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REMIGIUS L A F O R T , S . T . L . 

Censor 

.imprimatur 

•frJOHN M. FARLEY, D.D. 

Archbishop oj New York 

NEW YORK, JANUARY 14, 1911 

Copyright, 1911, by JOSEPH F. WAGNER, New York 

Printed in the United States of America 

f S i M í i i f é a 



C O N T E N T S 
PAGE 

I . E T E R N I T Y , W H A T I S I T ? . . . . . . . . 5 

I I . T H E E T E R N I T Y O F H E L L . 1 5 

I I I . T H E F O L L Y O F S I N . . . . 2 4 

I V . P E N A N C E A N D E T E R N I T Y . . . . . . . 3 4 

V . O N T H E T H R E S H O L D OF E T E R N I T Y 4 4 

V I . T H E I M P E N I T E N T S I N N E R ON T H E T H R E S H O L D O F E T E R N I T Y . 5 2 

V I I . T H E J U D G M E N T F R O M T H E C R O S S ( G O O D F R I D A Y S E R M O N ) . . 5 9 





ETERNITY 

I . ETERNITY, W H A T IS I T ? 

"If the tree fall to the south or to the north, in what place soever it shall 
fall, there shall it be."—Eccles. xi, 3. 

During this holy season of Lent, dear brethren, we will together 

contemplate some serious truths. I say contemplate, for it is not 

enough merely to listen to the word of God. We must reflect upon 

what we are told in the Gospel, ponder over it again and again, 

digest it, as it were. If this is properly done, the seed of the Divine 

word will germinate in the soul; it will thrive and produce fruit. 

Many persons are not much impressed by the mere hearing of reli-

gious truths, particularly if they have often heard sermons upon 

these subjects; their ears become dulled. When a person takes up 

his abode near a railway, he hears at first every train that comes and 

goes; especially at night he is awakened by the noise of the passing 

cars. But gradually they no longer disturb him; he hardly hears 

them, and sleeps peacefully in spite of the noise; he has become ac-

customed to it. 

The eternal truths of our holy religion, the doctrine of death, of 

judgment, of heaven, of hell, are indeed startling enough, but those 

who are accustomed to hear sermons on these subjects are no longer 

easily moved by merely hearing about them. They must reflect 

upon these sacred truths. The sermon provides them with the 

material for this individual contemplation. Pepper swallowed whole 

is not noticed, but if chewed it begets a strong sensation. 

5 



IO 
ETERNITY 

Therefore let us try and get at the meaning of the Divine word, 
so as to cause a sensation in our consciences. 

The serious truth, brethren, which in this holy time of Lent will 

claim our attention, is the doctrine of eternity. Eternity, an awful 

word, a more awful fact. From century to century will swing the 

never-ceasing pendulum of time, to the joy of the blessed, to the 

horror of the damned. To-day, dear brethren, let us consider eter-

nity in a general way. Let us inquire: ( i ) What eternity is, and 

what it is not; (2) how our .temporal life is followed by an eternity 

of glory or an eternity of torment; (3) how punishment as well as 

reward is exceedingly great in eternity. May the Eternal God bless 

my words so as to make them fruitful for you and for myself. 

I. What is eternity? Whatever you say of eternity, so writes 

St. Augustine, you will fall far short of the subject. It is impos-

sible for our weak intelligence to form an absolutely clear conception 

of eternity. For this reason the holy fathers speak of it figuratively, 

in accordance with the measure of our comprehension. According 

to them, eternity is the complete possession of a life that has no 

end (Boethius); it is an existence enduring for all time, unchanging 

and undisturbed (Dionysius Areopagitica) ; it is a condition compris-

ing in itself all times, the present, past and future (St. Bernard) ; 

eternity is a long day, never followed by night (St. Gregory). Our 

time is measured by the course of the sun, of the moon, and of the 

stars; but eternity is measured by the immortal God; it will endure 

as long as God will be God. 

What is eternity?. Cornelius a Lapide calls it a circle, the center 

of which is called 'Al l time," its circumference "Never more." It is 

a wheel that ever revolves, without once standing still, a boundless 

sea into which all the rivers of time empty and depart in order to 

flow on again. It is written in the Scriptures: "All the rivers run 



ETERNITY, WHAT IS IT? 
ii 

into the sea; yet the sea doth not overflow: unto the place whence 

the river come, they return to flow again" (Eccles. i, 7). Eternity 

is a labyrinth, a maze with innumerable, intricate alleys and paths: 

he who once enters therein will never find his way out again. 

