Tunay na Dakila

Kahanga-hanga ang pag-ibig ng Diyos na maging ang bugtong na anak nya ay kanyang inalay upang tayo ay maligtas sa kasalanan. Tunay ang kanyang pag-ibig na kailanman di natin makikita sa iba. Sa ating pag-alala sa mga paghihirap ng ating panginoon naitanong na ba natin sa ating sarili, ito ba ay ating pinapahalagahan, ating bang inalala ang kanyang mga habilin. O isa din tayo sa iba na sariling kasiyahan lamang ang iniisip. Ang pagsapit ng mahal na araw ay ating pag-alala sa kabayanihan ng ating panginoon para sa ating lahat. Sinakripisyo nya ang kanyang buhay upang ang sinumang sumunod sa kanya ay magkaroon ng buhay na walang hanggan. Bilang tao tayo ay paulit ulit na nagkakasala ngunit ang mahalaga ay marunong tayong humingi ng tawad at magbago. Di man tayo perpekto atleast kahit paunti unti ating binabago ang ating sarili tungo sa kalooban ng Diyos. Kung tayo ay nag-iisip ng ating kinabukasan, wag nating kalimutan ang ating kinabukasan sa buhay ispiritwal, parehas ito mahalaga pero ating alalahanin na mas importante ang buhay na ispiritwal kaysa sa buhay na materyal. Maging sa personal nating buhay alalahanin nating tayo'y anak ng Diyos na balang araw muling haharap sa kanya upang husgahan sa ating mga ginawa sa lupa. Kung umibig man tayo wag natin siyang kalimutan at laging isipin na siya ang mas mahalaga kaysa sa lahat maging sa iniirog mo o sa iyong ama't ina at kapatid ating tandaan tayo'y pag-aari nya. At bilang Diyos na ating pinagmulan at nagbigay ng lahat sa atin marapat lamang na siya'y ating gawing sentro ng ating buhay.

Litany of the Saints

Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us.	Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, graciously hear us.
God, the Father of heaven, God the Son, Redeemer of the world, God the Holy Spirit, Holy Trinity, one God,	have mercy on us. have mercy on us. have mercy on us. have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, Holy Mother of God, Holy Virgin of virgins, St. Michael, St. Gabriel, St. Raphael, All you Holy Angels and Archangels, St. John the Baptist, St. Joseph, All you Holy Patriarchs and Prophets,	pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us.
St. Peter, St. Paul, St. Andrew, St. James, St. John, St. Thomas, St. James, St. Philip, St. Bartholomew, St. Matthew, St. Simon, St. Jude, St. Matthias, St. Barnabas, St. Luke, St. Mark, All you holy Apostles and Evangelists, All you holy Disciples of the Lord, All you holy Innocents,	pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us.
St. Stephen, St. Lawrence, St. Vincent, Sts. Fabian and Sebastian, Sts. John and Paul, Sts. Cosmos and Damian, All you holy Martyrs,	pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us.
St. Sylvester, St. Gregory, St. Ambrose, St. Augustine, St. Jerome, St. Martin, St. Nicholas, All you holy Bishops and Confessors, All you holy Doctors,	pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us.
St. Anthony, St. Benedict, St. Bernard, St. Dominic, St. Francis, All you holy Priests and Levites, All you holy Monks and Hermits,	pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us.
St. Mary Magdalene, St. Agatha, St. Lucy, St. Agnes, St. Cecilia, St. Anastasia, St. Catherine, St. Clare, All you holy Virgins and Widows, All you holy Saints of God,	pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us.
Lord, be merciful, From all evil, From all sin, From your wrath, From a sudden and unprovided death, From the snares of the devil, From anger, hatred, and all ill-will, From the spirit of uncleanness, From lightning and tempest, From the scourge of earthquake, From plague, famine, and war, From everlasting death,	Lord, save your people. Lord, save your people. Lord, save your people. Lord, save your people. Lord, save your people. Lord, save your people. Lord, save your people. Lord, save your people. Lord, save your people. Lord, save your people. Lord, save your people. Lord, save your people.
By the mystery of your holy Incarnation, By your Coming, By your Birth, By your Baptism and holy fasting, By your Cross and Passion, By your Death and Burial, By your holy Resurrection, By your wonderful Ascension, By the coming of the Holy Spirit, On the day of judgment,	Lord, save your people. Lord, save your people. Lord, save your people. Lord, save your people. Lord, save your people. Lord, save your people. Lord, save your people. Lord, save your people. Lord, save your people. Lord, save your people.
Be merciful to us sinners,	Lord, hear our prayer.
That you will spare us, That you will pardon us, That it may please you to bring us to true      penance, Guide and protect your holy Church, Preserve in holy religion the Pope, and all      those in holy Orders, Humble the enemies of holy Church, Give peace and unity to the whole Christian      people, Bring back to the unity of the Church all      those who are straying, and bring all      unbelievers to the light of the Gospel, Strengthen and preserve us in your holy      service, Raise our minds to desire the things of      heaven, Reward all our benefactors with eternal      blessings, Deliver our souls from eternal damnation,      and the souls of our brethren, relatives,      and benefactors, Give and preserve the fruits of the earth, Grant eternal rest to all the faithful departed, That it may please You to hear and heed      us, Jesus, Son of the Living God,	Lord, hear our prayer. Lord, hear our prayer. Lord, hear our prayer. Lord, hear our prayer. Lord, hear our prayer.Lord, hear our prayer. Lord, hear our prayer. Lord, hear our prayer. Lord, hear our prayer. Lord, hear our prayer. Lord, hear our prayer. Lord, hear our prayer. Lord, hear our prayer. Lord, hear our prayer. Lord, hear our prayer.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of      the world, Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of      the world, Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of      the world,	Spare us, O Lord!Graciously hear us, O Lord! Have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us,Lord Jesus, hear our prayer. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us.	Christ, graciously hear us Lord Jesus, hear our prayer. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us.

Read more:http://www.ewtn.com/devotionals/litanies/saints.htm#ixzz2OKPLUPWm

PRAYER FOR PEACE OF MIND AND HEART.

PRAYER FOR PEACE
OF MIND AND HEART.

Eternal, Holy God, 
I come to you burdened with worries, 
fears, doubts, and troubles.
Calm and quiet me with peace of mind.
Empty me of the anxiety that disturbs me,
of the concerns that weary my spirit,
and weigh heavy on my heart.
Loosen my grip on the disappointments and grievances 
I hold on to so tightly.
Release me from the pain of past hurts,
of present anger and tension, of future fears.
Sometimes it's too much for me Lord,
too many demands and problems,
too much sadness, suffering, and stress.
Renew me spiritually and emotionally.
Give me new strength, hope, and confidence.
Prepare me to meet the constant struggles of daily life 
with a deeper faith and trust in You.
Let your love set me free, for peace,
for joy, for grace, for life, for others, forever. 

Amen

Source: http://www.catholicdoors.com/prayers/english5/p03008.htm

The Seven Words of Mary in the Scriptures by Fr. James McCurry, OFM Conv.

If you want to get the deepest insight into a person's character, listen to her speak. Her own words will reveal much about the essence of who she is. Hence, the Blessed Virgin Mary's words, as reported in the Bible, can well serve as revealing indicators about herself.

The first "word" of Mary sounds its note in Luke 1:34 - "How can this be since I do not know man?" The key to this word is the interrogative "How?" The Virgin opens a dialogue with God. Her question is not that of a skeptic; rather that of a sincere believer. She is prayerfully trying to discern the meaning of God's word, the workings of God's power, and the impact of God's presence in her life.

The second "word" of Mary follows in Luke 1:38a - "I am the servant of the Lord." The key to this word is the label "servant." Out of Mary's personal dialogue with God emerges a clear understanding of her identity before God. Her being and her functioning unite in one integrated whole: a graced life as God's consecrated "servant."

The third "word" of Mary, Luke 1:38b, stands out in sharp relief as the most important phrase in the New Testament: "Let it be done to me as you say." The Latin version of Luke uses one word for the phrase "Let it be": FIAT. This word "Fiat" has been interpreted to mean Mary's "yes" to God, her act of surrender, her word of obedience. Her trust in God is total.

The fourth "word" of Mary is her longest: Luke 1:46-55 - "My being proclaims the greatness of the Lord...even as he promised...Abraham and his descendants forever." This is the famous "Magnificat" canticle of thanksgiving that Mary sang during the visitation to her cousin Elizabeth, as the unborn John the Baptist stirred for joy in his mother's womb. Weaving together Old Testament verses familiar to her, Mary celebrates the works of God. Her "Magnificat" is one extended word of supernatural charity - expressing how acts of faith become acts of love. Mary's "fiat" in practice leads to her "Magnificat."

The fifth "word" of Mary can be heard in the next chapter of St. Luke, as Mary and Joseph locate the adolescent Jesus among the elders in the Temple: Luke 2: 48 - "Son... Your father and I have been searching for you with sorrow." Her invocation "Son" unlocks the meaning of the whole phrase. The preoccupation of Mary's life is Jesus Christ. In Mary is Scripture's premiere example of single hearted concentration on Christ.

