Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2014
Deacon Robert Banet
Is it this way all the time?
You mean, the church being only half full?
Yeah. I can’t get over it. They say only about 25% of Catholics actually attend church.
I’ve head that too. What’s your take on it?
I’ve heard lot of people talk about it and they give many different reasons, but I think it can be narrowed down to one fact.
Namely?
When’s the last time you ever heard anybody talk about hell? I mean, everlasting, never-ending hell. They used to call sermons like that fire and brimstone.
Come to think of it, I can’t remember.
The new translation of the Bible doesn’t use the word. They call it the netherworld. And the old Act of Contrition. You know, it used to be “because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell.”
What does it say now?
It says “because of Your just
punishment.”
You know the Cure of Ars? They say his sermons were long and were always about hell.
People don’t like to think about that. Preachers don’t want to turn people off.
I think it’s time to preach the whole Gospel. You know how many times Jesus talked about hell?
No, I don’t. But I’ve heard that it’s many more than when He talked about Heaven.
I know in my case it was the fear of hell that turned me
back to the Lord.
I think that’s true in many a case.
Go to confession. Listen to God and ask Him to help you get to Heaven.
That’s a prayer that’s sure to be answered.