1. What is eternity? St. Dionysius tells us it is easier to say 

what God is not than what He is, and this applies also to eternity; 

it has no measure, no goal, no end. For this reason it cannot be 

called time, in the strict sense of the word, for all time is limited. 

"It is no time, likewise no period of time," says St. Gregory Nazi-

anzen. Imagine, then, dear brethren, a period of thousands or 

millions of years, and you will not have reached the end of eternity. 

Imagine to yourself an immense number of years, and no matter how 

long their passing will take, you will fall infinitely short of eternity. 

Does it consist of as many years as there are drops in all the oceans ? 

Is its number of years like the sands of the sea, the leaves upon the 

trees, the letters of all the books in the world ? When as many years, 

numbered by all these things, have passed away, eternity will still 

be beginning. Let us imagine that a spider would carry up to the 

sun all the sands of the whole earth, on a wire stretched from the 

earth to the sun. The distance is many millions of miles. How 

much time would it even require before the spider arrived there 

with the first grain of sand; it would descend then by the same 

route to fetch another grain; and so on. Just figure, if you can, 

how many years it would take until all the sands of the earth were 

thus taken to the sun, and yet, after all these years will have passed, 

eternity will still be beginning. 

2. (a) "But man when he shall be dead, and stripped and con-

sumed, I pray you where is he" (Job xiv, 10) ? 

That every man must die is taught not only by faith but by every-

day experience. It is equally certain that death strips him of every-



IO 
ETERNITY 

thing he has in the world. Inexorable death destroys the body and 

turns it into dust. 

What will become of the soul ? Is the soul of man destroyed like 

the unreasoning animal soul? No. Both reason and faith teach 

us that the soul of man is immortal. This belief prevailed even 

amongst pagan nations, which had lost Divine revelation. If, then, 

the soul is immortal, where will it be after the death of man? We 

find the answers in the Scriptures, where we read (Eccles. xii, 5), 

"Man shall go into the house of his eternity." The house of his 

eternity, because every man constructs his own eternity. It is 

rightly designated the house of his eternity, his eternal house. I will 

express myself more plainly: The just man, by good works, builds 

the house of his eternal happiness; the sinner, by evil works, creates 

the house of his everlasting torment and damnation. If a man die in 

the state of sanctifying grace, he will enter into the house of his eter-

nal glory; if in mortal sin, his portion will be the house of eternal 

fire. This infallible article of faith is clearly and plainly set forth 

in Holy Scripture. It is said there: "These (sinners) shall go into 

everlasting punishment; but the just into life everlasting" (Matt, 

xxv, 46). 

(&) Eternal torment, everlastiilg glory!' One of these will be 

your portion, my dear Christians! You have still time to choose! 

But you know not how long your time will last; it may expire this 

very day, in a month, in a year, who knows? When once it has 

expired it will mean: "If the tree fall to the south or to the north, in 

whatever place soever it shall fall, there shall it be." Here man is 

compared to a tree gradually felled by the woodman, namely, by 

death. Trouble, suffering, and sickness are so many blows of the 

axe wielded by death. Some day the last blow will be struck, and 

the human tree is felled. In can only fall in one of two directions, 



ETERNITY, WHAT IS IT? 
ii 

to the north or to the south, to the side of damnation, or towards 

the side of glory and happiness. But what should fill us with fear 

and trembling, dear brethren, is the fact that it will remain lying as 

it falls. Should you die in the state of grace, you will be eternally 

happy; if you die in the state of mortal sin, you will be eternally 

lost There will be no change. Once in heaven, then for all eternity 

you will possess it; once in hell, you will not leave it for all eternity! 

The pendulum of the eternal clocks says Ever! Never! Ever blessed, 

never damned! Ever damned, never blessed! 

(c) Man is compared to a tree, also, in other passages of Holy 

cripture. John the Baptist exhorted the Pharisees: "Bring forth, 

-refore, fruit worthy of penance. For now the axe is laid to the 

jt of the trees. Every tree, therefore, that yieldeth not good fruit, 

shall be cut down, and cast into the fire" (Matt, iii, 8, 10). The 

tree is man, the axe death, the root of the tree the life of man, the 

fire is hell. Hence, the Apostle threatens: "Every tree that yieldeth 

not good fruit shall be cut down and cast into the fire." 