The sixth "word" of Mary is spoken in the Gospel of John 2:3, at the wedding feast of Cana: "They have no more wine." The "wine" of Cana foreshadows the wine of the New Covenant to be poured out on Calvary. Similarly, the "hour" about which Jesus speaks to Mary at Cana ultimately means his "hour of glory" on Calvary. Accordingly, this sixth word of Mary is linked to the Holy Eucharist. She continually presents humanity's needs to her Son, knowing that he will satisfy their thirsts with the Eucharist. Until the end of time and into eternity, she will point the way to the Blessed Sacrament.

The seventh and final "word" of Mary, in John 2:5, is addressed to the Cana waiters: "Do whatever he tells you." The action verb "do" is a mandate to mission. The command of Cana extends far beyond the circumstance of a small Galilean wedding. All humanity is to work for Jesus Christ.

This seven-faceted prism through which the Scriptures present the person of Mary is also a seven-sided mirror in which all of us can see ourselves. In her How?, Servant, Fiat, Magnificat, Son, Wine, and Do, we are invited to look at a model of Christian life. Mary's earthly journey pioneered the path that God wishes us to walk in this world. Those seven words led Mary to heaven. As we make her words our own, she gently beckons us to the same heavenly destiny.

source:http://www.thegreyfriars.org/index.php/component/content/article/52-various-articles/111-the-seven-words-of-mary-in-the-scriptures-by-fr-james-mccurry-ofm-conv

What Are the Rules for Fasting and Abstinence in the Catholic Church? By Scott P. Richert, About.com Guide

The rules for fasting and abstinence in the Catholic Church are set forth in the Code of Canon Law (for the Roman Catholic Church) and in the Code of Canons of Oriental Churches (for the Eastern Catholic Churches). To a limited extent, they can be modified by the conference of bishops for each particular country (or, in the Eastern Churches, for each particular rite).

The Code of Canon Law prescribes (Canons 1250-1252):

Can. 1250: The penitential days and times in the universal Church are every Friday of the whole year and the season of Lent.

Can. 1251: Abstinence from meat, or from some other food as determined by the Episcopal Conference, is to be observed on all Fridays, unless a solemnity should fall on a Friday. Abstinence and fasting are to be observed on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.

Can. 1252: The law of abstinence binds those who have completed their fourteenth year. The law of fasting binds those who have attained their majority, until the beginning of their sixtieth year. Pastors of souls and parents are to ensure that even those who by reason of their age are not bound by the law of fasting and abstinence, are taught the true meaning of penance.

In the United States, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has declared that "the age of fasting is from the completion of the eighteenth year to the beginning of the sixtieth." The USCCB also allows the substitution of some other form of penance for abstinence on all of the Fridays of the year, except for those Fridays in Lent. Thus, the rules for fasting and abstinence in the United States are:

• Every person 14 years of age or older must abstain from meat (and items made with meat) on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and all the Fridays of Lent.


• Every person between the age of 18 and 60 must fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.


• Every person 14 years of age or older must abstain from meat (and items made with meat) on all other Fridays of the year, unless he or she substitutes some other form of penance for abstinence.

If you are outside the United States, you should check with the bishops' conference for your country.

For the Eastern Catholic Churches, the Code of Canons of Oriental Churches prescribes (Canon 882):

Can. 882: On the days of penance the Christian faithful are obliged to observe fast or abstinence in the manner established by the particular law of their Church sui iuris.

Thus, Eastern Catholics should check with the governing body for their particular rite

Source:http://catholicism.about.com/od/catholicliving/f/Fasting_Rules.htm

PRAYER FOR FAITHFULNESS TO MY RELIGION.

PRAYER FOR FAITHFULNESS TO MY RELIGION.

O Lord, I pray for the grace and the strength 
to remain faithful to your teachings 
and to the sacramental life of the Church. 
Help me to persevere in the commitments 
and promises I have made to you. 
Give me the fortitude to live up to the vocation 
I received in my baptism, 
to the duties derived from my confirmation in the Spirit,
and to the graces received in the other sacraments.

Help me to place love of God and service to Him
before all else
and help me to bring selfless love
to my brothers and sisters in Christ.

Amen.
Source: http://www.catholicdoors.com/prayers/

Scientific Evidence of God

Scientific Evidence of God
By Bob Dutko

While Intelligent Design skeptics may claim there is no evidence of God, the actual scientific evidence for God's existence is overwhelming, scientifically answering the question, "does God exist?".

In science there is a Law of Physics called the 1st Law of Thermodynamics. Within it is a Conservation of Energy Law that states, as a key principle that all energy in a closed system must be conserved. Okay, fancy language, but what does that mean? It means that while energy can convert into matter (physical “stuff”), and matter into energy, however much total “stuff” there is (matter and energy), there can never be an increase in that total amount or a decrease in that total amount. So however much total “stuff” there is in the universe, (matter and energy combined), there can never have been more and never have been less. All it can do is convert to different forms, like matter to energy or energy to matter, but the total amount of all of it has to remain the same.

The “closed system” is a scientific term that refers to a system or an “area” that has no outside influence, like the universe. Now, as believers we know, of course, that God does influence the universe, so many believers would consider the universe an “open system”, (one that does get outside influence), but for the atheist who says there is no God, the universe is all there is, so from their perspective and for the sake of conventional science, the universe would get no outside influence and would therefore be considered a “closed system”.

Back to the 1st Law of Thermodynamics. If it states that you can never have an increase or decrease of energy/matter, which means that matter/energy can not be created from nothingness, how did we get all the matter and energy in the universe? If science is all there is and there is no God, then the 1st Law of Thermodynamics reigns supreme and therefore it would be impossible to have matter and energy in existence right now. Simply put, when you open your eyes and see matter and experience energy, what you see is impossible according to the known Laws of science if, in fact, there is no God. Therefore,science itself says there must be a God.

Plain and simple, matter/energy can not come into existence. It is scientifically impossible, yet here we see everything around us, so how can that be? There are really only 3 possibilities. Option A: Everything came into existence by itself anyway, without the help of God, (even though science has proven that impossible). Option B: Everything in the universe has always existed for all of eternity, (which, by the way is also scientifically impossible as explained in theTop Ten Proofs for God's Existence CD due to something called the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics), or Option C: There must be a God, a Being greater than science, who created the Laws of science and has the ability to disobey them. Not only is a belief in God the only logical conclusion to draw, it's the only one scientifically possible because remember, if there is no God, the first two options are scientifically impossible according to the actual Laws of Physics.

Believe it or not, a 5 year old child could be an atheistic scientist's worst nightmare by merely asking him “where did everything come from if God didn't make it?” What that child is actually asking in scientific terms is “how do we have a violation of the 1st Law of Thermodynamics by the creation of energy and matter in the closed system of the universe if there is no Creator capable of doing that?”

Many times people who do not believe there is evidence of God have claimed that a faith in God is only a matter of faith and that it can not be proven scientifically. They say "does God exist ?....if so, prove it to me". When confronted with this, we must fully understand what it means to “prove” something. The fact is that none of us were there when the universe came into being, so technically, none of us can “prove” what happened. We can't “prove” God did it and the atheists can't “prove” everything came into being on it's own, so what we have to do is examine the evidence based on science to determine the most plausible explanation. For example, if I see a beautiful sand castle on the beach with intricate design, but no one there along with it, I can not “prove” someone made it, just as someone else can not “prove” the sand castle made itself from the wind, waves and sand randomly interacting with one another, so we have to determine what logic and reason tell us is the most plausible explanation, based on scientific evidence and examination. You can get over an hour of scientific, mathemetical and logical evidence for God in the <Top Ten Proofs for God's Existence.

This is just one simple example of scientific evidence for God's existence out of many that can help you defend the faith with evidence of God based on science and logic, not just faith.

How To Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet

How To Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet
By Scott P. Richert, About.com Guide

The Divine Mercy Chaplet is a relatively recent but very popular devotion revealed by Our Lord to Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska, a Polish nun. On Good Friday 1937, Christ appeared to Saint Maria Faustina and asked her to recite this chaplet for nine days, starting on Good Friday and ending on the Octave of Easter (the Sunday after Easter Sunday), now known as Divine Mercy Sunday.

The chaplet is most often recited during those nine days, but it can be prayed at any time of the year, and Saint Maria Faustina recited it almost unceasingly. A standard rosary (compare prices) can be used to recite the chaplet .

Difficulty: Easy

Time Required: 20 minutes

Here's How:

1. Make the Sign of the Cross

   • The Sign of the Cross

2. Pray the Opening Prayers

   After making the Sign of the Cross, pray the following opening prayers. The second prayer is repeated three times:

   "You expired, Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls, and the ocean of mercy opened up for the whole world. O Fount of Life, unfathomable Divine Mercy, envelop the whole world and empty Yourself out upon us."

