4 eternal life (dr j martinez)

The eternal life.- (Dr. JesĂşs MartĂ­nez.)

God created the men for they would live for ever. A time in this earth and afterwards eternally in heaven. Due to sin, the death came into the world and therefore, because death is a punishment, death is a painful event absolutely true. The only thing that is uncertain is when, where and how it will occur. Charles V composed his first testament in 1522 when he was twenty-two. It contained a phrase which he included in his will in 1554: "With the certainty that nothing is more certain than death and nothing more uncertain than its moment."

With sin the supernatural life and, therefore, the true meaning of human existence is lost. Although death is a fact, our intelligence realizes that the soul does not die because it is spiritual and can not be corrupted. But without the body, where does the soul go? "The ultimate enigma of human life is death. Man suffers with pain and with the progressive dissolution of the body. But his greatest torment is the fear of perpetual disappearance. He judges with a certain instinct when he refuses to accept the prospect of total ruin and final goodbye. The seed of eternity which in itself leads, because it is irreducible to the single matter, rises against death (...). The Church, under the guidance of Divine Revelation, affirms that man has been created

by God for a happy destiny beyond the frontiers of earthly misery "(Gaudium et Spes, 18).

It is difficult for all men to die, even to those who have faith; Because death is the substantial tearing, the deeper change at the person's natural level: the separation of the soul-substantial form-from the body. It costs because the soul wants to live in the body, in his body, because it has been made to live with him. But next to this pain at the time of dying, there can be something else, the fear. But who fears? The one who owes something, the one who knows or suspects that something bad has done. Those who strive to live according to the will of God do not have this fear, and do have those who do not live like this. And this, on the one hand, because it puts the heart in things of the earth - the fame, the money, the pleasure, the power ... - and it is known that all that will finish the day one dies. "O death, how bitter is your memory for the one who lives tranquilly with his possessions, for the contented man who thrives in everything and has health to enjoy the pleasures" (Eccl 41, 1). "They are very much afraid of death because they love the life of this world very much and little of the other. But the soul that loves God lives more in the afterlife than in this life, because the soul lives more where it loves than where it animates Âť (St. John of the Cross, Spiritual Song, 11, 10).

But at the same time, one fears death when one knows that one was born to live according to the life of grace and commits a sin or leads a life outside God, because he suspects that he is failing his life, that death will

be Like the abortion of life that should be lived forever. Those who have put their trust in God, on the other hand, know with the wisdom that God gives them that death is precisely the beginning and they have nothing to fear. "To the" others, "death stops them and overwhelms them. "To us, death - Life - encourages and encourages us. For them is the end: for us, the beginning "(The way, 738). That is why, said St. Augustine, "If you are afraid of death, love life. Your life is God, your life is Christ, your life is the Holy Spirit´ You dislike doing wrong. He does not dwell in a ruinous temple; he does not enter a dirty temple “(St. Augustine, Sermon II). The ultimate is to die in a state of grace and, for that, to live habitually in that situation, because it only dies once (cf. Heb 9:27) and the eternal reward or punishment depends on that moment. For those who live in grace, said San Carlos graphically, “death does not carry in its hands an exterminating scythe, but a golden key that opens the door to eternal life.”

Death has often been spoken of as the teacher of life; their lesson is to teach how to live: How many learn to live just when their lives are gone!

They realize that they were on earth only to obey God and gain Heaven. In that parable of Jesus Christ on the rich and poor Lazarus, in addition to showing the existence of Heaven and Hell as absolutely distinct and distant places, he indicates how, when he saw that he was wrong and that he had no remedy, he asked that Lazarus will warn his brethren to learn to live: "I beg you, Father," he says to Abraham, "that you send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them and not come too.

To this place of torments ". Abraham replied, "They have Moses and the Prophets, to hear them." But he said, "No, Father Abraham; but if any of the dead go to them, they will do penance." And he answered, "If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if one of the dead is raised" (Lc16: 27-31). Some, who do not live as God wants, expect an extraordinary event - which a dead person rise, for example - to change their lives. But they would not even change their lives, because he who does not want to believe does not want to. It happens to them like the Jews who, after seeing the resurrection of Lazarus, not only did not believe in Jesus, but agreed to kill Him, and later, when they saw the empty tomb and the testimony of the resurrection of Christ given by those who saw Him Resurrected, did not want to believe.

«They did not listen to the risen Christ because they did not listen to Christ as he passed through the land "(St. Augustine, Sermon 138). Learning to live; how different things look at the moment of death. Jesus Christ, with his doctrine, has taught us how to live.

INDIVIDUAL JUDGMENT "Many times in many ways God spoke to our forefathers through the ministry of the prophets: in these days he spoke to us through his Son"

(Heb 1: 1-2). God has spoken to us and we must listen. Referring to the Jews, Jesus said, "If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin; But now they have no excuse for their sin "(Ioh 15:22). That is why "he who rejects me and does not receive my words, has someone who judges him: the word that I have spoken will judge him at the last day" (loh 12, 47). Behind death there is a particular judgment for each one in which they will confront in an instant the works that have been realized with the words of Jesus.