(d) Man, in the state of mortal sin, is the fig tree of which the 

Saviour said: "A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard. 

And he came seeking fruit on it, and found none. And he said to 

the tiller of the vineyard: Behold these three years I come seeking 

fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down therefore, why 

doth it take up the ground? The tiller of the vineyard answered 

him and said: "Lord, let it alone this year also, until I dig about it, 

and dung it; if happily it bear fruit, but if not, then after that thou 

shalt cut it down" (Luke xiii, 6). Oh, sinner, you owe your exist-

ence to the forbearance and goodness of God, who still waits to see 

whether you will bring forth fruit by your conversion and penance! 

How much longer will you resist grace? Your allotted time is 

nearly run. Forget not, dear brethren, the awful death of the sin-



IO ETERNITY 

ner, and the blessed death of the just. He who dies in mortal sin 

will pass into eternity without the slightest hope of happiness; he 

will continue to live, but his life, in the fire of hell, will be worse 

than death. The just man, on the contrary, will depart this life with 

the confident hope of eternal joy and bliss in heaven. There is both 

an eternal hell and an eternal glory. One only of these will be your 

portion, as it will be mine. Is it really possible that you might be 

damned? Yes, it is possible. If it is possible, how can you be so 

careless and indifferent ? Why do you take such little pains to escape 

this awful destiny ? How can you risk eternal hell by living in griev-

ous sin? How can you take part in these dangerous and sinful 

pleasures? Oh, that men consider so little what eternity really is! 

Eternity, an inexhaustible fountain, whence two streams spring 

forth, one full of sweetness and Divine blessing, the other filled with 

bitterness and torment! 

3. (a) Eternal torment, eternal joy! One or the other will be 

our portion. Is it a matter of indifference which your portion will 

be? The punishment in eternity is most terrible, the reward most 

glorious. 

What is hell ? A dungeon of extremest darkness. A certain man 

fell into the hands of robbers. He was thrown by them into a deep 

dungeon, and had to languish there, heavily laden with chains, for 

years. His only companions were all kinds of vermin and loathsome 

animals. He was almost smothered by the filth of the place and the 

pestilential air. He was allowed just sufficient food to prevent him 

from starving to death. But his life was worse than death. In a 

hoarse voice he cried for deliverance and help. Would not imprison-

ment of such kind produce madness? Imagine, dear brethren, a 

place a thousand times worse than this, and the blackness of hell is 

still much worse. And these are not pictures of the imagination. 



ETERNITY, WHAT IS IT? i i 

No, the Holy Spirit Himself bears testimony to the formidableness 

of that place. We read in the Book of Job (xvii, 6) : "The light 

shall be dark in his tabernacle: and the lamp that is over him shall 

be put out." The darkness of hell is so dense that every light is 

completely ineffectual against it. The damned are buried in dark-

ness, and in the shadow of death. Their portion is blackest darkness, 

of which the Saviour says: "The children of the Kingdom," | e., the 

children of the world, who do not believe the teaching of Jesus, who 

will not observe his commandments, "will be cast out into exterior 

darkness" (Matt, viii, 12). 

(b) What is hell? To the horror of darkness is added the most 

painful fiery ordeal. The torments are so great there that they defy 

description. Great sufferings, indeed, overtake man in this life. 

He may be laid low by the most painful illnesses, fever burns in his 

veins like fire, and he cries aloud and moans in agony. Think of 

the cruel martyrdom which the saints have suffered. Yet, however 

great and severe man's sufferings may be in this life, they are in-

significant, trifling in comparison with hell fire. The sufferings 

which God sends to men on earth, He sends out of love, to chasten 

and purify their souls. But hell was created by the wrath of God. 

It is the work of the Divine vengeance. For this reason it is no 

wonder that it surpasses all imaginable torments. The damned 

drink the cup of Divine wrath to the dregs. The torments of hell 

ure so great that human nature really stands in no relation to them 

at all, for God originally created this place of torment not for men 

but for the evil spirits. The Divine Judge will say to the ungodly: 

"Depart from me ye cursed, into everlasting fire, which was pre-

pared for the devil and his angels" (Matt, xxv, 41). Hell, there-

fore, was prepared for the devil.' For this reason man can form no 

adequate conception of it. Hell is something so monstrous, and 



IO 
ETERNITY 

awful, that God offered up His only begotten Son to the most bitter 

death, in order to. preserve the children of men from hell. God has 

given us the seven holy Sacraments, as so many fountains of grace, 

through which we may obtain remission and pardon of our sins. He 

uses every endeavor in order to save us from hell. Let us not resist 

the grace of God, that we may not be lost through our own fault. 