   "O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of mercy for us, I trust in You!" (three times)

3. Pray the Our Father

   • The Our Father

4. Pray the Hail Mary

   • The Hail Mary

5. Say the Apostles' Creed

   • The Apostles' Creed

6. Pray the Prayer "Eternal Father"

   On the Our Father bead before each decade, pray the following prayer:

   "Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world. Amen."

7. Pray the Prayer "For the Sake of His Sorrowful Passion" Ten Times

   On each of the Hail Mary beads in each decade, pray the following prayer:

   "For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world."

8. Repeat Steps 6 and 7

   On each of the next four decades of the Chaplet, repeat steps 6 and 7 (pray the Eternal Father, followed by ten "For the Sake of His Sorrowful Passion").

9. Pray the Concluding Doxology Three Times

   After you have prayed all five decades of the Chaplet, pray the following prayer, which is repeated three times:

   "Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world." (three times)

10. Pray the Closing Prayer

    After the doxology, pray the following final prayer:

    "Eternal God, in Whom mercy is endless, and the treasury of compassion inexhaustible, look kindly upon us, and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments, we might not despair, nor become despondent, but with great confidence, submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy Itself. Amen."

What You Need

• A standard rosary
  source: http://catholicism.about.com/od/prayers/ht/Chaplet_DM.htm

The Divine Mercy Novena

By Scott P. Richert, About.com Guide

Introduction:

The Divine Mercy novena began as a private devotion which Our Lord revealed to Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska. The words of the prayers were dictated by Christ Himself to Saint Faustina, and Saint Faustina recorded in her diary Our Lord's instructions for each day's prayer.

Christ asked Saint Faustina to recite the novena starting on Good Friday and ending onDivine Mercy Sunday, the Octave of Easter (the Sunday after Easter Sunday). The novena can recited at any time of the year, however, and it is often accompanied by theDivine Mercy Chaplet, which Our Lord also revealed to Saint Faustina.

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First Day:

For the first day of the Divine Mercy novena, Christ asked Saint Faustina to pray for the sake of all mankind, especially sinners. She recorded the following words of Our Lord in her diary: "Today bring to Me all mankind, especially all sinners, and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. In this way you will console Me in the bitter grief into which the loss of souls plunges Me."

• Prayer for the First Day

Second Day:

For the second day, Christ asked Saint Faustina to pray for the sake of priests, monks, and nuns. She recorded the following words of Our Lord in her diary: "Today bring to Me the Souls of Priests and Religious, and immerse them in My unfathomable mercy. It was they who gave me strength to endure My bitter Passion. Through them as through channels My mercy flows out upon mankind."

• Prayer for the Second Day

Third Day:

For the third day, Christ asked Saint Faustina to pray for the sake of all the faithful. She recorded the following words of Our Lord in her diary: "Today bring to Me all Devout and Faithful Souls, and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. These souls brought me consolation on the Way of the Cross. They were a drop of consolation in the midst of an ocean of bitterness."

• Prayer for the Third Day

Fourth Day:

For the fourth day, Christ asked Saint Faustina to pray for the sake of all those who do not believe in God and those who do not know Christ. She recorded the following words of Our Lord in her diary: "Today bring to Me those who do not believe in God and those who do not know Me, I was thinking also of them during My bitter Passion, and their future zeal comforted My Heart. Immerse them in the ocean of My mercy."

• Prayer for the Fourth Day

Fifth Day:

For the fifth day, Christ asked Saint Faustina to pray for the sake of all those who, while Christians, have separated themselves from the Roman Catholic Church. She recorded the following words of Our Lord in her diary: "Today bring to Me the Souls of those who have separated themselves from My Church, and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. During My bitter Passion they tore at My Body and Heart, that is, My Church. As they return to unity with the Church My wounds heal and in this way they alleviate My Passion."

• Prayer for the Fifth Day

Sixth Day:

For the sixth day, Christ asked Saint Faustina to pray for the sake of all little children and the meek and humble. She recorded the following words of Our Lord in her diary: "Today bring to Me the Meek and Humble Souls and the Souls of Little Children, and immerse them in My mercy. These souls most closely resemble My Heart. They strengthened Me during My bitter agony. I saw them as earthly Angels, who will keep vigil at My altars. I pour out upon them whole torrents of grace. I favor humble souls with My confidence."

• Prayer for the Sixth Day

Seventh Day:

For the seventh day, Christ asked Saint Faustina to pray for the sake of all those most devoted to His mercy. She recorded the following words of Our Lord in her diary: "Today bring to Me the Souls who especially venerate and glorify My Mercy, and immerse them in My mercy. These souls sorrowed most over my Passion and entered most deeply into My spirit. They are living images of My Compassionate Heart. These souls will shine with a special brightness in the next life. Not one of them will go into the fire of hell. I shall particularly defend each one of them at the hour of death."

• Prayer for the Seventh Day

Eighth Day:

For the eighth day, Saint Faustina recorded these words of Christ: "Today bring to Me the Souls who are in the prison of Purgatory, and immerse them in the abyss of My mercy. Let the torrents of My Blood cool down their scorching flames. All these souls are greatly loved by Me. They are making retribution to My justice. It is in your power to bring them relief. Draw all the indulgences from the treasury of My Church and offer them on their behalf. Oh, if you only knew the torments they suffer, you would continually offer for them the alms of the spirit and pay off their debt to My justice."

• Prayer for the Eighth Day

Ninth Day:

For the ninth day, Christ asked Saint Faustina to pray for the sake of all the souls who have become lukewarm in their belief. She recorded the following words of Our Lord in her diary: "Today bring to Me the Souls who have become Lukewarm, and immerse them in the abyss of My mercy. These souls wound My Heart most painfully. My soul suffered the most dreadful loathing in the Garden of Olives because of lukewarm souls. They were the reason I cried out: 'Father, take this cup away from Me, if it be Your will.' For them, the last hope of salvation is to run to My mercy."

