON 11: HELL

"The Son of Man shall send His angels, and they shall gather out of His
kingdom all scandals, and them that work iniquity.  And shall cast them into
the furnace of fire:  there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
(Matthew 13:41-42)

1. What is Hell?
    The place in the next world where the souls of the damned are condemned
to suffer forever with the devils.

"If any one abide not in Me, he shall be cast forth as a branch, and shall
wither, and they shall gather him up, and cast him into the fire, and he
burneth."    (John 15:6)

2. How do you know there is a Hell?
    The Bible and Tradition (and Jesus too) often speak of the everlasting
punishments of Hell.

"Then He shall say to them also that shall be on His left hand:  Depart from
me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire which was prepared for the devil and
his angels.  And these shall go into everlasting punishments:  But the just,
into life everlasting."    (Matthew 25:41-46)

3. Who will go to Hell?
    Those who die with mortal sin on their souls, that is, without
Sanctifying Grace.

"And whosoever was not found written in the book of life, was cast into the
pool of fire."    (Apocalypse 20:15)

4. Does anyone ever get out of Hell?
    No, Hell is a place of "everlasting punishment." (Matthew 25:46)

"And the smoke of their torments shall ascend up for ever and ever:  neither
have they rest day nor night."    (Apocalypse 14:11)

5. What are the pains of Hell?
    Separation from God, torture by fire, regret, and the companionship of
the devils.

"Before I go, and return no more, to a land that is dark and covered with
the mist of death:  a land of misery and darkness, where the shadow of
death, and no order, but everlasting horror dwelleth."    (Job 10:21-22)

6. What is the pain of separation from God?
    To be separated from God, the Source of all love and happiness, will be
the greatest pain in Hell.

"The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven, with the angels of His power:
In a flame of fire, giving vengeance to them who know not God, and who obey
not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.   Who shall suffer eternal
punishment in destruction, from the face of the Lord, and from the glory of
His power."    (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9)

7. Is there real fire in Hell?
    Yes, Jesus often spoke of the "unquenchable fire" of Hell and says that
the damned souls will be "salted with fire" (Mark 9:43), which is
"everlasting fire" (Matthew 25:41).

"If any one abide not in me, he shall be cast forth as a branch, and shall
wither, and they shall gather him up, and cast him into the fire, and he
burneth."    (John 15:6)

8. How does the fire of Hell differ from the fire here on earth?
    The fire in Hell burns without consuming (it does not burn up your body,
so the pain never ends) and can torture not only the body but the soul as
well.

"Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not extinguished."    (Mark
9:47)

"Humble thy spirit very much:  For the vengeance on the flesh of the ungodly
is fire and worms."    (Ecclesiasticus 7:19)

9. What is the pain of regret?
    The pain of regret means that you will be tortured forever with the
thought that you had so many chances to save your soul and be happy with
God, but lost Heaven because of mortal sin.

10. What is the pain of companionship of the devils?
    Your companions in Hell will be the devils and the other lost souls, who
will always hate you and mock you for being such a fool.

"Then He shall say to them also that shall be on His left hand:  Depart from
Me, you cursed, into everlasting fire which was prepared for the devil and
his angels."    (Matthew 25:41)

11. Are the pains of Hell the same for all?
    All the souls in Hell will have the same type of punishment, but the
degree of suffering will differ according to the number and kind of sins
committed.

PRACTICAL POINTS

1. Think often of Hell and the possibility of your going there.  Pray every
day that you will not die with mortal sin on your soul.  Say the Act of
Contrition every night:
"O my God, I am very sorry for having offended Thee, and I hate all of my
sins, because I fear the loss of Heaven and the pains of Hell, but most of
all because my sins offend Thee, my dear God, Who are all good and deserving
of all my love.  I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to confess my
sins, do penance, and amend my life.   Amen."

2. Presumption is the sin committed by people who think that a good God will
not punish a sinner with the torments of Hell.  God, being a just judge, has
to reject those who choose to separate themselves from Him by mortal sin.

3. The horror of Hell helps us understand the evil of mortal sin.  Mortal
sin is the greatest evil in the universe.

(We invite you to read some of the many good articles we offer on Hell to
supplement this lesson - http://olrl.org/doctrine/).