The beginning of Jesus' preaching began with the exposition of what we might call his program: the Beatitudes. It seems that it was the same day, because St. Matthew brings it next, in which he gave moral norms and recommendations, ending his speech with a consideration by way of conclusion: "Therefore, everyone who hears my words and fulfills them like the wise man who built his house on a rock. The rain fell, the torrents came, the winds blew and burst upon that house, but it did not fall because it was built on rock. So everyone who listens to my words and does not fulfill them is like the foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the torrents came, the winds blew and burst upon that house and fell and its ruin was great "(Mt 7: 24-27). The judgment will consist in the confrontation of the works that have been done and stopped doing with what God has spoken to us. After the appearance of life, death reveals what really stands, what is true: the word of God - words that will not pass (Mc 13, 31), for they are spirit and life (Ioh 6:64) 201 the great reality of our life, the firm ground, is to live according to His will.

As the day of private judgment will not be worth the excuses, it makes no sense to make excuses to God in this life to not do what He wants. That is why it is very important not to deceive yourself in this life thinking that no one sees you, even obscuring the conscience so that it does not remind you.

Because deep down you realize if you are building on the truth or not, although you can, based on self-deception end up believing that it is going well when it is not. The formation of conscience is a grave obligation, to seek the truth of God, not my truth, and once heard, to make it alive. It is not enough a superficial attitude to fulfil God, or to perform pious practices to get out of the way, like the Pharisees, who did things well, but their heart was far from God; It takes a deep attitude of listening and obeying God. Therefore, the particular judgment will not be the mere count of the works, as a subtraction between the Must and the Have; It is an attitude of justice: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, that unless your righteousness is greater than that of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven" (Mt 5:20). Indeed, he who dies in mortal sin without repentance goes to hell - it is a dogma of faith - because it supposes that he voluntarily depart from God; But also people who do not want to take Christianity

seriously-and therefore a scandal for non-Christians-will not enter the kingdom of heaven either. People who are content to fulfil the Church, but their heart are far from God. By Baptism we have been called Christians to a mature supernatural life. The warmth is a disease of the soul that must be uprooted. And one knows in his conscience whether he strives to correspond to the grace of God or not.

A man gave five talents to one, three to another and one to a third to negotiate. When he asked for them, the first one returned another five, the second three others, but the one who had received one, had hidden it and his master sent him to the outer darkness, to the crying and grinding of teeth, saying that he was "bad and lazy" (Mt 25:26). Not taking Christianity seriously is not just laziness, but malice; it means not wanting to serve, not giving back anymore. That man was useless, when his master expected fruit from him. That is why God is going to judge each one also of the omissions: for it is advisable to pray always, because it is necessary to do penance and apostolate, to live the sobriety and the other virtues. A Christian does not go to Heaven being exclusively a good person - I have not killed, I have not stolen ... -, because God gives his grace and expects much fruit; Fruits of freedom that is to do good. One is very free to say that not when God proposes a vocation to holiness, but it is also true that he will be accountable for all the good that awaited the talents he gave him, and that others may not have received. That is why it makes no sense to excuse oneself from divine requirements by claiming that others do not strive, for each one has received his talents, some more and some less, and each one expects the corresponding fruit.

In the Gospels the Lord speaks of this judgment as judgment of condemnation for those who did not want to listen to Him; But for those who have been faithful to him, it will not be a judgment to fear: "He who hears my word and believes in him who sent me has eternal life and is not judged but has passed from death to life. I assure you, the time has come for all who are in the tombs to hear his voice, and those who have done good will come forth for the resurrection of life and those who have done evil for the Resurrection of the judgment "(Io 5, 24-29). Dies irae, dies illa sings the liturgy speaking of that day of judgment for those who are condemned, because God "will then speak to them in his wrath" (Ps 2, 5).

But whoever dies in the grace of God is not to be feared, it will not be a day of wrath but a day of joy, because salvation is approaching, just as he does not fear an examination who knows the lesson they are going to ask.

He was examining Therapeutics a student who had only seen the book of that subject by the lining. As the teacher asked him what remedies there are for sweating, the student replied that for that the cordial flowers, the hot water and the blankets of Palencia were served?

"Suppose," said the examiner, "that he can not sweat the patient with these remedies."

The examiner, who was already sweating because he did not know anything else, answered: "If I still could not make him sweat, I'd send him here, sit on this bench, and be examined."

Particular judgment will be the moment of personal sincerity with oneself before God: to confront works and omissions - knowing the talents that were received - and the words of the Lord. That is why it matters to each one to examine himself in this life to see if his conduct is consistent with the will of God and, if necessary, to rectify and go to the judgment of God on this earth: the sacrament of forgiveness.

RESURRECTION OF the FLESH At THE end times will take place several events: the second coming of Christ, the 204 resurrection of the bodies and the universal Judgment. Until that day, which is not known by anyone (cf. Mt 24, 36), the world will continue as it has until now.

But that day, all which over the centuries have died will be resurrected with their own bodies. All gathered in the place which the Scripture calls the Valley of Jehoshaphat (Joel 3, 12), will take place the universal Judgment. But what does this mean in the resurrection of the body’?