Source: http://catholicism.about.com/od/divinemercy/p/Novena_DM.htm

Origin of 3 O'Clock Prayer

The Diary of St. Faustina is more than a religious book and more than a record of the profound mystical events that shaped her life. The Diary gives us precise instructions from Jesus as to how He wanted the new devotion to His Mercy to be formulated. From the very depths of His tender mercy, He created the Feast of Mercy, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, the Divine Mercy Novena, the Image of Divine Mercy and the conversion prayer known as the 3 O’Clock Holy Hour. At 3 O’Clock on Good Friday, Jesus died in incomprehensible agony on the wooden Cross which the Roman soldiers had nailed Him to. The soldier appointed to watch the bodies checked if the three whom they had crucified were still alive, but when he examined Jesus, he discovered Jesus had already died. So he did not break His legs, which was a Roman custom, thereby fulfilling the prophecy "Not one of his bones will be broken" (Psalm 34). Instead, he took a spear and pierced His sacred body, driving the iron blade into His Merciful Heart. As he withdrew the spear, there followed a gush of blood and water. The soldier was shocked and gave witness to St. John, the beloved disciple of Jesus, of this event. It is this moment which changed the world forever, and it is this prayer that commemorates that extraordinary moment. The red and pale white rays emanating from the Heart of Jesus in the Image of Divine Mercy represent the blood and water which gushed forth from His pierced Heart on Good Friday. Jesus asked that all who venerate His mercy honour His Passion by remembering Him with this prayer at 3 O’Clock in the afternoon. He asks us, “If only for a brief moment, immerse yourself in My Passion, particularly in My abandonment at the moment of agony”. (Diary 1320) At this moment, He asks us to implore His Mercy, especially for sinners. He told St. Faustina, "as often as you hear the clock strike the third hour, immerse yourself completely in My mercy, adoring and glorifying it; invoke its omnipotence for the whole world, and particularly for poor sinners; for at that moment, mercy was opened wide for every soul". (Diary 1572) The short prayer which Jesus taught St. Faustina for the veneration of His Mercy at 3 O’Clock is, “O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a Fount of Mercy for us, I trust in You”. This is also known as the Conversion Prayer. Jesus told St. Faustina, "I desire that you know more profoundly the love that burns in My Heart for souls, and you will understand this when you meditate upon My Passion. Call upon My mercy on behalf of sinners; I desire their salvation. When you say this prayer, with a contrite heart and with faith on behalf of some sinner, I will give him the grace of conversion. This is the prayer: “O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of Mercy for us, I trust in You.” (Diary 186-187) St. Faustina also created her own prayer for this moment, which is: You expired, Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls, and the ocean of mercy opened up for the whole world. O Fount of Life, unfathomable Divine Mercy, envelop the whole world and empty Yourself out upon us. (Diary 1319) Jesus asked, that as often as we “hear the clock strike the third hour” that we deeply contemplate His Passion, “if only for a brief moment”. But after we observe the moment of the death of the Messiah at 3 O’Clock with this special prayer, we then have before us “the hour of great mercy for the whole world”. (Diary 1320) Jesus has let us know that in Heaven, the 3 O’Clock hour is a special holy hour, as He said, "it was the hour of grace for the whole world — mercy triumphed over justice...In this hour, you can obtain everything for yourself and for others for the asking...In this hour, I will refuse nothing to the soul that makes a request of Me in virtue of My Passion". (Diary 1320, 1572) He asked St. Faustina, that if she had time she should make the Stations of the Cross during this special hour. He acknowledged that her duties might prevent her from being able to do this, but He asked that on these occasions, she step into a church and adore His Mercy, if only for a brief moment. He also said that if she did not have the opportunity to enter a church, she could pause, wherever she was, and “immerse yourself in prayer there where you happen to be, if only for a very brief instant”. (Diary 1572) The Passion of Jesus is a disturbing image in our minds. His betrayal by Judas and the abandonment of His friends; the brutality of the scourging and the violence of the Roman soldiers and the Jewish observers; the suffering He endured while carrying His heavy wooden cross; the emotional agony of meeting His mother, suffering so much by the sight of her Son; the sharp pain of the nails as they entered into His hands and feet and the three hours in which He was left dying in agonising pain on that cross, all the time being mocked by onlookers, who did not even have the compassion to give a tortured dying man a drink of water. So why would Jesus, who is love and mercy, want us to contemplate daily this brutal and disturbing event of the death of the promised Messiah? The Passion of Jesus is the proof of His love for us. He underwent this horrifying ordeal so that He could forever stand between us and the uncompromising Justice of the Father and ask for mercy on our behalf. At the moment of our Judgement, we cannot defend ourselves and it is not possible for God the Father to be unjust. He must exercise justice and punish sin, as He ordained that the world should be created in this fashion. There is but one means to save a soul and that is to ask God for mercy and only the Passion of Jesus and His appeal to the Father to show us mercy, is the only way that we can obtain the mercy of God. Although it is Jesus who underwent this agony so that He could beg mercy for us, He was fulfilling the Will of His Father. It was God’s Will that there be a means by which He could grant us pardon and therefore prevent Him from rendering justice to sinners. It shows us the incomprehensible mystery of the mercy of God. For He created a way so that He could grant mercy to those who don’t deserve it, but it shows His love and unwillingness to condemn souls, especially souls who do not want to be condemned. It shows His Love and His desire that we spend all of eternity with Him in perfect peace, tranquillity and love. In many ways, God has set events up so that He could have an excuse to forgive us, for that is His true desire, the hallmark of His perfect love, His desire to forgive and forget, so that souls can be re-united with Him in love. So initially when we contemplate the Passion of Jesus, we are disturbed by the violence of His terrifying ordeal, but we should come to understand that His Passion is a solemn pledge of His love for us and His desire to pour out His mercy into our souls, to heal our wounds and arrange that we will live forever with Him in Heaven. We will understand the sacrifice which Jesus made on our behalf when we contemplate His Passion. This understanding will help us to know the love which burns in His heart, the love which is the only love which can satisfy the longing of the human heart, as it is perfect love, and it is the love for which we were created. It is this love which Jesus wants us to understand, for He knows that once we understand the extreme measures to which He was willing to go to save our souls, we will grow in trust and after we learn to trust, only then can we learn to love and enter deeper into the Mystery of His Divine Mercy. Only then will life become special. Only then does the meaning of life start to make sense and the excitement of living become a reality. For everyone knows that the passing pleasures of the world bring no lasting joy and often bring far more trouble then the moment of joy which the worldly indulgence of self promised. It is during the 3 O’Clock Holy Hour that we should, if our duties permit, contemplate the Passion of Jesus. Jesus told St. Faustina, “There are few souls who contemplate My Passion with true feeling; I give great graces to souls who meditate devoutly on My Passion. Without special help from Me, you are not even capable of accepting My graces. You know who you are”. (Diary 737-738) Although it is very hard to understand, we cannot survive without God’s graces. There are special graces which greatly enhance our lives and our souls. But it is also possible for us to lose God’s grace through sin and sometimes God withholds graces from souls as a punishment. But if we keep His commandments and ask God with a genuine love, for His grace, He will not refuse it, as it is His burning desire and the driving force of His love, to give us more graces than we can contain. Again His generosity is a hallmark of His perfect love and mercy. Jesus told St. Faustina, "There is more merit to one hour of meditation on My sorrowful Passion than there is to a whole year of flagellation that draws blood; the contemplation of My painful wounds is of great profit to you, and it brings Me great joy". (Diary 369) So there are two distinct parts to the 3 O’Clock Hour. The first is the moment of the death of Jesus at 3 O’Clock. We immerse ourselves in the Passion of Jesus and pray with great love and gratitude to Him, thanking Him for His love for us. We say the short prayer and offer it for sinners. The second part of this holy hour is the prayer and meditation during this Holy Hour. If we have time, Jesus requested that we pray the Stations of the Cross and to meditate with true feeling His sorrowful Passion. As He has told us, it is the hour of great mercy for the world and He has promised that He will refuse nothing to the soul who makes a request of His grace in virtue of His Passion. He has revealed to us that this meditation has more merit for us than an entire year of the most extreme form of penance. He has revealed that the contemplation of His Passion brings Him great joy and helps us to grow in trust and love of God. This holy hour is an exceptionally important element of the devotion to Divine Mercy. For if we do not take the time everyday to contemplate and understand the mercy of God and the sacrifice that Jesus made for mankind, how can we understand the purpose of the Chaplet, the Image, the Novena and particularly the Feast of Mercy? The Passion of Jesus teaches us what true mercy is. How can we grow in love of God if we don’t trust Him? And if we don’t understand the depth of His mercy, we may never truly trust Him and therefore never truly love Him. We will be forever standing afar from Jesus, fearful and distrusting. But Jesus understands the reasons why we behave like this. We are viewing Him through our human experience where doubt, fear and an unwillingness to forgive, condition our everyday lives. We refuse to believe that God is as good, as merciful and as loving as He says He is and as He has proven He is. It is for this reason that the 3 O’Clock Holy hour is so important, for it is only through meditation on the Passion of Jesus that we, in our own way, will begin to understand how incomprehensible and infinite His mercy is and also believe that He has forgiven us. Only then can we believe in His Goodness and only then will we feel in our souls His love and mercy for each and every one of us, regardless of our past sins.

 source: http://www.divinemercy.org/3-oclock.html

How Catholics Should Read the Bible

How should Catholics read the Bible?  Like a novel?  Like a science book?

There are a number of ways to read the Bible.  One of the first things Catholics should look for is good footnotes at the bottom of the page that are indexed to other similar texts in the Bible.  This helps the reader to understand the particular verse in context, rather than in isolation.  The Bible is meant to be read in its entirety, and never to be taken out of context. That is what satan tried to do to Jesus in the desert in Matthew 4 – Taking individual verses out of context, trying to use them to mean something they really don’t.  That method is still used today, by well meaning, but misguided, non-Catholics. By using the footnotes at the bottom of the page, you can turn to a similar verse and see how it is used. Another rule to follow is that you must read the bible with a sense of Tradition, what the original author meant to say, not what you think it means.  If you were the author of "Gone with the Wind", you surely wouldn't want someone 2000 years from now to come up with an interpretation that Scarlett was a Yankee!  Likewise, neither should we come up with interpretations based on what we "think", or what we "feel" today.  The third rule to follow is that no interpretation of the bible can contradict Church teaching, since the Bible is a product of the Church.  That would be like saying that a government document contradicts the government agency that issued the document.

An important point to remember in reading the Bible is that our salvation is nothing more than Divine sonship with Jesus.  So many denominations turn Jesus into some kind of courtroom judge pronouncing us guilty or not guilty, but God is our loving Father, and a loving Father demands a lot from his sons and daughters, much more than a stern courtroom judge does.  If we wish to inherit the Kingdom of God in heaven, then we have to work as sons and daughters in the family business here on earth NOW - building up the Kingdom of God on earth that Jesus established ("Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand!" said Jesus).

In a lot of cases, the New Testament reading is prefigured in the Old Testament.  For instance, when one reads that Jesus’ face shone like the sun in Matthew 17, you can flip way back in the Old Testament and see that Moses’ face also shone (Exodus 34). The deeper meaning here is that Moses was a biblical “type”, or foreshadowing of Jesus - Moses was the lawgiver in the Old Testament; Jesus is the lawgiver of the New Testament. Moses went up the mountain and brought down the Word of God to the people for the Old Covenant in Exodus 34; Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5, which is the Word of God for the New Covenant.