The pains of hell are dreadful and terrible: "There shall be weeping 

and gnashing of teeth," says the Lord (Matt, xxii, 13). Under-

stand well, dear brethren, that this weeping will be of a special kind, 

as only the damned can weep. There will be no sighing for relief, 

the teeth will be gnashed in fury and despair. Have mercy on your-

selves, therefore, dear brethren, and do all in your power to escape 

this fearful place! 

(c) As great and fearful as are the punishments of the damned, 

on the one hand, so glorious and wonderful is the reward of the 

blessed. The damned burn in fire, the blessed enjoy unspeakable 

delight and bliss. The Apostle writes: "The eye hath not seen, nor 

ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man, what 

things God hath prepared for them that love Him" (Cor. ii, 9). 

The happiness of heaven surpasses all thought. Do not think, dear 

brethren, that I describe to you the full glory of heaven. Man is 

incapable of picturing the glory of heaven, and of describing it. 

Holy Scripture, it is true, says a great deal about heaven, still it 

is only mentioned figuratively and suited to our understanding, fall-

ing far short of the reality. The blessed enter into the joy of the 

Lord. "Well done, good and faithful servant; because thou hast 

been faithful over a few things I will set thee over many things: 

enter thou into the joy of the Lord" (Matt, xxv, 29). The joy is 

so great that there is not room for it within their hearts. Joy does 

not enter within them, they enter into joy, i. e., they plunge, as it 



ETERNITY, WHAT IS IT? 
ii 

were, into a sea of never-ending delight. God is infinite repose, in-

finite happiness, infinite peace. If we would comprehend the happi-

ness of heaven, we would have to comprehend God. But God is in-

comprehensible; therefore, we can form no conception of the eternal 

joy. We only know that the blessed are satiated with heavenly 

delight. "I shall be satisfied when thy glory shall appear" (Ps. 

xvi, 15), cries King David, enraptured, Until now, he means to 

say, I could find no rest, no contentment, although surrounded by 

royal splendor. My hunger and thirst could not be appeased. But 

when Thou wilt receive me into Thy glory I shall be inebriated with 

delight; I shall have no more desires, and no more wants. In an-

other place the Psalmist says: "They shall be inebriated with the 

plenty of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the torrent 

of thy pleasure" (Ps. xxxv, 9). Similarly we read, in the Revelation 

of St. John: "They shall not hunger, nor thirst any more, neither 

shall the sun fall on them, nor any heat: For the Lamb, which is in 

the midst of the throne, shall rule them, and shall lead them to the 

fountains of waters of life, and God shall wipe away all tears from 

their eyes" (Apoc. vii, 16, 17). "And death shall be no more; nor 

mourning, nor crying, nor sorrow shall be any more" (Apoc. 

xxi, 4). "These are they who are come out of great tribulation, and 

have washed their robes, and have made them white, i. e., purified 

their hearts, in the blood of the Lamb, by their repentance and 

worthy reception of the Sacraments: "Therefore they are before 

the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple" 

(Apoc. vii, 14, 15). "And his servants shall serve him. And they 

shall see his face: and his name shall be on their foreheads. And 

night shall be no more: and they shall not need the light of a lamp, 

nor the light of the sun; for the Lord God sh^ll enlighten them; 

and they shall reign forever and ever" (Apoc. xxii, 4, 5). My dear 



IO ETERNITY 

brethren, God Himself will be our reward when we go to heaven. 

Even in the Old Testament the Lord s<ud to Abraham: "I am thy 

reward exceeding great" (Gen. xv, i ) . . The same will be said to 

us if we have the happiness of crossing the threshold of the heav-

enly Jerusalem. "I am thy reward exceedingly great." Oh, unutter-

able mystery of love! Thou wilt be our reward, if we will be Thy 

children! Why do we not weep for Thee, O God, in our longing 

and desire to possess Thee! 