Properly not rise more than flesh, the bodies, because the soul does not die. The soul is re-united to his body. How can this be if the body became dust, and, perhaps, those particles became part of another body? A graphic image but that is not responsive to the reality we can serve. A student of the English physicist and chemist Faraday slipped from his hand a silver cup, and was to drop into a jar of water deposit.

Was dissolved with great disgust for the boy. But Faraday rescued the jewel casting a salt in the jar, which made it precipitate in the form of grains, at the bottom of the vessel, the molecules of silver dissolved.

Collected and sent to manufacture with them a cup similar to the previous one. It was the same cup because it was made of the same material. In the resurrection of the body is not going to happen exactly like that, because with death the body decomposes, each element disperses and becomes part of another thing. But on the day of resurrection, each soul will inform the body (cfr. Fourth Lateran Council, Council of Lyon II). How can this be? It is a mystery that God had revealed to will perform we be on his omnipotence. However, because so it seems logical that the soul separated seems to be claiming the union with the body, spikes to be attached to it, the Forming human nature, was created. Furthermore, as the reward or eternal punishment is life in acting with the body, it seems convenient to also participate in the happiness or damage eternal. Finally, if Christ, our Head, risen, it is convenient to us what its glory, its limbs, also we rise.

THE UNIVERSAL JUDGEMENT "When the son of Man, would come in His glory, with all his Angels, then will sit down in His throne of glory. All the peoples will be congregated before him, and he, will separate some of others, since the shepherd separates the sheeps of the kids, and he will put the sheeps to his right and the kids to his left side. Then the king will say to which should be to his right: "Come, blessed of my Father, take possession of the kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world" (...). Then he will say also to which should be to the left side: "Separate You of me, damned, to the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels " (...) " (Mt 25, 31-42). The same Jesus Christ, real God and real Man who was in the land as a Child, who preached the doctrine, which was scoffed and died in the Cross, and who revived and rose to the Heaven, the same one will come to judge as a Man, so as well as He could suffer and die as a Man, the Father has given Him the power to judge (cfr. Joh 5, 27).

In the particular judgment every soul receives his sanction after dying; in the universal judgment also the body will receive his part in the luck that has fitted every person. In addition it will not be a private, but public judgment, in order that everything goes out to the public light what each one has done, up to the most secret thing (cfr. Mc 4, 22); specially this attitude of the bottom 206 of the heart that leads to cheating the others: the hipocrisy Then the king will say to which should be to his right: The Gentleman said to the disciples: " First of all guard you of the ferment of the Pharisees, which is the hypocrisy; since nothing there is the secret one that does not have to be discovered, and nothing has hidden that does not manage to be known. Because of it, everything what you say in the glooms will be heard to the light, and what you speak to the ear(hearing) in your rooms will be spread from the terraces " (Lc 12, l-3). "Originally the hypocritical word was designating the actor that, with a mask and a disguise, there was representing before the public a certain personage to whom both the words and the gestures were corresponding (fitting). The hypocrisy is so, a simulation; it is a concealment of the own (proper) being after the mask and the disguise of the personage whose image wants to be given (...). The hypocrisy is always a fruit of pride. It is a lie, and if Jesus, in the synoptic Gospels, refers to it not less than seventeen times to denounce her, it is because it constitutes one of the most serious obstacles that prevent the faith in, since to the being a lying attitude, it comes from the devil, " liar and father of the lie " (Ioh 8. The Lord said to the disciples: " First of all guard you of the ferment of the Pharisees, which is the hypocrisy; since nothing there is the secret one that does not have to be discovered, and nothing has hidden that does not manage to be known. Because of it, everything what you say in the glooms will be heard to the light, and what

you speak to the ear in your rooms will be spread from the terraces" (Lc 12, l-3). "Originally the hypocritical word was designating the actor that, with a mask and a disguise there was representing before the public a certain personage to whom both the words and the gestures were fitting. The hypocrisy is so, a simulation; it is a concealment of the own being after the mask and the disguise of the personage whose image wants to be given (...).

The hypocrisy is always a fruit of pride. It is a lie, and if Jesus, in the synoptic Gospels, refers to it not less than seventeen times to denounce her, it is because it constitutes one of the most serious obstacles that prevent the faith in, since to the being a lying attitude, it comes from the devil, " liar and father of the lie " (Ioh 8, 44), objected to, that is true. The hypocrisy is fold. Insincerity, falsehood (...), of here that in the universal judgment would fall all the masks and all the disguises, so that each one will appear as is he is really " (F. SuĂĄrez, Later).

DAY OF SURPRISES That day will be a day of surprises. In the allegory of the final judgment in which the kids of the sheeps are separated, so much some as others astonish: " Lord, when we saw you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and did we give something to drink you? As a pilgrim and do we lodge you? And the king will say to them: Really I say to you that all the times you did it to one of these my smaller brothers, you did it to me ". Surprise of the just persons and surprise also of those who are condemned because they did not works of charity with other men. Really God is not going to judge us only for the good interior works, but also for the effective worry for the others. Because there is no holiness without apostolate, because the measure of our love to God demonstrates in works of service to others, and if not, it is not a real love to God, "then the one who does not love his brother, whom he sees, cannot love God whom he does not see. This order we have from Him: that the one, who loves God, loves also his (brother " (1 Ioh 4, 20-2 1).

