Jesus Christ spoke often about the reality of hell. He left no room for doubt that Hell exists. "If thy eye scandalize thee, pluck it out. It is better for thee with one eye to enter into the kingdom of God, than having two eyes to be cast into the hell of fire" (Mk 9:46). "After the judgement, the good will go into life everlasting, the wicked into everlasting punishment" (Mt 25:6). "Fear ye Him Who hath power to cast the body and the soul into hell" (Lk 12:5).
We must remember that God does not predestine anyone to damnation. Jesus Christ died for the redemption of all men. Everyone has received the graces necessary for salvation. Damnation is what a man chooses for himself. He refuses to accept God's love and prefers instead to turn away from God for ever. The individual take personal responsibility in the loss of his soul.
In Christ,
Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
Prayers at the Foot of the Altar
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Eucharistic Adoration III
How can we ever spend enough time with our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament? Our Lord has instituted the Eucharist because of His ardent desire to remain with us and be united with us always. He makes Himself present in all the tabernacles throughout the world so that we may visit Him whenever we wish. Why are we so cold and indifferent toward placing ourselves at the feet of our Creator?
When we adore our Lord before the Blessed Sacrament exposed it is like a window into heaven. Time can seem to stand still when we immerse ourselves into the infinite abyss of Christ's treasures and graces found in the Blessed Sacrament. Our spiritual lives should truly revolve around our time spent with our Lord. Christ is the source of all our hope, longing and aspirations. He is the source of our strength. He waits for us...
Sincerely in Christ,
Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
When we adore our Lord before the Blessed Sacrament exposed it is like a window into heaven. Time can seem to stand still when we immerse ourselves into the infinite abyss of Christ's treasures and graces found in the Blessed Sacrament. Our spiritual lives should truly revolve around our time spent with our Lord. Christ is the source of all our hope, longing and aspirations. He is the source of our strength. He waits for us...
Sincerely in Christ,
Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
Monday, July 25, 2011
Purgatory Revisited
The justice of God is terrible, and it punishes with extreme rigor even the most trivial faults. These faults may be light in our eyes, but to God they are not! The least sin displeases Him infinitely and demands enormous atonement. This is why the pains of Purgatory are so severe and should arouse in us a holy fear!
However, we should allow this fear to turn into a charitable compassion towards the poor suffering souls, but also with a vigilant zeal for our own spiritual welfare. If you truly think of the fires of Purgatory, you will avoid the least faults, and you will practice penance. The idea being that you expiate your sins in this life, rather than in the next!
We should be careful of excessive fear and not lose confidence. We must also remember the Mercy of God, which is not less infinite than His Justice! “In te, Domine, speravi, non confundar in aeternum—“In Thee, O Lord, I have hoped; let me never be put to confusion.”
In Christ,
Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
However, we should allow this fear to turn into a charitable compassion towards the poor suffering souls, but also with a vigilant zeal for our own spiritual welfare. If you truly think of the fires of Purgatory, you will avoid the least faults, and you will practice penance. The idea being that you expiate your sins in this life, rather than in the next!
We should be careful of excessive fear and not lose confidence. We must also remember the Mercy of God, which is not less infinite than His Justice! “In te, Domine, speravi, non confundar in aeternum—“In Thee, O Lord, I have hoped; let me never be put to confusion.”
In Christ,
Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
Friday, July 22, 2011
Praying for the Dead
The Holy Church of God is composed of three parts: The Church Militant, the Church Triumphant, and the Church Suffering or Purgatory. This triple Church constitutes the mystical body of Jesus Christ, and the souls in Purgatory are no less His members than are the faithful upon earth and the elect in Heaven. In the Gospel, the Church is usually called the Kingdom of Heaven. Purgatory is a part of this vast kingdom!
The Book of Maccabees reminds us that: “It is a holy and wholesome thought, to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins.” Prayer for the dead, sacrifices, and suffrages all form a part of Christian worship and devotion towards the souls in Purgatory which the Holy Ghost Himself infuses with charity into the hearts of the faithful.
How as the Church Militant do we obtain relief for the souls in Purgatory? Prayers, alms, fasts, and penances of any kind, indulgences, and above all the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass are all means by which we can gain relief for the poor souls, provided we are in a state of grace. The merciful assistance which God allows us to give to our suffering brethren is of excellent profit to ourselves as well. It is a work not only advantageous to the departed, but also holy and salutary for the living. "Sancta et salubris est cogitatio pro defunctis exorare."
The Book of Maccabees reminds us that: “It is a holy and wholesome thought, to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins.” Prayer for the dead, sacrifices, and suffrages all form a part of Christian worship and devotion towards the souls in Purgatory which the Holy Ghost Himself infuses with charity into the hearts of the faithful.
How as the Church Militant do we obtain relief for the souls in Purgatory? Prayers, alms, fasts, and penances of any kind, indulgences, and above all the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass are all means by which we can gain relief for the poor souls, provided we are in a state of grace. The merciful assistance which God allows us to give to our suffering brethren is of excellent profit to ourselves as well. It is a work not only advantageous to the departed, but also holy and salutary for the living. "Sancta et salubris est cogitatio pro defunctis exorare."
Thursday, July 21, 2011
The Duty of Preaching
Saint Lawrence of Brindisi reminds us that we are formed and made in the image of God. We need God's grace to live uprightly in this life. Above all we need faith. Faith is our greatest gift. We cannot have faith unless the Word of God is preached. "Faith comes through hearing, and what is heard is the Word of Christ." The preaching of God's Word is a necessity for the spiritual life.