Take this first contemplation of eternity well to heart, dear 

brethren. The thought of eternity is a powerful help against every 

temptation, a mighty encouragement to persevere in the path of vir-

tue, a fiery goad to drive the sinner from the broad road of ruin 

back to the narrow way of righteousness. The thought would not 

let the Psalmist sleep. "My eyes prevented the watches: I was 

troubled, and I spoke not" (Ps. lxxvi, 5). About what was this 

man of God so disturbed? Listen to his answer: "I thought upon 

the days of old; and I had in my mind the eternal years" (ibid. 6). 

To what did this consideration impel him? "And I was exercised, 

and I swept my spirit (ibid. 7). Would that the serious thought of 

eternity might have the same effect upon us, that we might exercise 

ourselves in penance and Christian virtue, that we might thoroughly 

cleanse our conscience from every sin. The thought of eternity ani-

mated the Psalmist to serve God with fresh zeal. "And I said: Now 

have I begun" (ibid. 11). He did not postpone his good resolutions, 

but put them into practise at once. We must not delay to prepare 

ourselves for eternity, by a new and virtuous life, so that in our case 

the tree, may not fall to the side of eternal damnation, but to the 

side of everlasting happiness, which I wish you and myself with ali 

my heart. Amen. 



THE ETERNITY OF HELL 15 

I I . T H E ETERNITY OF HELL 

"And these shall go into everlasting punishment."—Matt, xxviii, 46. 

In my previous discourse I referred to the great impression which 

the contemplation of eternity made upon the Psalmist. He awoke 

to its reality, he cleansed his conscience: he began to lead a new life. 

"Now have I begun," he says. This man of God was not the only 

one seriously stirred by the thought of eternity. Behold the saints! 

Ask St. Stephen what made him steadfast in his martyrdom. Ask 

St. Lawrence what rendered his death in the flames endurable. 

Their answer will be: "The thought of eternity." What made 

St. Augustine desire in this life cross and suffering? Why did he 

exclaim: "Here burn, here cut, O Lord!" What made the holy con-

fessors practise rigorous works of penance? The consideration of 

eternity! Behold the virgins, leaving the world, and entering the 

cloister! What has driven others into the desert, into the hermit's 

cell? The thought of eternity! Kings and emperors have relin-

quished their crowns and renounced the world. Pope Celestin V 

resigned his eminent office to lead the life of a hermit. They thought 

of eternity! That thought which induces to prayer, fasting, study, 

work, the-fulfilment of the duties of a Christian, of one's state of 

life, of every kind of penance! A lively faith in an eternal reward 

incites to good works. A lively faith in an eternal punishment deters 

from evil. Unfortunately, this lively faith is lacking in so many 

Christians. They wish to believe in an eternal happiness, but they 

do not seem to appreciate that the punishment is likewise eternal. 

Let us, therefore, take the eternity of hell's punishment for our sub-



IO 
ETERNITY 

ject to-day, and let us consider that: ( i ) The dogma of eternal 

punishment is supported by the testimony of Holy Scripture; (2) It 

is not opposed to reason. 

1. Dear brethren: The Holy Catholic Church expressly de-

clares that the eternity of that punishment is an incontestible article 

of faith and every Christian is obliged to believe this truth under 

pain of mortal sin. Holy Church, at the Council of Constantinople, 

anathematized all those who deny this truth. "Whoso declares that 

the torments of evil spirits and of the damned are only transitory, 

and will come to an end, let him be anathema, i. e., excommuni-

cated !" We find this truth expressly proclaimed in the Athanasian 

Creed. The passage reads: "He who has done good, will enter into 

eternal life, but he who has done evil, into eternal fire." Many pas-

sages may be quoted from the Scriptures in support of the truth, 

that the damned suffer eternal punishment. God Himself has de-

clared this truth. According to Divine revelation every mortal sin 

merits the punishment of eternal pain. This we read in the Book of 

Judith: "For he will give fire and worms into their flesh, that they 

may burn, and may feel forever" (Judith xvi, 21). Through the 

Prophet Isaias the Lord threatens: "And they shall go out, and see 

the carcasses of the men that have transgressed against me: their 

worm shall not die, and their fire shall not be quenched" (Is. Ixvi, 

2, 4). The Prophet Daniel, by Divine inspiration, tells us that 

"those that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake; -some unto 

life everlasting, and others unto reproach, to see it always" (Dan. 

xii, 2). In the revelation of St. John we read: "If any man shall 

adore the beast, and his image (». e., be the devil's adherent), he 

also shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God: and he shall 

be tormented with fire and brimstone in the sight of the holy angels, 

and in the sight of the Lamb; and the smoke of their torments shall 



THE ETERNITY OF HELL 17 

ascend up forever and ever: neither have they rest day nor night, 

who have adored the beast, and his image" (Apoc. xiv, 9, 10, 11). 