There is an obligation to help the others, and not only feeding them if they need it or giving them garment, but also giving this bread of the good doctrine, correcting mistaken, helping which to go out, probably, of his state of sin, etc. God is going to judge us by the apostolate that we had to realize, in all its forms, but especially with those who surround us. Because probably one is saved, be in the side of the sheep’s, but he can see face those who are condemned, and the surprise can be capital having warned that among them, there are some acquaintances: neighbours, relatives, colleagues of work; peoples with whom we went to played sports together, that laughed at his jokes, and we at theirs; with that one was coinciding for diverse motives .., and now, in the moment of the judgment they look at one fixedly as saying: why did not you help me? Why did not you say to

me that there was judgment and punishment? Because of it Saint Paul says to Timoteo: " I conspire you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who has to judge to alive and dead, for his coming and his kingdom: preach the word, insists opportunely and inopportunely, argues, re-takes, exhorts with all patience and doctrine " (2 Tim 4, 1-3).

Day of surprises that day because in addition, the good that we did could have been the origin of other goods, and the evil that is done, the reason of other many males, and all that will go out to the public light and will be paid. Because what we do has this effect multiplier about whom one speaks theoretically economic. The effect multiplier of the money has to be born in mind by the issuing Banks of every country, because the money with the one that one works is very superior to the currency that circulates; the same currency can be in use simultaneously - across slant of titles - up to five or six times. If it is not born in mind, there can be pernicious effects in the economy. Since something similar will happen with the good works that are done to the others: who, with the God's grace. The one who, with the God's grace and His words, does that other one improves and does good works, God will pay him for every good work that other one does. And if this one other one does apostolate in turn, the good works that the third party does will be imputed also to the first one. Because of it also there will be surprises, as when someone is going to see the current account that has in a Bank and it turns out that they have put an added income. Income that can be very high.

And on the contrary, the one who induces other one to sin - it is the scandal – he will not be punished only by his bad action, but also there will be imputed to him the bad actions that the others do for his fault. The scandal is very serious something, diabolical; because of it the Lord warns that the one who makes a fuss better would be that they were fitting a wheel of mill to the neck and to be thrown to the sea (cfr. Lc 17, 2); it is preferable to die before that others were lead to sinning, because the scandals will be punished in another life quite hardly.

Who have intervened in television programs, in magazines, in spectacles, in conversations that have induced others to commit sins, many penance they have to do in this life.

The last surprise for those who are saved will be to see the transformed world. After the universal judgment and of the villains have been thrown to the reservoir of fire, in the book of the Apocalypse Saint John sees a last thing: "I saw a new heaven and a new earth, because the first heaven and the first earth had disappeared, and the sea did not exist already. And I saw to holy city, new Jerusalem, which was descending from the heaven of the God's side, decked as a wife who adorns herself for her husband (...), Is here the God's tabernacle among the men " (Apc 21, 1-3). Mysterious

words which reality we will not know with certainty until we see it. It will be the definitive place of the men that, once transformed they - glorious body and soul - will live in the world transformed in turn. The whole creation that went out good of the God's hands and that is subject now to the disorder introduced by the sin of the man waits anxiously for the glorification of the children of God and his complete redemption (cfr. (Rom 8, 19).

It will be a new place for men, where God will be their full Good. � �

THE HEAVEN "Come, blessed of my Father, take possession of the kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world" (Mt 25, 34). God wants all men to be saved and come in knowledge of the truth; However, does not impose his will and there is the possibility of dying in sin and losing Heaven, as we will see later. 210 What is Heaven Like? Those who please divine have interviewed him; do not know how to explain it, because there is no point of comparison on this earth. "For these heavens, there, in vast and immense heights, my soul was snatched away," says a person who saw him. What there is, who can explain it, if the soul is taken away, in the sight of those beauties, does not know how to say? All those who are enjoying God there and see, look at each other, give each other the same respect. There is no word there that is heard ... (all) are always in the centre of God and always raptured with his divine beauty and beauty ... And what spills are the greatness and beauty, said, congratulations And how much in God is enclosed, always the soul is like swimming in those said, congratulations and glories that God springs from Yes ... Oh! Who could say what that is?

If the cherubim came to the earth, nothing would tell us. I find no other comparison than that of the man born blind, who, knowing what nature is because of what she has been told, would suddenly take away her blindness and see nature as it is. How well she could tell us the difference between what she had been told and what she was! "(F. J. del Valle, Decennial to the Holy Spirit, day 10). St. Paul himself tells us that "no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and what God has prepared for those who love him" (1 Cor 2: 9).

Jesus Christ has told us that "eternal life consists in knowing You, the only true God" (loh 17, 3). The faculty most proper to man and the most exalted is intelligence. To knowing follows the will. And if God is Truth and Love, the perfection of man consists in knowing and loving God. That is why the essential thing in Heaven is this: to see God face to face and to love Him. And to do this, we must be transformed; we will have to be made like God: "Now we are children of God, although it has not yet been revealed what we are to be. We know that, when it is manifested, we shall be like

Him, for we shall see Him as He is "(1 Ioh 3, 2). Moreover, Heaven consists in the possession of all goods and the absence of all evil.

