JUDGMENT DAY IS REAL
Many today think the concept of hell is outdated. How could an all-loving and all-powerful God relegate somebody to hell? It seems impossible that that would be the case. They are probably right in this regard; however, we have a God who wants us to choose how we live our lives. So, it is not God choosing to put someone in hell for a particular reason, but an individual exercising his choice to separate himself from God. If the population of hell is greater than zero, it is not because God put anyone there; it is because that person or those people chose to go there.
We may not like the above reasoning, but I believe it is necessary to make any sense of the gift of free will. What sort of freedom is it that will draw an arbitrary line in the sand, so to speak, and allow this level of rebellion but not that one? Once a child has learned how to light a match, it is necessary to teach him to choose what to burn and when to burn things. There is no match that refuses to light because a kill mechanism has been encoded in it to protect it from lighting up something that should not be lit. Jesus exercises due discretion with the weeds growing among the wheat as a symbol of God giving us every possible opportunity to repent of our sins before death. However, at death, our choice becomes final and we are either welcomed into eternal life with Him or delivered to the doorstep of hell.
Judgment Day is a reality that we should consider with care as it marks the point of no return as far as our free will is concerned. Let us pray for the grace to choose well so that we need never fear the thought of the day of our death. Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL
REFLECTION QUESTION: What do your moral choices indicate about the way you live your life and the values with which you do so?
Father, You are infinitely merciful but You have also given me the gift of free will. Help me to use it well and to choose You over every one and everything in my life.
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