There are numerous examples of Old Testament types of Jesus.  For instance, Jesus is called the Son of David in Matthew 1.  David was a Jewish King, Jesus is a Jewish King.  The Bible says that David was a shepherd (1 Samuel 16) and was 30 years old (2 Samuel 5) when he became the King of the Jews. David was also from Bethlehem (1 Samuel 17). This foreshadows Jesus exactly, who was also the Good Shepherd of us all (John 10), was 30 years old when he began His public ministry (Luke 3), and who was also born inBethlehem (Matthew 2).  The Old Testament, in Genesis 37, tells the story of Joseph, who was stripped of his garments by his own brothers, and sold to the pagan authorities. Later on, Joseph forgave the very people who had sold him into slavery.  Jesus was also sold to the pagan authorities by his own people (Matthew 26), and stripped of his garments (Matthew 27).  Jesus also forgave the people who killed him.  The innocent Joseph was thrown in jail;  the innocent Jesus was thrown in jail.  Joseph became Pharaoh's right hand man;  Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father. Joseph gave bread to Israel to save his brothers; Jesus gives us the Eucharist to save us, his brothers.  In other words, the people and events of the Old Testament all point to Jesus as Messiah.  There are numerous other examples of typology in the Bible. A Bible with lots of good footnotes will point all of these out.

Numerology is also used in the Bible. The number seven (the day God rested from His Creation in Genesis) is the number of perfection. The number 6 is the number of imperfection.  We see that Jesus changed the water into wine at the Wedding Feast of Cana on the seventh day of the story, in John 2.  John, who starts his Gospel out with the same 3 words that Genesis started out with “In the beginning” is trying to tell us here that Jesus is God, and that there is now a new Covenant, a new creation.  The number 6 is used to imply the name of the beast in Revelation 13 (Caesar Nero).  Goliath was 6 cubits high (1 Samuel 17).

There are 4 basic levels of scripture to understand: The literal sense, the allegorical sense, the moral sense, and the anagogical sense.  The literal sense is what most people stop at when they read the bible.  The literal sense when one reads about a temple in the bible is a big building where everyone went to worship. This is what the Pharisee thought that Jesus was talking about in John 2 when Jesus said “Destroy this temple and I will rebuild it in 3 days.” However, Jesus was talking about the allegorical sense (how the text refers to Jesus) and the fact that His Body is the new Temple.  The moral sense of scripture is how the verse applies to us and our personal morality.  Since the bible says that our bodies are temples for the Holy Spirit in 1 Corinthians 6, then we should not spend one second desecrating our temple by getting drunk, watching impure movies, having an abortion, cursing, etc.  The desecration of the temple is what started the whole Maccabean revolt in 1 Maccabees.  The last method, the anagogical sense, refers to the heavenly sense.  We know that after the second coming there will be a new heavenly temple (Revelation 21), and the old earth and all of its churches and temples will pass away.  

The average bible reader will be very enriched if they concentrate on the moral sense – How the bible verse applies to you personally. For example, when Mary presents the Baby Jesus to God the Father in the Temple (Luke 2), are you personally ready for Mary to present you to God the Father?  When Mary and Joseph lose Jesus and find Him in the Temple (Luke 2), do you seek out Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament at Church when you feel lost and forsaken? When Jesus is blinded by his own blood and sweat following the crowning with thorns, do we realize how sinful thoughts in our own head blind us to the saving power of Jesus' blood and the water from His side at the cross?  The list is endless.

And last, we should never put our own personal interpretation on scripture, unless it agrees with the Tradition of the Catholic Church. St. Peter himself warns against this practice in 2 Peter 1 and 2 Peter 3.  After over 1600 years of Catholic Biblical history (Pope Damasus I and the Catholic Church approved the canon of the bible in the late fourth Century), the great scholars of the bible like St. Jerome, St. Augustine, and St. Thomas Aquinas have already got everything figured out for you.  Believing that our small 21rst century minds can figure out 4000 year old verses that were written in a very different language and culture, in a very different time, and with very different idiomatic expressions and meanings is the height of pride.  You might as well say that you can understand physics on your own without first reading the writings of Einstein and Newton.  That is why the Magesterium is needed to interpret scripture.

A good example of why an interpreter of scripture is needed would be the following sentence:  "I never said you didn't have to give me lots of money".  The intent of the writer could mean that I never said it, but I thought it. It could also mean that I expected you to pay me back with a favor instead of money. It could also mean that I never said it, but he did.  It could also mean that I expected a loan of money, rather than a gift.  It could also mean that I expected a little money, but not a lot.  Without the Magesterium interpreting scripture for us through the lens of Sacred Tradition, there are all kinds of ways to misinterpret what the original authors had in mind.  For instance, what would the proper meaning of this sentence be:  "You never said not to take the bat down".   It would all depend on where the accent is in the sentence - "Younever said not to take the bat down" (but your mom did). Or, "You never saidnot to take the bat down" (but you did write it down for me). Or "You never said not to take the bat down" (but you did say to leave it alone).  And what kind of bat is it exactly?  A flying rodent, or a baseball bat?  Without a proper interpreter of that one sentence, it is impossible to know what the author had in mind. And if someone said "Bob has just come out of the closet", the meaning of that phrase would mean something entirely different 150 years ago versus today.  Now multiply that one sentence by the entire Bible!

There are 4 basic things to remember when you read the bible:

First, one must always keep in mind that the Bible is to be read through the lens of "God IS our loving Father." 

He is the Father of us ALL - Muslims, Jews, Christians, Atheists, etc., and He will always do what is best for us, even if we view it as being bad. A good father disciplines his children, after all, and does not allow them to have everything they ever want!

Second, Divine Sonship. 

Jesus Christ gave His all for you and for me, and is the only begotten Son of God. And if we believe in Him with our whole heart and do His will, then we share in His Divine Sonship!

Third, Covenants.

Covenants are God's way of both revealing Himself to us and how we become part of His family.  Unlike a contract where money is exchanged for goods and services, a covenant bond is a family relationship, and that is exactly what God wants us to be, His Family!

Fourth, The Church is the Worldwide Kingdom of God on earth!

Jesus took the Kingdom away from the Jews in Matthew 21:43, and gave it to the Church in Matthew 16:19.  "Repent, for the Kingdom of God IS AT HAND!", He said!

So get a good Catholic Bible with great indexed footnotes. Read the Bible like Jesus is talking to you personally.  Look for Biblical types of Jesus in the Old Testament like Adam, Moses, and Joseph.  Don’t take scripture verses out of context.  And if studying the Bible doesn’t make you a more loving, kind, and gentle person, then you are doing something wrong.  The end result of your scripture study should not make you into a know-it-all arrogant person. It should make you more like Jesus.

source: http://www.catholicbible101.com/howtoreadthebible.htm

ST. JOHN BOSCO'S DREAM (VISION) OF HELL

ST. JOHN BOSCO'S DREAM (VISION) OF HELL

The Holy Saint John Bosco had a Prophetic Vision of Hell in 1868 A.D., (*which is recorded in its entirety below.)  

Many of the dreams of St. John Bosco could more properly be called visions, for God used this means to reveal His will for the Saint and for the boys of the Oratory, as well as the future of the Salesian Congregation. Not only did his dreams lead and direct the Saint, they also gave him wisdom and guidance by which he was able to help and guide others upon their ways. He was just nine years of age when he had his first dream that laid out his life mission. It was this dream that impressed Pope Pius IX so much that he ordered St. John Bosco to write down his dreams for the encouragement of his Congregation and the rest of us. Through dreams God allowed him to know the future of each of the boys of his Oratory. 

Through dreams God let him know the boys' state of their souls. On February 1, 1865 St. John Bosco announced that one of the boys will die soon. He knew the boy through the dream the night before. On March 16, 1865, Anthony Ferraris passed away after receiving the Last Sacraments. John Bisio, who helped Anthony and his mother during the former's last hour, confirmed the story of his part in this episode by a formal oath, concluding as foIlows: "Don Bosco told us many other dreams concerning Oratory boys' deaths. We believed them to be true prophecies. We still do, because unfailingly they came true. During the seven years I lived at the Oratory, not a boy died without Don Bosco predicting his death. We were also convinced that whoever died there under his care and assistance surely went to heaven."

*The Road to Hell

(Prophetic Dream of St. John Bosco 1868 A.D.)

On Sunday night, May 3 [1868], the feast of Saint Joseph's patronage, Don Bosco resumed the narration of his dreams:

I have another dream to tell you, a sort of aftermath of those I told you last Thursday and Friday which totally exhausted me. Call them dreams or whatever you like. Always, as you know, on the night of April 17 a frightful toad seemed bent on devouring me. When it finally vanished, a voice said to me: "Why don't you tell them?" I turned in that direction and saw a distinguished person standing by my bed. Feeling guilty about my silence, I asked: "What should I tell my boys?"

"What you have seen and heard in your last dreams and what you have wanted to know and shall have revealed to you tomorrow night!" He then vanished.

I spent the whole next day worrying about the miserable night in store for me, and when evening came, loath to go to bed, I sat at my desk browsing through books until midnight. The mere thought of having more nightmares thoroughly scare me. However, with great effort, I finally went to bed.

"Get up and follow me!" he said.