Saint Thomas Aquinas, following the data of Revelation, explains what Heaven consists of as the termination of all our desires: "Eternal life consists primarily in our union with God, since God himself is the prize and the end of our labours: "I am your protector and your reward" (Gen 15: 1). This union consists of the perfect vision: "Now we see in a confused way as in a mirror, then we shall see face to face" (1 Cor 13:12). (...) It also consists in the perfect satisfaction of our desires, since there the blessed will have more of what they wanted or expected. The reason for them is that in this life no one can satisfy their desires, and no created thing can ever satisfy man's desire: only God can sate it to the infinite; Therefore, man can find no rest except in God, as St. Augustine says: "You have made us, Lord, for you and our heart will not find rest until it rests in you." (...)

Eternal life also consists in the kindly company of all the blessed, a most pleasant company, since each one will see the other blessed ones participate in their own goods. All, in fact, love others as themselves and, therefore, rejoice in the good of others as their own "(St. Thomas, Opuscula Theologica, On the Creed).

THE PURGATORY AND INDULGENCES Walking two friends, one Protestant and another Catholic, were talking about religious issues. The Protestant asked the Catholic: "But is it possible that you believe in purgatory?" I think that if we are saved, we are saved and we do not have to go anywhere to get to heaven.

They were coming to the house of the Catholic who said: "Let's go straight to the table, for we have been prepared to eat."

- With this appearance and so dusty? Impossible, it would be an insult to your wife. Before we go to wash and change clothes.

So they did. Already at the table, the Catholic said to his wife: "You can be proud, for our friend is more deferential to you than to God himself." ,How? What do you mean? She asked.

-Nothing; That our friend does not dare to come to the table without first washing and moving, believing that not doing so would be disrespectful to you, and instead intending to enter heaven directly, with all the dust and filth of His life in the soul.

-Man! Exclaimed the Protestant. Do you know that I had not stopped to think about this point of view? Certainly it is believable that the souls of the deceased prefer to purify themselves in purgatory before they appear stained before the holiness of God. The sin brings with it two things, the fault and a sorrow the fault of the mortal sin convict of the hell does, and removes him for the contrition and

confession of sins. But it is possible that, in spite of taking the sin from him part of a sorrow stays because the pain is not perfect. Treated the wound, a scar, a spot can stay in the soul that it is necessary to erase with pain, and if he, not purged in this life by the good works and the penance, it is necessary to do it after the death, because to enter the heaven is precise to do it with the wedding suit, that is to say, absolutely clean.

The fault of the venial sin creditor of the hell does not do, but also it is necessary to purify it. Because of it, in the purgatory the venial sins are purged that there were no repentance and sorrow (sentences) for the mortal or venial already excused but not perfectly purified sins.

It does not have to be thought about the purgatory as a species of hell in small, but as the anteroom of the heaven, because there the souls have the security of which they will go to the eternal life. Nevertheless, they suffer very painful hurts Because of it we are interested in purifying very much the soul totally not to have to pass for it. Speaking one day on the gravity of sorrow of the purgatory, a famous preacher put the example of one that was suffering in such a way that constant he was asking God to free him of his sufferings. One night the patient dreamed that one was appearing an angel that he was saying to him - You will live still three years suffering as you suffer. But you can choose between these three years of sufferings in the land or three days of suffering in the purgatory.

The patient chose three days and, once in the purgatory, one appeared again the angel.

You said me, I would be here three days – he said the soul to him and I am sure that I go more than three years suffering frightfully.

- Do not believe it - he answered the angel-. Still 214 your body is warm in the land. Scarcely it does a few instants that you came here.

The church, as good Mother, has indicated the order to the Christians of fasting and to abstain from eating meat certain days, in order that he uses as minimum of penance. But he is one the one that has to be interested in doing penance in this life.

On the other hand, the Council of Trent was indicating the interest of the Church because one prays for the deceased. " The Catholic Church illustrated by the Holy Spirit, rested on the Sacred Letters and on the former tradition of the Parents, has taught in the sacred Councils and lately in this ecumenical Council that exists Purgatory and that the souls there arrested are helped by the suffrages of the public inspectors and particularly by the acceptable sacrifice of the altar " (Council of Trent)The souls of the purgatory already cannot do merits to go out of there, but those who are in the earth yes can make merits and apply it as help to them. We them can help with our prayers and sacrifices - especially with the Sacrifice of the Mass - and with the indulgences.

"The indulgence is the reference before God of a temporary sorrow for the sins already forgiven as for the fault, that a ready well public inspector and fulfilling certain conditions he obtains for mediation of the Church, which, as administrator of the Redemption, distributes and applies with authority the exchequer of the satisfactions of Christ and of the Saints " (Code of Canon law, canon 992). The indulgence is partial or plenary, as free partially or totally of a temporary sorrow owed by the sins. All the indulgences can be applied always by the deceased like suffrage. To enrich plenary indulgence is needed to realize a work enriched with this type of indulgence and to fulfill three conditions: sacramental confession, Eucharistic communion and prayer for the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff. It is needed in addition to exclude any affection to the sin, even venial. Only one can enrich a plenary indulgence per day. Three conditions can be fulfilled several days before or after the execution of the work; nevertheless, it is convenient if the communion and the prayer by the Roman Pontiff are done the same day in which the work is realized.