Christ came to preach His Word. He sent the apostles and the prophets before them to do the same thing. Saint Lawrence reminds us that preaching is therefore the source of faith, hope, charity and all the other virtues!
"For the Word of God is a light to the mind and a fire to the will. It enables man to know God and to love Him. And for the interior man who lives by the Spirit of God through grace, it is bread and water, but a bread sweeter than honey and the honeycomb, a water better than wine and milk...Against the world, the flesh and the devil it serves as a sword that destroys all sin."
Sincerely in Christ,
Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
Christ came to preach His Word. He sent the apostles and the prophets before them to do the same thing. Saint Lawrence reminds us that preaching is therefore the source of faith, hope, charity and all the other virtues!
"For the Word of God is a light to the mind and a fire to the will. It enables man to know God and to love Him. And for the interior man who lives by the Spirit of God through grace, it is bread and water, but a bread sweeter than honey and the honeycomb, a water better than wine and milk...Against the world, the flesh and the devil it serves as a sword that destroys all sin."
Sincerely in Christ,
Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
From the Imitation of Christ
Turn to the Lord with your whole heart and leave behind this wretched world. Then your soul shall find rest. For the kingdom of God is the peace and joy of the Holy Spirit. If you prepare within your heart a fitting dwelling place, Christ will come to you and console you.
His glory and beauty are within you, and He delights in dwelling there. The Lord frequently visits the heart of man. There He shares with man pleasant conversations, welcome consolation, abundant peace and a wonderful intimacy.
So come, faithful soul. Prepare your heart for your spouse to dwell within you. For He says: If anyone loves me, he will keep my word and we shall come to him and make our dwelling within him.
Make room for Christ. When you possess Christ you are a rich man, for He is sufficient for you. He Himself shall provide for you and faithfully administer all your cares. You will not have to place your hope in men. Put all your trust in God; let Him be both your fear and your love. He will respond on your behalf and will do whatever is in your best interest.
You have here no lasting city. For wherever you find yourself, you will always be a pilgrim from another city. Until you are united intimately with Christ, you will never find your true rest.
Let your thoughts be with the Most High and direct your prayers continually to Christ. If you do not know how to contemplate the glory of heaven, take comfort in the passion of Christ, and dwell willingly in His sacred wounds. Endure with Christ, suffer for Him, if you wish to reign with Him.
Once you have entered completely into the depths of Jesus, and have a taste of His powerful love, then you will not care about your own convenience or inconvenience. Rather you will rejoice all the more in insults and injuries, for the love of Jesus makes a man scorn his own needs.
In Christ,
Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
His glory and beauty are within you, and He delights in dwelling there. The Lord frequently visits the heart of man. There He shares with man pleasant conversations, welcome consolation, abundant peace and a wonderful intimacy.
So come, faithful soul. Prepare your heart for your spouse to dwell within you. For He says: If anyone loves me, he will keep my word and we shall come to him and make our dwelling within him.
Make room for Christ. When you possess Christ you are a rich man, for He is sufficient for you. He Himself shall provide for you and faithfully administer all your cares. You will not have to place your hope in men. Put all your trust in God; let Him be both your fear and your love. He will respond on your behalf and will do whatever is in your best interest.
You have here no lasting city. For wherever you find yourself, you will always be a pilgrim from another city. Until you are united intimately with Christ, you will never find your true rest.
Let your thoughts be with the Most High and direct your prayers continually to Christ. If you do not know how to contemplate the glory of heaven, take comfort in the passion of Christ, and dwell willingly in His sacred wounds. Endure with Christ, suffer for Him, if you wish to reign with Him.
Once you have entered completely into the depths of Jesus, and have a taste of His powerful love, then you will not care about your own convenience or inconvenience. Rather you will rejoice all the more in insults and injuries, for the love of Jesus makes a man scorn his own needs.
In Christ,
Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Saint Bonaventure
From the Journey of the Mind to God by Saint Bonaventure:
...We must suspend all the operations of the mind and we must transform the peak of our affections, directing them to God alone. This is a sacred mystical experience. It cannot be comprehended by anyone unless he surrenders himself to it; nor can he surrender himself to it unless he longs for it; nor can he long for it unless the Holy Ghost, whom Christ sent into the world, should come and inflame his innermost soul. Hence the Apostle says that this mystical wisdom is revealed by the Holy Ghost.
If you ask how such things can occur, seek the answer in God's grace, not in doctrine; in the longing of will, not in the understanding; in the sighs of prayer, not in research; seek the bridegroom not the teacher; God and not man...
Today let us strive to be people of prayer and fulfil our duty to God.
In Christ,
Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
...We must suspend all the operations of the mind and we must transform the peak of our affections, directing them to God alone. This is a sacred mystical experience. It cannot be comprehended by anyone unless he surrenders himself to it; nor can he surrender himself to it unless he longs for it; nor can he long for it unless the Holy Ghost, whom Christ sent into the world, should come and inflame his innermost soul. Hence the Apostle says that this mystical wisdom is revealed by the Holy Ghost.
If you ask how such things can occur, seek the answer in God's grace, not in doctrine; in the longing of will, not in the understanding; in the sighs of prayer, not in research; seek the bridegroom not the teacher; God and not man...
Today let us strive to be people of prayer and fulfil our duty to God.
In Christ,
Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
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