"For Heaven's sake," I protested, "leave me alone. I am exhausted! I've been tormented by a toothache for several days now and need rest. Besides, nightmares have completely worn me out." I said this because this man's apparition always means trouble, fatigue, and terror for me.

"Get up," he repeated. "You have no time to lose."

I complied and followed him. "Where are you taking me?" I asked.

"Never mind. You'll see." He led me to a vast, boundless plain, veritably a lifeless desert, with not a soul in sight or a tree or brook. Yellowed, dried-up vegetation added to the desolation I had no idea where I was or what was I to do. For a moment I even lost sight of my guide and feared that I was lost, utterly alone. Father Rua, Father Francesia, nowhere to be seen. When I finally saw my friend coming toward me, I sighed in relief.

"Where am I?" I asked.

"Come with me and you will find out!"

"All right. I'll go with you."

He led the way and I followed in silence, but after a long, dismal trudge, I began worrying whether I would ever be able to cross that vast expanse, what with my toothache and swollen legs. Suddenly I saw a road ahead.

"Where to now?" I asked my guide.

"This way," he replied.

We took the road. It was beautiful, wide, and neatly paved. "The way of sinners is made plain with stones, and in their end is hell, and darkness, and pains. " (Ecclesiasticus 21: 11, stones: broad and easy.) Both sides were lined with magnificent verdant hedges dotted with gorgeous flowers. Roses, especially, peeped everywhere through the leaves. At first glance, the road was level and comfortable, and so I ventured upon it without the least suspicion, but soon I noticed that it insensibly kept sloping downward. Though it did not look steep at all, I found myself moving so swiftly that I felt I was effortlessly gliding through the air. Really, I was gliding and hardly using my feet. Then the thought struck me that the return trip would be very long and arduous.

"How shall we get back to the Oratory?" I asked worriedly.

"Do not worry," he answered. "The Almighty wants you to go. He who leads you on will also know how to lead you back."

The road is sloping downward. As we were continuing on our way, flanked by banks of roses and other flowers, I became aware that the Oratory boys and very many others whom I did not know were following me. Somehow I found myself in their midst. As I was looking at them, I noticed now one, now another fall to the ground and instantly be dragged by an unseen force toward a frightful drop, distantly visible, which sloped into a furnace. "What makes these boys fall?" I asked my companion. "The proud have hidden a net for me. And they have stretched out cords for a snare: they have laid for me a stumbling-block by the wayside." (Psalms 139: 6)

"Take a closer look," he replied.

I did. Traps were everywhere, some close to the ground, others at eye level, but all well concealed. Unaware of their danger, many boys got caught, and they tripped, they would sprawl to the ground, legs in the air. Then, when they managed to get back on their feet, they would run headlong down the road toward the abyss. Some got trapped by the head, others by the neck, hand, arms, legs, or sides, and were pulled down instantly. The ground traps, fine as spiders' webs and hardly visible, seemed very flimsy and harmless; yet, to my surprise, every boy they snared fell to the ground.

Noticing my astonishment, the guide remarked, "Do you know what this is?"

"Just some filmy fiber," I answered.

"A mere nothing," he said, "just plain human respect.",

Seeing that many boys were being caught in those straps. I asked, "Why do so many get caught? Who pulls them down?"

"Go nearer and you will see!" he told me.

I followed his advice but saw nothing peculiar.

"Look closer," he insisted.

I picked up one of the traps and tugged. I immediately felt some resistance. I pulled harder, only to feel that, instead of drawing the thread closer, I was being pulled down myself. I did not resist and soon found myself at the mouth of a frightful cave. I halted, unwilling to venture into that deep cavern, and again started pulling the thread toward me. It gave a little, but only through great effort on my part. I kept tugging, and after a long while a huge, hideous monster emerged, clutching a rope to which all those traps were tied together. He was the one who instantly dragged down anyone who got caught in them. It won't do to match my strength with his, I said to myself. I'll certainly lose. I'd better fight him with the Sign of the Cross and with short invocations.

Then I went back to my guide. "Now you know who he is," he said to me.

"I surely do! It is the devil himself!"

Carefully examining many of the traps, I saw that each bore an inscription: Pride, Disobedience, Envy, Sixth Commandment, Theft, Gluttony, Sloth, Anger and so on. Stepping back a bit to see which ones trapped the greater number of boys, I discovered that the most dangerous were those of impurity, disobedience, and pride. In fact, these three were linked to together. Many other traps also did great harm, but not as much as the first two. Still watching, I noticed many boys running faster than others. "Why such haste?" I asked.

"Because they are dragged by the snare of human respect."

Looking even more closely, I spotted knives among the traps. A providential hand had put them there for cutting oneself free. The bigger ones, symbolizing meditation, were for use against the trap of pride; others, not quite as big, symbolized spiritual reading well made. There were also two swords representing devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, especially through frequent Holy Communion, and to the Blessed Virgin. There was also a hammer symbolizing confession, and other knives signifying devotion to Saint Joseph, to Saint Aloysius, and to other Saints. By these means quite a few boys were able to free themselves or evade capture.

Indeed I saw some lads walking safely through all those traps, either by good timing before the trap sprung on them or by making it slip off them if they got caught.

When my guide was satisfied that I had observed everything, he made me continue along that rose-hedged road, but the farther we went the scarcer the roses became. Long thorns began to show up, and soon the roses were no more. The hedges became sun-scorched, leafless, and thorn-studded. Withered branches torn from the bushes lay criss-crossed along the roadbed, littering it with thorns and making it impassable. We had come now to a gulch whose steep sides hid what lay beyond. The road, still sloping downward, was becoming ever more horrid, rutted, guttered, and bristling with rocks and boulders. I lost track of all my boys, most of whom had left this treacherous road for other paths.

I kept going, but the farther I advanced, the more arduous and steep became the descent, so that I tumbled and fell several times, lying prostrate until I could catch my breath. Now and then my guide supported me or helped me to rise. At every step my joints seemed to give way, and I thought my shinbones would snap. Panting, I said to my guide, "My good fellow, my legs won't carry me another step. I just can't go any farther." He did not answer but continued walking. Taking heart, I followed until, seeing me soaked in perspiration and thoroughly exhausted, he led me to a little clearing alongside the road. I sat down, took a deep breath, and felt a little better. From my resting place, the road I had already traveled looked very steep, jagged, and strewn with loose stones, but what lay ahead seemed so much worse that I closed my eyes in horror.

"Let's go back," I pleaded. "If we go any farther, how shall we ever get back to the Oratory? I will never make it up this slope."

"Now that we have come so far, do you want me to leave you here?" my guide sternly asked.

At this threat, I wailed, "How can I survive without your help?"

"Then follow me."

We continued our descent, the road now becoming so frightfully steep that it was almost impossible to stand erect. And then, at the bottom of this precipice, at the entrance of a dark valley, an enormous building loomed into sight, its towering portal, tightly locked, facing our road. When I finally got to the bottom, I became smothered by a suffocating heat, while a greasy, green-tinted smoke lit by flashes of scarlet flames rose from behind those enormous walls which loomed higher than mountains.

"Where are we? What is this?" I asked my guide.

"Read the inscription on that portal and you will know."

I looked up and read these words: "The place of no reprieve." I realized that we were at the gates of Hell. The guide led me all around this horrible place. At regular distance bronze portals like the first overlooked precipitous descents; on each was an inscription, such as: "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, which was prepared for the devil and his angels." (Matthew 25: 41) "Every tree that yielded not good fruit, shall be cut down, and shall be cast into the the fire." (Matthew 7: 19)

I tried to copy them into my notebook, but my guide restrained me: "There is no need. You have them all in Holy Scripture. You even have some of them inscribed in your porticoes."

At such a sight I wanted to turn back and return to the Oratory. As a matter of fact, I did start back, but my guide ignored my attempt. After trudging through a steep, never-ending ravine, we again came to the foot of the precipice facing the first portal. Suddenly the guide turned to me. Upset and startled, he motioned to me to step aside. "Look!" he said.

I looked up in terror and saw in the distance someone racing down the path at an uncontrollable speed. I kept my eyes on him, trying to identify him, and as he got closer, I recognized him as one of my boys. His disheveled hair was partly standing upright on his head and partly tossed back by the wind. His arms were outstretched as though he were thrashing the water in an attempt to stay afloat. He wanted to stop, but could not. Tripping on the protruding stones, he kept falling even faster. "Let's help him, let's stop him," I shouted, holding out my hands in a vain effort to restrain him.

"Leave him alone," the guide replied.

"Why?"

"Don't you know how terrible God's vengeance is? Do you think you can restrain one who is fleeing from His just wrath?"

Meanwhile the youth had turned his fiery gaze backward in an attempt to see if God's wrath were still pursuing him. The next moment he fell tumbling to the bottom of the ravine and crashed against the bronze portal as though he could find no better refuge in his flight.

"Why was he looking backward in terror?" I asked.

"Because God's wrath will pierce Hell's gates to reach and torment him even in the midst of fire!"