The Incarnate Son of God Himself said positively and distinctly: 

"Wo to the world because of scandals. If thy hand or thy foot 

scandalize thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee. It is better for 

thee to enter into life maimed or lame, than, having two hands and 

two feet, to be cast into everlasting fire" (Matt xviii, 7, 8). This 

means, if anything be as dear and necessary to you as even your 

hand or your foot, but yet is an occasion of sin for you, you must 

renounce it at any cost, if you would not burn eternally in hell. At 

another time Jesus Christ called hell "an unquenchable fire, a place 

where the worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched, where 

there shall be eternal weeping and gnashing of teeth." And we 

know that at the end of the world the Divine Judge will say to the 

damned: "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire" (Matt, 

xxv, 41). In the Gospel of St. John we read: "If any one remaineth 

not in me, he shall be cast forth as a branch, and shall wither, and 

they shall gather him up, and cast him into the fire: and he burneth" 

(xv, 6). The eternity of the punishment is pronounced in these two 

words: "He burneth." A hundred years hence: "he burneth." After 

a thousand, a million years have passed: "he burneth." This terrible 

fire is ever present, increasing, unquenchable. Who does not 

shudder at the thought of this eternal fire? Will this fire really 

never cease to burn ? No, never! It will burn forever! We can 

understand, then, the horrible rage, the frightful despair, in that 

place of torment. If an angel from heaven were to descend into 

that frightful abyss, and announce to the damned: You will be 

rescued after ten million years, the news would fill those unfor-

tunates with inexpressible joy. This faint ray of hope would make 

all tortures of hell bearable. But such a consoling message wiD 



IO 
ETERNITY 

never go down to them. They are, therefore, without hope, be-' 
- yond help. 

Shall I quote further from the Holy Scripture about the eternity 

of hell's punishment? St. Paul writes in the Epistle to the Corin-

thians (vi, 9) : "Know you not that the unjust shall not possess the 

Kingdom of God? Be not deceived! Neither fornicators, nor 

idolaters, nor adulterers, nor the effeminate, nor thieves, nor the 

covetous, nor drunkards, nor railers, nor extortioners, shall possess 

the Kingdom of God." He writes to the Galatians: "Now the 

works of the flesh are manifest, which are: fornication, unclean-

ness, immodesty, luxury, idolatry, witchcraft, enmities, contentions 

emulations, wrath, quarrels, dissensions, sect, envy, murders, drunk-

enness, revellings, and such like; of the which I foretell you as I 

have foretold to you, that they who do such things shall not obtain 

the Kingdom of God" (Gal. v, 19). 

In these passages particular heed should be given the words-

They shall not possess the Kingdom of God, they shall not obtain the 

Kingdom of God. These words would be untrue, so St. Augustine 

declares, if the damned after a length of time would be set free from 

hell, if they would,yet possess the Kingdom of God. The utter-

ance of the Apostle cannot be false. Therefore, the damned can 

never possess the Kingdom of God; they will forever remain in the 

state of damnation and punishment. 

2. (a) In the face of all this overwhelming evidence, no reason-
able man, who believes in the word of God, can have any doubts 
that the doctrine of the eternity of hell's punishment is a truth re-
vealed by God. 

I wish to show you now that this truth is not opposed to reason. 

And now I hear the objection: Is it possible that our merciful 

God will punish a single mortal sin with eternal torment? Before 



THE ETERNITY OF HELL 19 

answering this question, I must warn you not to form false concep-

tions of the Divine mercy. God is merciful. Does this mean He 

will not be just? Is God's mercy to be compared to the weakness of 

an indulgent father who does not dare to punish his vicious children ? 

Such indulgence would be contrary to the Divine nature. It would 

be connivance at and participation in sin. In order to guard His 

Divine authority, in order to deter the sinner from vice, the Lord 

has decreed in His eternal counsels to punish mortal sin with eternal 

torment. Even with this Divine threat in mind, see, dear brethren, 

how many sins and vices take place daily. How would the stream of 

vice increase if the sinner were merely threatened with temporal pun-

ishment, if he had the certainty of eventually reaching everlasting 

happiness. "He who denies the eternity of hell's pains," says St. 