They take attached plenary indulgence, among other works, the adoration of the Holiest Sacramento during, at least, half an hour; the Papal Benediction urbi et orbe. urbi et orbe received piously, though it is for the radio; the prayer of the Holy Rosary in a church or public oratory, or in family; the exercise of the Via-crucis crossing, if one can, the stations of the raised vĂ­a-crucis; the spiritual retirement that lasts at least three complete days; the apostolic benediction with plenary indulgence that the priest administers at the moment of the death. Partial indulgence enriches itself with these works if all the requirements do not meet. In addition, they take attached the partial indulgence the prayer of many prayers- angelus, Creed, acts of love ...-and also the devout use of some pious object crucifix, rosary, scapulary ...-blessed for any priest (cfr. Enchiridium Indulgentiarum, of 29-VI-1 968).

THE ETERNAL HELL The existence of the hell is one of the truths more times revealed by God, both in the Former one and in the New Testament.

The Church has defined as a dogma of faith his existence, which is eternal and which the souls get down to it immediately that dyes with mortal sin (car. Benedict XII, Const. Benedict’s Deus). The Virgin of Fatima showed it to a few children; Holy Teresa, Holy Catalina and other saints have seen it. God has wanted that the existence of this place is well-known. It has called the attention, on the contrary, the great number of persons, enclosed among Christians, who do not believe themselves it, that think that, at most, it will be a God's rebuke, but much less will not even be anything disagreeable and eternal. Nevertheless, the words of the Lord are unequivocal: "Go, damned, to the eternal fire" (Mt 25, 41).

Today there is certain tendency not to speak about the hell in order that scares anybody, in order that the alive people for love to God and not for fear of the punishment. But not to speak about the hell is not to preach the faith of the Church in its integrity, is to be deceptive. It is not a question of putting fear, but to being in the truth, and bearing it in mind not to offend God: because if the God's love does not move us, which move the fear of the punishment It calls the attention that Jesus Christ, on having spoken about this topic; it was not doing as repression to the thieves, homicidal or violent in order that they were stopping doing the evil based on being afraid. In certain occasion He said: " my friends, I say to you: do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after this they cannot do any more. I shall show you of whom you have to be afraid: be afraid of the one that after having given the death has to be able to begin in the gehena. Yes, I say to you that you should be afraid to that one (Lc 12, 4-5). Jesus was saying it to his friends, to the Apostles, not in order that they should get frightened, but to anticipate them because the hell is a reality and the activity of the devil is not also a metaphor or way of speaking.

In the hell there are two types of punishments: the worm that does not die and the fire that does not go out (cfr. Mc 9, 48). On one hand, which is named a sorrow of hurt or privation of the contemplation and God's possession, which distresses because it is the existential failure of the person; it is like a pain that it eats away because we have been created for God and one knows that we will not come to Him. In addition there is a sorrow of sense. It is of faith that in the hell suffers the torment of the fire, of live ammunition, though we do not know her nature. Explaining this, Saint Thomas says: "This sorrow will be immense first for the God's separation and of all the good ones. Of this a sorrow of hurt consists, of the separation, and is major that a sorrow of sense. "Throw the useless serf to the exterior glooms" (Mt 25, 30). In the current life the villains have glooms within, those of the sin, but in the future one will have them also externally. It will be immense, secondly, for the remorse of his conscience (...). Nevertheless, such a repentance and lamentations will be useless, since they will come not from the hatred of the evilness, but of the pain of the punishment. Thirdly, for the enormity of a sensitive sorrow, that of the fire of the hell, which will torment soul and body. It is this torment of the most atrocious fire, according to the saints. They will be as who he is dying always and he never dies nor has to die; because of it eternal death is called him to this situation, because, since the moribund one is situated in the edge of the agony, this way the reprobates will be (...). In fourth place, for not having any hope of salvation. If some hope was given to them of turn free of his torments, his sorrow would be mitigated; but lost that one completely, his state becomes unbearable " (Saint Thomas, opuscula

Theologica, On the Creed).

But does not it shock this terrible justice with the love that God has to us?

There will no be mercy for the reprobates? Not, so since " if it was only the Justice the one that has dug the abyss, still it would have remedy, but it is Love who has dug it; this is what removes any hope. When it is condemned for the Justice, it is possible to resort to the Love; but when it is condemned for the Love, to whom resorting? Such it is the luck of the reprobates! The Love that has given for them all his blood is the same Love that curses them. How! A God would have come here down for you, would have taken your nature, spoken your language, treated your wounds, revived your dead men; would it have been The same dead man in the Cross in order that, after all that, you think that it is lawful to blaspheme and to laugh, and to walk without dread, to become engaged to all the dissolutions? Oh, not.

Disillusion you, the love is not a game, is not been loved with impunity by a God, is not been loved with impunity up to the death. It is not the Justice the one that lacks mercy, is the Love who condemns you. The love - we it have experimented on excess it is the life or the death; and if it is a question of the God's love, it is the eternal life or the eternal death "(Lacordaire, Conferences of Our Lady, 72).