As the boy crashed into the portal, it sprang open with a roar, and instantly a thousand inner portals opened with a deafening clamor as if struck by a body that had been propelled by an invisible, most violent, irresistible gale. As these bronze doors -- one behind the other, though at a considerable distance from each other -- remained momentarily open, I saw far into the distance something like furnace jaws sprouting fiery balls the moment the youth hurtled into it. As swiftly as they had opened, the portals then clanged shut again. For a third time I tried to jot down the name of that unfortunate lad, but the guide again restrained me. "Wait," he ordered.

"Watch!"

Three other boys of ours, screaming in terror and with arms outstretched, were rolling down one behind the other like massive rocks, I recognized them as they too crashed against the portal. In that split second, it sprang open and so did the other thousand. The three lads were sucked into that endless corridor amid a long-drawn, fading, infernal echo, and then the portals clanged shut again. At intervals, many other lads came tumbling down after them. I saw one unlucky boy being pushed down the slope by an evil companion. Others fell singly or with others, arm in arm or side by side. Each of them bore the name of his sin on his forehead. I kept calling to them as they hurtled down, but they did not hear me. Again the portals would open thunderously and slam shut with a rumble. Then, dead silence!

"Bad companions, bad books, and bad habits," my guide exclaimed, "are mainly responsible for so many eternally lost."

The traps I had seen earlier were indeed dragging the boys to ruin. Seeing so many going to perdition, I cried out disconsolately, "If so many of our boys end up this way, we are working in vain. How can we prevent such tragedies?"

"This is their present state," my guide replied, "and that is where they would go if they were to die now."

"Then let me jot down their names so that I may warn them and put them back on the path to Heaven."

"Do you really believe that some of them would reform if you were to warn them? Then and there your warning might impress them, but soon they will forget it, saying, 'It was just a dream,' and they will do worse than before. Others, realizing they have been unmasked, receive the sacraments, but this will be neither spontaneous nor meritorious; others will go to confession because of a momentary fear of Hell but will still be attached to sin."

"Then is there no way to save these unfortunate lads? Please, tell me what I can do for them."

"They have superiors; let them obey them. They have rules; let them observe them. They have the sacraments; let them receive them."

Just then a new group of boys came hurtling down and the portals momentarily opened. "Let's go in," the guide said to me.

I pulled back in horror. I could not wait to rush back to the Oratory to warn the boys lest others might be lost as well.

"Come," my guide insisted. "You'll learn much. But first tell me: Do you wish to go alone or with me?" He asked this to make me realize that I was not brave enough and therefore needed his friendly assistance.

"Alone inside that horrible place?" I replied. "How will I ever be able to find my way out without your help?" Then a thought came to my mind and aroused my courage. Before one is condemned to Hell, I said to myself, he must be judged. And I haven't been judged yet!

"Let's go," I exclaimed resolutely. We entered that narrow, horrible corridor and whizzed through it with lightning speed. Threatening inscriptions shone eerily over all the inner gateways. The last one opened into a vast, grim courtyard with a large, unbelievably forbidding entrance at the far end. Above it stood this inscription:

"These shall go into everlasting punishment." (Matthew 25: 46) The walls all about were similarly inscribed. I asked my guide if I could read them, and he consented. These were the inscriptions:

"He will give fire, and worms into their flesh, and they may burn and may feel forever." (Judith 16: 21)

"The pool of fire where both the beast and the false prophet shall be tormented day and night forever and ever." (Apocalypse 20: 9-10)

"And the smoke of their torments shall ascend up forever and ever." (Apocalypse 14: 11)

"A land of misery and darkness, where the shadow of death, and no order, but everlasting horror dwells." (Job 10: 22)

"There is no peace to the wicked." (Isaiah 47: 22)

"There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." (Matthew 8:12)

While I moved from one inscription to another, my guide, who had stood in the center of the courtyard, came up to me.

"From here on," he said, "no one may have a helpful companion, a comforting friend, a loving heart, a compassionate glance, or a benevolent word. All this is gone forever. Do you just want to see or would you rather experience these things yourself?"

"I only want to see!" I answered.

"Then come with me," my friend added, and, taking me in tow, he stepped through that gate into a corridor at whose far end stood an observation platform, closed by a huge, single crystal pane reaching from the pavement to the ceiling. As soon as I crossed its threshold, I felt an indescribable terror and dared not take another step. Ahead of me I could see something like an immense cave which gradually disappeared into recesses sunk far into the bowels of the mountains. They were all ablaze, but theirs was not an earthly fire with leaping tongues of flames. The entire cave --walls, ceiling, floor, iron, stones, wood, and coal -- everything was a glowing white at temperatures of thousands of degrees. Yet the fire did not incinerate, did not consume. I simply can't find words to describe the cavern's horror. "The nourishment thereof is fire and much wood: the breath of the Lord as a torrent of brimstone kindling it." (Isaiah 30: 33)

I was staring in bewilderment about me when a lad dashed out of a gate. Seemingly unaware of anything else, he emitted a most shrilling scream, like one who is about to fall into a cauldron of liquid bronze, and plummeted into the center of the cave. Instantly he too became incandescent and perfectly motionless, while the echo of his dying wail lingered for an instant more.

Terribly frightened, I stared briefly at him for a while. He seemed to be one of my Oratory boys. "Isn't he so and so?" I asked my guide.

"Yes," was the answer.

"Why is he so still, so incandescent?"

"You chose to see," he replied. "Be satisfied with that. Just keep looking. Besides, "Everyone shall be salted with fire." (Mark 9: 48)

As I looked again, another boy came hurtling down into the cave at breakneck speed. He too was from the Oratory. As he fell, so he remained. He too emitted one single heart-rending shriek that blended with the last echo of the scream that came from the youth who had preceded him. Other boys kept hurtling in the same way in increasing numbers, all screaming the same way and then all becoming equally motionless and incandescent. I noticed that the first seemed frozen to the spot, one hand and one foot raised into the air; the second boy seemed bent almost double to the floor. Others stood or hung in various other positions, balancing themselves on one foot or hand, sitting or lying on their backs or on their sides, standing or kneeling, hands clutching their hair. Briefly, the scene resembled a large statuary group of youngsters cast into ever more painful postures. Other lads hurtled into that same furnace. Some I knew; others were strangers to me. I then recalled what is written in the Bible to the effect that as one falls into Hell, so he shall forever remain. ". . . in what place soever it shall fall, there shall it be." (Ecclesiastes 11:3)

More frightened than ever, I asked my guide, "When these boys come dashing into this cave, don't they know where they are going?"

"They surely do. They have been warned a thousand times, but they still choose to rush into the fire because they do not detest sin and are loath to forsake it. Furthermore, they despise and reject God's incessant, merciful invitations to do penance. Thus provoked, Divine Justice harries them, hounds them, and goads them on so that they cannot halt until they reach this place."

"Oh, how miserable these unfortunate boys must feel in knowing they no longer have any hope," I exclaimed. "If you really want to know their innermost frenzy and fury, go a little closer," my guide remarked.

I took a few steps forward and saw that many of those poor wretches were savagely striking at each other like mad dogs. Others were clawing their own faces and hands, tearing their own flesh and spitefully throwing it about. Just then the entire ceiling of the cave became as transparent as crystal and revealed a patch of Heaven and their radiant companions safe for all eternity.

The poor wretches, fuming and panting with envy, burned with rage because they had once ridiculed the just. "The wicked shall see, and be angry, he shall gnash with his teeth, and pine away. . . " (Psalms 111: 10) "Why do hear no sound?" I asked my guide,

"Go closer!" he advised.

Pressing my ear to the crystal window, I heard screams and sobs, blasphemies and imprecations against the Saints. It was a tumult of voices and cries, shrill and confused.

"When they recall the happy lot of their good companions," he replied, "they are obliged to admit: "We fools esteemed their life madness, and their end without honour. Behold, how they are numbered among the children of God, and their lot is among the saints. Therefore we have erred from the way of truth, and the light of justice hath not shined unto us, and the sun of understanding hath not risen upon us." (Wisdom 5:4-6) "We wearied ourselves in the way of iniquity and destruction, and have walked through hard ways, but the way of the Lord we have not known. What hath pride profited us ? or what advantage hath the boasting of riches brought us ? All those things are passed away like a shadow." (Wisdom 5: 7-9)

"Here time is no more. Here is only eternity."

While I viewed the condition of many of my boys in utter terror, a thought suddenly struck me. "How can these boys be damned?" I asked. "Last night they were still alive at the Oratory!"

"The boys you see here," he answered, "are all dead to God's grace. Were they to die now or persist in their evil ways, they would be damned. But we are wasting time. Let us go on."