LESSON 12: PURGATORY

"And the day following Judas  came with his company, to take away
the bodies of them that were slain, and to bury them with their kinsmen, in
the sepulchres of their fathers.  And they found under the coats of the
slain some of the donaries of the idols of Jamnia, which the law forbiddeth
to the Jєωs:  So that all plainly saw, that for this cause they were slain.
Then they all blessed the just judgment of the Lord, who had discovered the
things that were hidden.  And so betaking themselves to prayers, they
besought Him, that the sin which had been committed might be forgotten.  But
the most valiant Judas exhorted the people to keep themselves from sin,
forasmuch as they saw before their eyes what had happened, because of the
sins of those that were slain.  And making a gathering, he sent twelve
thousand drachms of silver to Jerusalem for sacrifice to be offered for the
sins of the dead, thinking well and religiously concerning the resurrection,
(for if he had not hoped that they that were slain should rise again, it
would have seemed superfluous and vain to pray for the dead), and because he
considered that they who had fallen asleep with godliness, had great grace
laid up for them.  It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for
the dead, that they may be loosed from sins."  (2 Machabees 12:39-46)

1. What is Purgatory?
    A place and state of temporary punishment in the next world.  Hell, on
the other hand, is a place of eternal or everlasting punishment.

2. What does the word "Purgatory" mean?
    It means "cleansing" (or "purging").  Purgatory is a place where the
soul is cleansed of unforgiven venial sin and/or the "debt" of sins already
forgiven but not yet made up for.

"If any one abide not in Me, he shall be cast forth as a branch, and shall
wither, and they shall gather him up, and cast him into the fire, and he
burneth."    (John 15:6)

3. How do you know there is a Purgatory?
    The constant teaching and practice of the Catholic Church, based on the
Bible and tradition, and even common sense, prove the existence of
Purgatory.

4. How does common sense indicate the existence of Purgatory?
    Only people with mortal sin go to Hell, and on the other hand, no one
can enter Heaven with even the smallest sin.  Therefore, there must be a
place in the next world where lesser sins can be taken off the soul.

5. Who will go to Purgatory?
    People who die with Sanctifying Grace in their souls, but who die with
venial sin on their souls, or
who have not completed (satisfied for) the punishment still due to their
already forgiven sins.

6. What is meant by the "punishment still due to sin"?
   This means that, even though God forgives your sins, He still requires
that you be punished for them (i.e. "pay" for them), either in this life or
in the next.
For example:  A boy playing ball in his yard breaks his neighbor's window.
He goes and tells the lady he is sorry, and she forgives him but she tells
him he will still have to pay for the window.

7. Do you suffer in Purgatory?
   Yes.  Besides not being allowed to see God face to face, the souls in
Purgatory suffer a great deal.
"The fire of Purgatory", says St. Augustine, "is more terrible than man can
suffer in this life."

8. How long will you have suffer in Purgatory?
   That depends on the number and seriousness of the sins to be atoned for.

"My soul hath thirsted after the strong living God; when shall I come and
appear before the face of God."    (Psalm 41:3)

9. Where do you go when you leave Purgatory?
   To Heaven to see God and enjoy Him forever.

"Amen I say to thee, thou shalt not come out from thence till thou repay the
last farthing."    (Matthew 5:26)

10. Will Purgatory ever end?
   Yes, at the Last Judgment.  After that all souls will be in either Heaven
or Hell forever.

11. Can you help the souls in Purgatory?
   You can shorten their stay by having Masses said for them, by praying for
them and by doing good works for them.

"Have pity on me, have pity on me, at least you my friends, because the hand
of the Lord hath touched me."    (Job 19:21)

12. Does the Bible say anything about praying for the dead?
   Yes.  We read that Judas Machabeus, "sent twelve thousand drachmas of
silver to Jerusalem for sacrifices to be offered for the sins of the dead."
(2 Machabees 12:43)

13. How can you avoid Purgatory?
Avoid even the smallest faults, do penance for sins already forgiven, gain
indulgences and receive Extreme Unction (See Lesson 26 -
http://www.olrl.org/Lessons/).

PRACTICAL POINTS

1. All Souls' Day is the day set aside by the Church for special prayers and
Masses for all the souls suffering in Purgatory.  It is celebrated every
year on November 2.

2. The souls in Purgatory cannot help themselves.  We should help them by
our prayers and sacrifices.  They, in turn, can and do pray for us.

3. The souls in Purgatory are known as the Poor Souls.