It is the God's mercy who gives to the reprobate what he wishes. Great mystery the freedom of the man and the love that God has him, that comes up to allowing him that should be condemned. God does not want to extract the reprobates in the hell because this lamentable situation is the one that they have wanted, his testament, his last will. Our life is like the iron in the forge, which is acquiring the form that voluntarily we wish. With the death there is a sudden cooling, and according to the disposition that stays, this way he will stay forever. In every voluntary action we decide on the good or on the evil. To commit a mortal sin wittingly supposes a break with God, though it is not it what directly is tried. The bountiful son of the parable, in which Jesus explained to us in what 219con What consists the sin and the repentance, he did not love badly his father, which wanted was to go away and to pass it well, but the consequence was that he moved away from his father. Any mortal sin brings with it the withdrawal of the God's love. To be or not in God's grace is not seen, but it is a reality, the great reality of our life. And the one who dies in mortal sin remains isolated from God forever.

They tell that once the devil asked to the heaven: "Why in the earth do you excuse the men and on the other hand to me not?"

And do they say that there was heard a voice that answered: "Perhaps at some time you have asked for pardon?" In this land it's the repentance, but after the death not, because the will remains fixed on his last gesture.

Because of it, if in the hell one was asking a reprobate where he wants to go, always he, would like to go there, since the stones always go to the bottom of the lake; to want to extract them afloat is to do violence to his

nature. Since something similar happens with the reprobates. God does not want to force the will of the men. He wants, on the contrary, that be loved voluntarily.

A religious nurse was close to the bed of a military old man, who was debated already by the death. The nurse was speaking to him about the danger of the hell, because the man wanted to know nothing of conversion.

- I have said to her a thousand times that there is no hell.

Yes but, has it been demonstrated? And if it exists?

- God is too good to throw a man to the hell.

- The simple good sense says to us that God cannot treat as the same way those who serve Him that to those who despise His laws. On the other hand, already you will see promptly if the hell exists.

She was guarding silence, the religious one was praying. After a few hours of reflection, the patient was asking for a priest TO BE A SAINT: TO WANT The famous Greek philosopher Diรณgenes raised a shop in the square of the market of Athens, in which he put the following inscription: "Here wisdom is sold". A transient who had read the inscription and was laughing at it to big guffaws, called his) servant, gave him three sesterces and he said to him: "Ask that bluffer how many wisdom gives for three sesterces ". He was there the servant, gave three coins and fulfilled the order of his owner.

Diรณgenes guarded the money and said: "I gave the following maxim to your owner: "In all your works, have the fixed sights in the end". So much pleased that gentleman this maxim, which did it sculpt with golden letters in the door of his house to wake up in himself and all those they were entering it the recollection of his own purpose.

It belongs to wise persons to put the look in the end of our life - in his temporary end- to succeed in the real purpose of our actions. Only the senseless ones - the animals move for the immediate end, without referring to his last end. Because of it, belongs to senseless people to want to think neither about the death nor in the purpose of the life to do what to one comes in desire, even at the cost of offending God, without he re-bites the conscience. If the sin is that real evil that separates us of our last real end the eternal life-, and because of it we have to avoid it at any expense, to think about the final years of the life at some time it will not come not us badly at all. "Remind yourself of your last years and you will never sin" (Eccl 7, 40), It says the Holy Scripture.

To think about the end, about the heaven, that it is the goal to where coming. And who are those who enter the heaven? Those who do the will of the celestial Father, said to us Jesus (cfr. Mt 7, 21). And what is what it is necessary to fulfil the God's will? To want. They tell that, in certain occasion his sister Teodora asked St Thomas Aquinas: "Tomas, what is

what is wanted to be a saint?" It was a good question, with much contained.

Since her brother was in the habit of answering with long answers that were exhausting the topics, possibly Teodora had in her hands enough parchment to aim what he was going to say to her. But surprisingly her brother this time was very brief: "Teodora - said to her looking at her fixedly-; “to be holy only it is necessary to want ".

God has revealed to us all the truths necessary for salvation, He has left us the Sacraments, the Holy Spirit, He has remained in the Eucharist, He has given us His Mother ... All that is needed is this, to want to be holy . But many people do not want to. If a survey were to be conducted, the only question being: "Do you want to be happy, do you want to go to Heaven?"

Everyone, absolutely everyone would say yes, because that is the end of life. But if the interviewer would stare at the respondent and ask him again, "Do you really want to go to Heaven?" Perhaps many would remain thoughtful, because that really means so many things. The bottom of our will is where the eternal prize is decided. Because to go to Heaven, it is necessary to do the will of God: to obey the commandments, to obey the Church, to seek the will of God For oneself in prayer and spiritual direction, and to fulfil it; answer yes to vocation to222 the holiness that God has given him, and to the different vocations - called - of each day. And this is effort. "You tell me you want to."Well, but do you want as a miser want your gold, as a mother loves her son, as an ambitious wants honours or as a sensual poor his pleasure?

-Do not? "Then you do not want to" (The way, 316).