He led me away and we went down through a corridor into a lower cavern, at whose entrance I read: "Their worm shall not die, and their fire shall not be quenched." (Isaiah 66: 24) "He will give fire, and worms into their flesh, and they may burn and may feel forever." (Judith 16: 21)

Here one could see how atrocious was the remorse of those who had been pupils in our schools. What a torment was their, to remember each unforgiven sin and its just punishment, the countless, even extraordinary means they had had to mend their ways, persevere in virtue, and earn paradise, and their lack of response to the many favors promised and bestowed by the Virgin Mary. What a torture to think that they could have been saved so easily, yet now are irredeemably lost, and to remember the many good resolutions made and never kept. Hell is indeed paved with good intentions!

In this lower cavern I again saw those Oratory boys who had fallen into the fiery furnace. Some are listening to me right now; others are former pupils or even strangers to me. I drew closer to them and noticed that they were all covered with worms and vermin which gnawed at their vitals, hearts, eyes, hands, legs, and entire bodies so ferociously as to defy description. Helpless and motionless, they were a prey to every kind of torment. Hoping I might be able to speak with them or to hear something from them, I drew even closer but no one spoke or even looked at me. I then asked my guide why, and he explained that the damned are totally deprived of freedom. Each must fully endure his own punishment, with absolutely no reprieve whatever. "And now," he added, "you too must enter that cavern."

"Oh, no!" I objected in terror. "Before going to Hell, one has to be judged. I have not been judged yet, and so I will not go to Hell!"

"Listen," he said, "what would you rather do: visit Hell and save your boys, or stay outside and leave them in agony?"

For a moment I was struck speechless. "Of course I love my boys and wish to save them all," I replied, "but isn't there some other way out?"

"Yes, there is a way," he went on, "provided you do all you can."

I breathed more easily and instantly said to myself, I don't mind slaving if I can rescue these beloved sons of mine from such torments.

"Come inside then," my friend went on, "and see how our good, almighty God lovingly provides a thousand means for guiding your boys to penance and saving them from everlasting death."

Taking my hand, he led me into the cave. As I stepped in, I found myself suddenly transported into a magnificent hall whose curtained glass doors concealed more entrances.

Above one of them I read this inscription: The Sixth Commandment. Pointing to it, my guide exclaimed, "Transgressions of this commandment caused the eternal ruin of many boys."

"Didn't they go to confession?"

"They did, but they either omitted or insufficiently confessed the sins against the beautiful virtue of purity, saying for instance that they had committed such sins two or three times when it was four or five. Other boys may have fallen into that sin but once in their childhood, and, through shame, never confessed it or did so insufficiently. Others were not truly sorry or sincere in their resolve to avoid it in the future. There were even some who, rather than examine their conscience, spent their time trying to figure out how best to deceive their confessor. Anyone dying in this frame of mind chooses to be among the damned, and so he is doomed for all eternity. Only those who die truly repentant shall be eternally happy. Now do you want to see why our merciful God brought you here?" He lifted the curtain and I saw a group of Oratory boys -- all known to me -- who were there because of this sin. Among them were some whose conduct seems to be good.

"Now you will surely let me take down their names so that I may warn them individually," I exclaimed. "Then what do you suggest I tell them?"

"Always preach against immodesty. A generic warning will suffice. Bear in mind that even if you did admonish them individually, they would promise, but not always in earnest. For a firm resolution, one needs God's grace which will not be denied to your boys if they pray. God manifests His power especially by being merciful and forgiving. On your part, pray and make sacrifices. As for the boys, let them listen to your admonitions and consult their conscience. It will tell them what to do."

We spent the next half hour discussing the requisites of a good confession. Afterward, my guide several times exclaimed in a loud voice, "Avertere! Avertere!"

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Change life! "

Perplexed, I bowed my head and made as if to withdraw, but he held me back.

"You haven't seen everything yet," he explained.

He turned and lifted another curtain bearing this inscription: "They who would become rich, fall intotemptation, and to the snare of the devil." (1 Timothy 6: 9) (Note: would become rich: wish to become rich, seek riches, set their heart and affections toward riches.)

"This does not apply to my boys! I countered, "because they are as poor as I am. We are not rich and do not want to be. We give it no thought."

As the curtain was lifted, however, I saw a group of boys, all known to me. They were in pain, like those I had seen before. Pointing to them, my guide remarked, "As you see, the inscription does apply to your boys."

"But how?" I asked.

"Well," he said, "some boys are so attached to material possessions that their love of God is lessened. Thus they sin against charity, piety, and meekness. Even the mere desire of riches can corrupt the heart, especially if such a desire leads to injustice. Your boys are poor, but remember that greed and idleness are bad counselors. One of your boys committed substantial thefts in his native town, and though he could make restitution, he gives it not a thought. There are others who try to break into the pantry or the prefect's or economer's office; those who rummage in their companions' trunks for food, money, or possessions; those who steal stationery and books...."

After naming these boys and others as well, he continued, "Some are here for having stolen clothes, linen, blankets, and coats from the Oratory wardrobe in order to send them home to their families; others for willful, serious damage; others, yet, for not having given back what they had borrowed or for having kept sums of money they were supposed to hand over to the superior. Now that you know who these boys are," he concluded, "admonish them. Tell them to curb all vain, harmful desires, to obey God's law and to safeguard their reputation jealously lest greed lead them to greater excesses and plunge them into sorrow, death, and damnation."

I couldn't understand why such dreadful punishments should be meted out for infractions that boys thought so little of, but my guide shook me out of my thoughts by saying: "Recall what you were told when you saw those spoiled grapes on the wine." With these words he lifted another curtain which hid many of our Oratory boys, all of whom I recognized instantly. The inscription on the curtain read: The root of all evils.

"Do you know what that means?" he asked me immediately.

"What sin does that refer to?"

"Pride?"

"No!"

"And yet I have always heard that pride is the root of all evil."

"It is, generally speaking, but, specifically, do you know what led Adam and Eve to commit the first sin for which they were driven away from their earthly paradise?"

"Disobedience?"

"Exactly! Disobedience is the root of all evil."

"What shall I tell my boys about it?"

"Listen carefully: the boys you see here are those who prepare such a tragic end for themselves by being disobedient. So-and-so and so-and-so, who you think went to bed, leave the dormitory later in the night to roam about the playground, and, contrary to orders, they stray into dangerous areas and up scaffolds, endangering even their lives. Others go to church, but, ignoring recommendations, they misbehave; instead of praying, they daydream or cause a disturbance. There are also those who make themselves comfortable so as to doze off during church services, and those who only make believe they are going to church. Woe to those who neglect prayer! He who does not pray dooms himself to perdition. Some are here because, instead of singing hymns or saying the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin, they read frivolous or -- worse yet -- forbidden books." He then went on mentioning other serious breaches of discipline.

When he was done, I was deeply moved.

"May I mention all these things to my boys?" I asked, looking at him straight in the eye.

"Yes, you may tell them whatever you remember."

"What advice shall I give them to safeguard them from such a tragedy?"

"Keep telling them that by obeying God, the Church, their parents, and their superiors, even in little things, they will be saved."

"Anything else?"

"Warn them against idleness. Because of idleness David fell into sin. Tell them to keep busy at all times, because the devil will not then have a chance to tempt them."

I bowed my head and promised. Faint with dismay, I could only mutter, "Thanks for having been so good to me. Now, please lead me out of here."

"All right, then, come with me." Encouragingly he took my hand and held me up because I could hardly stand on my feet. Leaving that hall, in no time at all we retraced our steps through that horrible courtyard and the long corridor. But as soon as we stepped across the last bronze portal, he turned to me and said, "Now that you have seen what others suffer, you too must experience a touch of Hell."

"No, no!" I cried in terror.

He insisted, but I kept refusing.

"Do not be afraid," he told me; "just try it. Touch this wall."

I could not muster enough courage and tried to get away, but he held me back. "Try it," he insisted. Gripping my arm firmly, he pulled me to the wall. "Only one touch," he cornmanded, "so that you may say you have both seen and touched the walls of eternal suffering and that you may understand what the last wall must be like if the first is so unendurable. Look at this wall!" I did intently. It seemed incredibly thick. "There are a thousand walls between this and the real fire of Hell," my guide continued. "A thousand walls encompass it, each a thousand measures thick and equally distant from the next one. Each measure is a thousand miles. This wall therefore is millions and millions of miles from Hell's real fire. It is just a remote rim of Hell itself."

When he said this, I instinctively pulled back, but he seized my hand, forced it open, and pressed it against the first of the thousand walls. The sensation was so utterly excruciating that I leaped back with a scream and found myself sitting up in bed. My hand was stinging and I kept rubbing it to ease the pain. When I got up this morning I noticed that it was swollen. Having my hand pressed against the wall, though only in a dream, felt so real that, later, the skin of my palm peeled off.

Bear in mind that I have tried not to frighten you very much, and so I have not described these things in all their horror as I saw them and as they impressed me. We know that Our Lord always portrayed Hell in symbols because, had He described it as it really is, we would not have understood Him. No mortal can comprehend these things. The Lord knows them and He reveals them to whomever He wills. [END]
source:http://christtotheworld.blogspot.com/2010/02/st-john-boscos-dream-vision-of-hell.html