Jerome, "destroys the fear of God amongst men." God is merciful. 

He receives the sinner who contritely returns to Him. But when 

the reprieve of grace has run its course He must judge according to 

His holy justice, and punish the sinner who has abused His mercy 

to the end. 

(b) With these facts in mind, we will now inquire why the pains 

of hell must be eternal. St. Bernard declares: "With justice will 

the punishment last eternally because the guilt can no longer be ex-

tinguished." The merciful God has given a lifetime to man as the 

term in which he can blot out his sin' by contrition and penance. 

During this term there is time to do penance and obtain grace. But 

after this time of grace has expired, mortal sin can no longer be 

remitted because the sinner is no longer capable of doing adequate 

penance. 

3. (a) Why cannot the damned do penance acceptable to God? 

The holy fathers distinguished between the intention and the deed. 

The malice of sin is in the will to sin. He who has a firm purpose 



IO 
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of killing another is already a murderer in the eyes of God, even if 

he does not succeed in carrying out the murderous deed. He who 

firmly intends to steal is a thief in God's sight, even if something 

prevents the theft. Because the sinner has a perverted and ma-

licious will, he will be punished by God. Where the evil intention is 

absent, there is no grievous sin. When, for instance, a man goes 

out hunting and by accident shoots another hunter, he is not ac-

counted guilty of the harm done. If a man has really committed a 

grievous sin, the evil deed is past, but his will remains vicious so 

long as he does not repent of his sinful act. Should he die without 

having expiated the sin, either by a good confession, or at least per-

fect contrition, then his will remains sinful for all eternity. "As the 

tree falls, so will it lie." It is no longer possible for the damned to 

repent of sin. And because this man remains throughout all eter-

nity an enemy of God, therefore must his punishment last eternally. 

I will make the matter still plainer. Many men there are in the 

world who feel at ease in their sins. They create a heaven of their 

own taste upon earth. They hanker after sinful pleasures. They 

have no desire for the pure, supernatural joys. They desire no 

greater happiness than the satisfying of their unbridled passions. 

In this way they like to live on; they fear to die, because it will put 

an end to their sensuality. Because such persons have the intention 

and the will to continue in this sinful condition, they intend to be sin-

ners for all time. If these people persevere in this sentiment until 

the Lord puts an end to their evil practises, the malice of their will 

continues on throughout eternity. Therefore, it is just and proper 

that the punishment also should be eternal. "The justice of the 

Supreme Judge requires," says St. Gregory, "that they who in this 

life would never be without sin should never be without punishment 

in the hereafter." 



THE ETERNITY OF HELL 21 

Not without good cause the divine Saviour says of the unrepent-

ant sinner: "He shall be cast forth as a branch, he shall wither, and 

he burneth." The sinner after his death can no longer merit grace. 

He repents of his sins, it is true, but only because they are the cause 

of his torment. It will never be possible for him to repent of them 

for love of God "as his will is hardened in wickedness. God, who 

according to His nature is holy and infinite abhors wickedness, is 

obliged to punish sin as long as it is not expiated. And as it can-

not be expiated in hell, for this reason the punishment will last 

eternally. 

(b) But not only is the bad will deserving of external punishment, 

the wicked deed equally deserves it. St. Thomas Aquinas tells us: 

"The malice of mortal sin is infinite, for it is an assault upon the in-

finite Godhead." As the punishment should be in proper proportion 

to the guilt, it must be infinite, because the malice of sin is infinite. 

The malice of mortal sin is infinite. For this reason the only be-

gotten Son of God became Incarnate, suffered and died, in order 

to make fitting satisfaction for the sins of the world. Only a God 

was capable of rendering the infinite satisfaction corresponding to 

the infinite malice of the sin. 