We all need to have an illusion in life, a motive, a hope. Whoever does not put it in Heaven puts it on the weekend, in the purchase of a thing, or in the lottery. Once upon a time there were two very poor, poor people sitting on the street who, on Christmas day, had bought lottery tickets. Asked by one who went through why, if they did not have just to eat, they Had bought lottery, one replied: "It is that without hope one can not live, and we buy hope." One can prefer earthly goods to Heaven; can put his illusion, his hope in something more immediate that can be achieved in the short term. It depends on what you want to receive. The Lord said to St. Catherine of Siena: "You must know, my daughter, that you must receive these two crowns, one after the other. Do you want to receive the crown of thorns while living in this world and receiving the crown of precious stones in eternity? Because you can also receive your crown of precious stones in this life. But in this case you have to carry the crown of thorns in the other. Choose what you want "(Sigrid Unset, St. Catherine of Siena).

To want or not to want, that is the question. Because one may not want to go to Heaven. He may prefer not to think, not to be wise, because he is

doing well at the moment ... They say that one day the Lord appeared to St. Teresa of Jesus and said: "Teresa, I wanted ... but men have not wanted '.

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE LIFE "This world is the way for the other, which is dwelling without regret; but it complies to have good skill to walk this day without making a mistake. We leave when we are born, we walk while we live, and we arrive at the time that we die; So when we die we rest "(Jorge Manrique, Coplas to the death of his father). We have been given time to negotiate, to fill it with works of love. A time that seems very long and that many do not value until they run out. That is why he asked the Psalmist: "Make known to me, Lord, my whereabouts, and what is the measure of my days, so that I may know how obsolete I am. You have made my days a few palms, and my life is as nothing in your presence: as a breath blows all the man "(Ps 38, 5-6). See things with a sense of eternity and seize the time, because at least it is expected this is over. The Lord said to all: "Be alert, watch; because you do not know when this time will come. It is as when a man goes on a journey, he leaves his house and commissions his servants to each his work, and the porter ordered him to watch. Watch out because you do not know when the master of the house will come ... And what I say to you, I say to all: watch "(Mc 13, 33-37).

If a person who had passed into the other life, speaking humanly, was given the possibility of obtaining a wish, what would he ask for? Undoubtedly: take a little time. Because things from eternity look different. Even if it were only five minutes, he would use them intensively, because, according to St. Augustine, "every second is a seed of eternity"; every second - each one - produces a prize, a tree so disproportionately large in the afterlife that it seems a lie that we do not value each and every one of them. A certain visitor to a great exhibition of paintings went through the halls with disgust, without interest, because not even the most beautiful paintings impressed him. When he began to complain to an artist, saying that the exhibition was very boring, the artist replied: "Ah, if I could lend him my eyes ...!" We must put an interest in seeing things as the saints have seen them. Oh, if we could borrow the eyes of St. Paul, who saw things like this: "The sufferings of the present time are nothing compared to the glory that is to be manifested in us" (Rom 8:18). It is up to each one to have the Heaven that he receives, for "he who sowed little, he shall gather little, and he that sown with the fullness of his hand shall gather it" (2 Cor 9: 6).

In a famous novel in which the author refers to some advice that an experienced devil gives to his nephew, the beginner devil, there is a curious chapter in which he says: "Humans live in time, but our Enemy (God) lamentable waste of time, from that time which is a gift from God. "What a

man sows, that will reap" (Gal 6, 7) .224 that, in the words of St. Augustine, "every second is a seed of eternity"; Every second - each one produces a prize, a tree so disproportionately large in the afterlife that it seems a lie that we do not value each and every one of them. A certain visitor to a great exhibition of paintings went through the halls with disgust, without interest, because not even the most beautiful paintings impressed him. When he began to complain to an artist, saying that the exhibition was very boring, the artist replied, "Ah, if I could lend him my eyes ...!" We must put an interest in seeing things as the saints have seen them. Oh, if we could borrow the eyes of St. Paul, who saw things like this: "The sufferings of the present time are nothing compared to the glory that is to be manifested in us" (Rom 8:18). It depends on each one the Heaven that receives, for "whoever sows little, he will scarcely gather, and whoever sows with his hands full, with full hands will gather"( 2 Cor 9,6) In a famous novel in which the author refers to some advice that an experienced devil gives his nephew, the beginner devil, there is a curious chapter in which he says: "Humans live in time, but our Enemy (God) destines them to the eternity. He therefore wants, I think, to attend mainly to two things: to eternity itself and to that point of time that they call the present. Because the present is the point where time coincides with eternity ... Our task (of demons) is to distance them from the eternal and the present "and advises him to tempt men by making them think about the future, because The future ignites the form and "the future is, of all things, the least like eternity" (CS Lewis, Letters of the Devil to his nephew). And he was right, because when you can to do meritorious works for Heaven, when he can be holy is now. So if the popular saying "what you can do today, do not leave it for tomorrow" is always a good advice, in the subject that occupies us is wise advice. Each day is unrepeatable, because we can fill it with works of love - prayer, sacrifice, apostolate - or fill it empty; and the result of life can be a life full of God's love, or a regrettable loss of time, from that time which is a gift from God. "What a man sows, that he will harvest" (Gal 6: 7).