It's Hot as Hell -- Or Is It?

On the way to Mass this morning I was reflecting on the heat wave that is scorching the country. Lots of folks will be saying, "It's hot as hell as they drink gallons of lemonade and seek out the coolest spot around." But is it? ...Hot as hell, I mean....not likely.

It's a good question to ponder. Just suppose you had to sit outside this weekend in the sun -- in a spot with no shade, no breeze, no water, no drinks of any kind. Even worse, consider what it would be like if you were closed up in a car sitting in the sun with all the windows shut tight. And suppose...just suppose...that you would sit there for eternity -- no rescue, no release...not even death.

That, my friends, is hell. You don't want to go there and the choice is up to you. God does not "send people to hell." He allows them to choose it. How? By choosing the world and rejecting God. Jesus is on the cross with His arms outstretched in love. Will you choose Him and follow in His footsteps? Or will you turn the other way and follow the "primrose path of dalliance" that ends in the hellish dropoff? For a sobering look at what drags souls into hell see St. John Bosco's prophetic dream where he said, "I discovered that the most dangerous [sins] were those of impurity, disobedience, and pride."

Look at our culture and see those sins at work. See the sins of impurity in the fornication on college campuses, at "gay" events, and in adulterous and contracepting relationships. See the pile of bloody bodies from abortion, the fruit of unchastity. Look at the disobedience among priests and religious who thumb their noses at the authority of the Church. See the pride of men and women who make themselves "like unto God" giving themselves power over others and using them as slaves to their own desires. Yup, we don't have to travel far to see the traps and snares envisioned by Don Bosco.

What's ensnaring me and dragging me down to hell?

When I examine my conscience, I try to follow the example of St. Francis Borgia who placed his soul in hell every evening and asked, "What have you done to land you in this place today?" Those who make a practice of imitating the saint's meditation on hell are unlikely to ever go there.