THE        FOUR        LAST         THINGS

Knowledge of the last four things must be examined by all Catholics, to enhance the spiritual well being of their lives.  The church, for some obscure reason appears to avoid these topics.  So by the lack of information it devalues their existence.  One possible reason for this is that the laity, by dwelling to long on them bring about fear and anxiety.  It is important that we are well informed about them.  I agree we should not linger to long on them.  So what are the four last things.  Death, Judgement, Heaven, Hell.  Upsetting, yes, but we must not be afraid of events that are certain to come about.  We know very little about death, except, for Catholics it is the gateway to eternal life.  On arrival we will have to give an account, to God, of how we lived our lives here on earth, and be judged on their merits.  The outcome of that judgement is known only to God.  All verdicts will be revealed on judgement day.  True fact is, the belief in future punishment will not pass away without it causing a grave injustice to our Creator.  By ignoring it we weaken our faith in God.  The doctrine of atonement also suffers when future punishment is tampered with, as it was Christ who took the place of man to atone for our sins.  How will this doctrine stand if final punishment is denied.  Everyone who escapes eternal death does so by the virtue of the atonement.  So great a price was paid for that undertaking supposes an unimaginable debt.  If the need be denied will not the sacrifice be unthinkable.  A word of caution, it is not wise to get to precise in our thinking, it is enough to know that before God our fate, a destiny that cannot be fully imagined or understood in this life.  The judgement of God is carried out in perfect justice, perfect knowledge, and perfect mercy and all verdicts are final.  This knowledge should bring hope to all peoples of the world as we ponder the evils of this world today.  To know that, no matter what, true justice will prevail.  Sadly it seems as if humanity is on a collision course with its Creator.  By its evil and depraved mentality, the world is suffering wars, famines, drug abuse, and sexual abuse worldwide and an anti Christ philosophy that enters every home via the media, T.V, INTERNET, etc.  However the many faithful who persevere in the love and the service of God must take heart from what is written in this blog.  God’s mercy will see us home.  Every human being since the dawn of time till the end of time will have to give an account of how they lived their lives here on earth, even down to the very hairs on their head, answerable to God for their actions.  What of the others who refuse to listen?  Well they are taking a big risk by ignoring Gods love and His mercy.  They must give serious thought to change their lives while they still can.  God’s love and mercy is open to every soul up to the moment of death.  In all honesty, it is too serious to gamble on waiting till the very end for anyone to change.  In fact its eternal suicide.  The church and the faithful must focus their prayers and their actions towards the salvation of lost souls.  Without final judgement all lives are in complete.  We have forgotten how to look ahead.  How can we claim our lives have dignity if we are held accountable for nothing.  In a way to deny judgement is subtly to deny God.  Our aim must be to regain our firm trust in Jesus, His mercy, His love, and live the way He taught us.  The reward for this commitment is eternal life in HEAVEN.              

 

                     WE           MUST          FIGHT            BACK    

In time our bodies will waste away, but our souls that are the source of life are being renewed daily.  As the soul is ageless it cannot grow old.  It is the growth of knowledge that is being renewed on a daily basis.  That knowledge depends on what we expose ourselves to.  If we walk with God, we must condition our minds not to dwell on the things we see but on things unseen.  The things we see are temporary, things unseen are eternal.  Some of us lucky enough to have reached old age are well aware of this.  Whole streets, schools, rivers and glens etc have disappeared.  Old neighbours who we knew so well, have either died or left the parish. Nothing in this life is permanent.  Turning from God can lead to stubbornness and eventually blot out the rays of hope that come from God.  The outcome of this action can lead to, Justice being rejected, the rights of Christians being outlawed, the fear of God is abandoned and immorality is given a free hand.  It is taking a jump from a balcony into a dung heap or worse, from paradise to hell.  Sincerity has gone it has vanished from our mouths.  Apart from God, will turn our souls into a mind set of misery and despair.  Most of us unknowingly pass this way of life on to our children.  A way of life that can lead to eternal loss.  Not a very pretty picture i know, but none the less truthful.  On a brighter note, every soul is precious to God and his desire to save every soul exists to this day.  We must never forget the wondrous deeds our God did for us and our salvation.  We must rekindle in our minds The Passion of Christ.  To keep on ignoring God for things of this life is fatal.  Keep in your hearts always, the infinite love our God has for us and try to repay Him in kind.  As you truly love your children, you must tell them of Gods great love and mercy for them.  We live in evil times so it is important we begin to change the way we live and think, Turn to God, for guidance and strength.  If we place our family’s souls in His hands we do not have to worry, they are safe, and we just have to work at it .During lent talk to them to them about their suffering Savour.  Speak of his glorious resurrection.  At Christmas time, tell them the reasons for Christ birth All  this can make a profound impression on the minds of your children in years to come.  God is the creator and centre of the universe, in which the life of the humblest citizen has a purpose, meaning and value and can make a specific contribution towards His Divine plan.  Unfortunately through the state of their worldly minds, many will not believe this, ridicule the notion of it. Because they have never experienced it they consider it a mere matter of words.  The primary aim of the lord our God, the salvation  of souls still remains today.  To assist with this aim He established His church on earth.  The church initiated in the apostles and continued in their successors for the direct object of, preserving, protecting and declaring the means of guardianship and responsibility of the Divine Author.  In His divine wisdom, God was aware that His church was in the hands of human beings and they would be sorely tested by the evils of this world.  The church has faltered many times, the crusades, the Borgia period, the inquisition, the abuse of the young, and the evils of the cover up.  It is still the church of God and it is all we have.  Though many have deserted its ranks, many still remain faithful to its teachings.  The Pope, many cardinals, and many priests still remain faithful to persevere and administer Christ’s gifts to the people.  The clergy and laity must unite to face these problems  and seek with honest resolve the intervention and guidance of the Holy Spirit.  The church must refrain from tossing tit-bits to the people just to keep them happy.  If the church is to grow strong again, the laity must be given a greater and a more significant role in the church to