[The homilies this month have been about stewardship and whatnot and are pretty parish specific. As an alternative, I’ll start posting from my “Ask Fr. Leo” column in the North Star Catholic. It comes out every month.]
This month I got several good questions about, of all things, the nature of hell. Seems like a downer of topic, but it is something we need to talk about from time to time, especially. Some Christian traditions speak of it as eternal suffering in a lake of fire, while others see the fire as simply snuffing the soul out of existence. What does the Church teach about the nature of hell?
The concise answer is found in paragraphs 1020-1060 in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (Go to: http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p123a12.htm).That’s the dogmatic explanation, but let’s take a look at the spiritual side of the question.
In sum, as a human person, you will never cease to exist. You are eternal. The big question is, “How do you want spent eternity? Smoking or non?”
As human beings, we go through various stages of development on our journey into eternity. We are conceived, body and soul. We spend about nine months developing and enjoying womb service. We are born, we grow, we mature into adulthood, and hopefully in wisdom and grace. All the while we learn about and form relationships. First with our family, then others and especially with Christ and his Church. Eventually, we pass the threshold of death. It’s all part of being human.
The relationships we build in this life, with Christ and with others, are really the only things we take with us through death. This is our “treasure in heaven.” The quality and depth of the relationships we form in this life have a direct effect on how we enter eternity. Quite literally, we reap what we sow.
In the Church, we understand the essential relationship as one of “communion.” Quite literally, this means a union at the level of being. Namely, who I am at the depths of my soul is united to who you are at the depths of your soul; and together we are united at the level of being to Christ who is the head of the Church. To maintain communion with Christ and His Church is the primary responsibility of every Christian. In this lies our salvation. Virtue deepens communion. Sin can injure communion (venial sin) or even sever it (mortal sin). Thankfully, reconciliation restores communion. You can see how regular participation in the sacraments, especially the Eucharist and Reconciliation, lead us deeper and deeper into communion with Christ and with one another.
Now here’s the rub. We are free to choose for or against communion with Christ and each other. Sadly, some people choose against it. This seldom happens all at once. Few relationships die become of conflict. Most suffer because of neglect. Think of that friend from high school who promised to always stay in touch, but now you have no idea where they are. It’s not rocket science. If you want your relationship with Christ or with others to grow, you need to give it two essential ingredients: time and attention.
When we neglect our relationships with Christ and others, we begin to turn in on ourselves. We diminish the level of communion we enjoy. If left unchecked, this process of self-imposed separation leads to fear and isolation. We get selfish, and selfishness harms relationships. This harm to relationships is called sin. We choose against communion.
Hell in its essence is the voluntary rejection of communion with Christ and his Church. It is first and foremost a rejection of relationship. It may start small, but left unreconciled, the consequences are eternal. Hell is the most selfish form of existence. That is why it is a realm of profound and eternal suffering. The saddest part is that God has never condemned anyone to hell. Everyone in hell has freely chosen to be there.
In sum, life on this earth is the phase of our existence where we form the essential relationships that lead us to communion…or where we choose against them. Once we die, the momentum of our relationships (or lack thereof) will carry us either towards God or away. You can see how there are no insignificant choices. Our journey to heaven or away from it, begins now.
I’m reminded of the story about the staff meeting with Devil and his minions. The question on the table was how to steal more souls for damnation.
The first demon spoke up, “I know, Boss, let’s convince people that there is no heaven. That way, they will despair, and we can get more souls.”
The Devil liked his enthusiasm, but replied, “No, that might work in the short run, but we need long-term solutions.”
“I know,” the second demon piped up, “Let’s convince them that there is no hell. That way, they will get lazy, and we can steal more souls.”
“Better,” the Devil replied, “But again, not trendy enough. I need something that will appeal to the modern mind.”
The third demon thought for a bit and then said, “How about this. We convince them that there is a heaven, and that there is a hell…but not yet.”
“Ahhhhhh,” the Devil beamed, “Now we are getting somewhere!”