I met Fr. John Hardon, S.J. who wrote the Catholic Catechism of the Church as well as numerous tracts on the central summet and source of the Catholic Church: the Holy Eucharist. When I met him in 1995 to seek spiritual direction, I noticed that his face had no age - not a wrinkle - just the smooth and innocent face of a child. I marvelled because I knew that age is a result of original sin or even personal sin if we have not taken care of ourselves. Fr. Hardon's face was angelic, beautiful actually. He was in his 70's but did not show any age at all. His grace and beauty of soul showed completely in his countenance. His counsel was equally profound. It has been said that he did not waste a minute here on earth. He never watched a movie or any entertainment like that. His cause for beatification has been introduced and is now called a "Servant of God". I believe in my own life time, I will see him declared a Saint by the Pope in Rome.
Once again, I saw Fr. Hardon in chapel in St. Joseph's nursing home for the Aged. He was in chapel saying a rosary. I asked if I could go to confession to him and he agreed. For my penance, he said he would say the rest of his rosary for me. Now, this is profound because Jesus on the cross says and does our penance for us and our sins.
What brought Fr. Hardon to my mind this morning is seeing an interview with Mother Angelica on ETWN, the most outreaching Catholic network in the world which is in 250 countries. This interview is about 25 years old. But a great question came in from the viewing audience:
"Does God loves those who are in hell?"
Fr. John Hardon replied to this question: "He loves them with His justice". He gave an example: Just after telling Peter: "Thou are Peter; and upon this rock, I will build my Church." This was a very affirming word given to Peter from Jesus who was singling out Peter as the head of His Church. But then, Peter tried to persuade Jesus not to go to Jerusalem because He would be killed there. But Jesus turned to Peter and said: "You 'Satan'..you are trying to trip me up." Peter in essence was tempting Jesus to avoid suffering. But Jesus was born to die for the whole human race; now Peter counseled Jesus to avoid that mission. The point Fr. Hardon was making was this: Jesus was loving Peter even when He called him "Thou 'Satan'!" Jesus was loving Peter with His Justice.
We also have the same thing in our own families: if our children disobey and do things that could hurt them and their life - i.e. doing drugs or driving a car at age 12. If we "ground" them or give them any kind of restrictions that will teach them not to do these things, then we are LOVING with our justice! If our children then leave home and say they do not love us, we have to let them go because they are free. [You can see why the beauty of the prodigal son story hits home; because this is a child who left home to find happiness and learned that happiness was at home all the while."]
Please note in Luke's Gospel of the Prodigal Son, that when the son gathered all his belongings and his inheritance wealth, the Father did not go running after him as the boy disappeared down the road. The Father would not violate the boy's freedom of choice in looking for happiness. The boy took all his talents and resources to find happiness in a "distanct land" - far from the Father. The Father on the other hand did go out to that road each day to see if his son would come home. And "seeing his son from a far off, the Father ran to meet the boy, embraced him and kissed him.." The boy tried to recite his act of contrition; but the Father immediately had a new robe and ring and sandals put on him...a sign of re-instatement into the Family. The boy was not punished because he had a love for the Father and had already suffered much want in the distant country.
Now sons and daugthers that go to hell are those who do not come home to the Father even when they know the Father is there with all His love and mercy and forgiveness. The Father waits for them....looks for them...but they do not come home.
Jesus made it clear who would go to hell: "All sins and all blasphemies will be forgiven except for the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. This is an eternal sin." Jesus said that because the Pharisees said that Jesus had an evil spirit. This is a direct blaphemy against the Holy Spirit. Also, it is the Holy Spirit Who ofrers forgiveness; if a soul does not wish to be forgiven, that is an eternal sin against the Holy Spirit. But what Jesus was really saying here is that a person can have such "hardness of heart" as to not wish to be forgiven or give up his/her sins. These people are those whom Jesus actually said: "You will die in your sins."
Let us clearly get a picture of hell: Our Lady of Fatima showed a vision of hell to the three little children of Fatima: Lucia, Jacinta and Francesco. When the children saw hell with people who looked transparent being tossed about in the flames of hell, they became so frightened that they jumpted back! It was more than they could bear; and I am sure Our Lady did not show hell completely. But with childlike innocence, one of the children asked this question to Our Lady: "Why don't they just repent?" This is a marvelous and loving question as the child wanted to fix things and make things better for those people in hell. Mary simply answered with this profound statement: "They do not want to repent." So, even in hell, even with all this suffering, these souls in their pride do not want to love God or except His loving mercy. This is hard to understand because their suffering is tremendous. Mary said that many people go to hell over sexual sins...and that people fall like snowflakes into hell...because there is no one to pray for them. It is said that our prayers for the conversion of sinners is always heard by God. So, let us pray every day for those who are dying in the state of mortal sin that they will accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior and His loving Mercy. Why is Jesus so merciful? Well, besides His most merciful heart that gushed out blood and water on the cross for a fountain of mercy for us, we should say: "Jesus I trust in Thee." Besides all this, Jesus has already paid the price and suffered for all the sins of those in hell and for all those who want to go to hell. If Jesus has already suffered so much for their sins, why would he not wish that suffering to do those souls good? His wants them all to be in heaven with Him. "God wills that all people be saved, and that none be lost." Therefore it is not God's will that any soul go to hell. They choose to go there against His will and loving merciful forgiveness He offers them.
Therefore, those people in hell are those people who have left the home of God and never came back. In fact when confronted with the Father's Love still inviting them to come "home", then said absolutely "NO!" So, then God has to love them with his merciful Justice in a place they wish to be..a place away from God. God does not punish them according to what they deserve. His loving mercy does reach down even into hell. But God's loving justice can be painful as was Jesus' remark to Peter. Peter must have reeled with that remark. It hurt; but Jesus was still loving him. To make up for these sins of Peter's denials, Peter is asked three times if Peter loved Jesus. "Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him a third time." Penance hurts. But Jesus wanted to re-build the relationship and make Jesus and Peter closer than before the fall of Peter because "where sin abounds grace abounds more."
So, God does love those who are in Hell....and loves those who are even now in hell on this earth. He invites them home........He invites atheists to come home....He invites you and me to come home whenever we have the misfortune to fall into sin...thinking that happiness can be found by leaving home..and His love..Blessed Fulton Sheen said this: "No matter what road we choose in this life which will take a life time to travel; it does not make a difference because at the end of that road we will see two faces - one of two faces - the face of a merciful Jesus or the face of Satan. And both of them will say the same thing: 'Mine!' 'Mine!'"
Father and Jesus: save us from the fires of hell...now and forever. Call us - in Your Love - every day to come home to You, which is Heaven. Amen.
Love, Pio xoxo
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