Friday, May 8, 2009

Suppose It Were True

(for all men and women of good will)

1. That God exists.
2. That there are saints in heaven.
3. That Jesus is the “Messiah,” the Hebrew word for the Greek “Christ,” which means
the Anointed Savior.
4. That there is Hell, as seen by St. Faustina, and recorded in paragraph 741 in the
book of St. Faustina titled “Divine Mercy in My Soul.”
5. That God rewards and punishes everyone according to his or her behavior (Mt.
16:27).
6. That the small human fetus is in reality a human person.
7. That willful murder, including abortion, is a sin calling to heaven for vengeance.
8. That most of those who are in Hell did not believe there is a hell (cf. paragraph 741
in the book of St. Faustina).
9. That life is passing, as evidenced by what we see with our own eyes – here and
there people dying, in hospitals, from accidents, cardiac attacks and other ailments,
people getting killed by murder or homicide, etc.
10. That Jesus is the merciful but just Judge at the Last Judgment (Mt. 25:31).
11. That of the 4 last things – Death, Judgment, Hell and Heaven, you will eventually
end either in Heaven or Hell, depending on your behavior in life.
12. That you need the grace of God to achieve salvation.
13. That the means of grace are prayer and the sacraments and are the key to eternal
salvation.

If all the above is true, as Christians believe, surely you will humble yourself and seek God’s forgiveness and true conversion of heart before it’s too late. The prophets make us seek salvation in Jesus – the Way, the Truth and the Life (Jn. 14:6). “But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness will shine out with healing in its rays; you will leap like calves going out to pasture. You will trample on the wicked, who will be like ashes under your feet on the day I am preparing, says Yahweh Sabaoth” (Mal. 3:20). “Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Mt. 4:4).

Jesus, our Life, is the living Word (Jn. 1:14). After washing the disciples’ feet, He told them: “I have given you an example so that you may copy what I have done to you” (Jn. 13:15). Jesus is therefore compared to the sun that enlightens us. “To give his people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins; this by the tender mercy of our God who from on high will bring the rising Sun to visit us, to give light to those who live in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace” (Lk. 1:78).

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