If you, dear brethren, have had the misfortune of committing a 

grievous sin, the guilt and the eternal punishment will be remitted in 

the holy Sacrament of Penance. If j o u are truly repentant and 

confess your sins, you will participate in the satisfaction rendered 

by Jesus Christ, the infinite expiation and penance of the divine Son 

will be applied to you and you will receive forgiveness. You will 

be again a child of God, purified and sanctified in the Blood of the 

divine Lamb. However, if the sinner during life neglects to profit 

by the infinite satisfaction of Jesus Christ, and dies in his sins, the 

merits of Jesus Christ can no longer help him. The guilt, infinite in 



IO 
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its malice, continues to adhere to him. It is no longer possible for hit* 

to render to God's Majesty a befitting infinite satisfaction. Hence, 

there remains nothing but infinite punishment. It is, therefore, idle 

and ill-considered to say that a single mortal sin should not be 

eternally punished. As long as the sin is not expiated, it deserves 

infinite punishment. The gravity of a crime is not measured accord-

ing to the.time it took to accomplish it, but according to its malice 

and evil results. It is so also in the judgments of this world. In 

our courts the punishment is not measured according to the time in 

which a wicked deed is accomplished. If burglary is committed, 

the deed may have taken only a few moments, yet the burglar is 

condemned to many years imprisonment and, furthermore, is 

branded for life by his disgrace; his crime may even affect the 

reputation of his children and children's children. In reality it is 

not God but the sinner himself who pronounces his own con-

demnation. He who commits a mortal sin separates himself volun-

tarily from the intimate communion of love and life in God. If he 

dies in this state he remains eternally separated from God, because 

after death a return to God is no longer possible. "As the tree falls, 

so it remains lying." This eternal separation from God, the loss of 

the Supreme Good, is the greatest torture of hell, more horrible than 

the fiery ordeal. 

There are, therefore, very reasonable grounds, my dear brethren, 

for the eternity of hell-fire. Let us take these thoughts thoroughly 

to heart; they are calculated to strengthen our faith. Let the Divine 

Word have more weight with us than all human reasoning. We 

believe that the pains of hell are eternal, because God, the eternal, 

infallible truth, has revealed it, and presented it for our belief 

through His Holy Catholic Church. The humbler this faith, the 

better shall we understand how equitable and just this punishment is. 



THE ETERNITY OF HELL 25 

If we surrender our understanding in all obedience, if we accept this 

truth devoutly, and often reflect upon it, it will be well with us. The 

more we think of hell during life, the less we shall have to fear it at 

death. We are far from doubting the justice and goodness of God, 

in the thought of the eternal pains of the damned, rather we per-

ceive that an eternal punishment is the only means whereby God can 

guard His authority against the presumption and insults of His un-

grateful creatures. God is infinitely holy. For this reason He is 

obliged to abhor and punish wickedness eternally. 

If, perchance, then, dear brethren, you have fallen into grievous 

sin, be it only in thought, then reflect that you are standing upon 

the brink of hell, as long as that sin is not effaced by a good confes-

sion, or at least by perfect contrition, which includes the promise of 

a good confession. "Delay not to be converted to the Lord, and 

defer it not from day to day: for His wrath shall come on a sudden: 

and in the time of vengeance He will destroy thee" (Eccles. v, 8, 9) . 

Hasten to become reconciled to God, in the holy Sacrament of Pen-

ance, for death may come as a thief in the night. Make use of the 

time of grace given you for repentance, and you will escape the ter-

rible sentence which the ungodly receive at the hands of the just 

God. Amen. 



IO ETERNITY 

I I I . THE FOLLY OF SIN 

"Vanity of vanities, and all is vanity."—Eccles. i, 2. 

"Vanity of vanities, and all is vanity." Solomon came to this 

conclusion at the end of his life. From his own personal experience, 

he learned to despise the things of this world. As the bird on the 

ocean can find no place to rest, so there is nothing in this world 

where the soul of man can find rest and contentment. "I have seen 

all things that are done under the sun, and behold all is vanity, and 

vexation of spirit" (Eccles. i, 14). "I said in my heart: I will go 

and abound with delights, and enjoy good things. And I saw that 

this also was vanity. -Laughter I counted error, and to mirth I said: 

Why art thou vainly deceived ? . . . I made me great works; 

I built me houses and planted vineyards: I made gardens and or-

chards, and set them with trees of all kinds: and I made me ponds of 

water, to water therewith the wood of the young trees: I got me 

men servants and maid servants: and had a great family, and heads 

of oxen, and great flocks of sheep, above all that were before me in 

Jerusalem: I heaped together for myself silver and gold, and the 

wealth of kings, and provinces: I made me singing men, and singing 

women, and the delights of the sons of men, cups and vessels to 

serve to pour out wine: And I surpassed in riches all that were 

before me in Jerusalem: my wisdom also remained with me. And 

whatsoever my eyes desired, I refused them not: and I withheld not 

my heart from enjoying every pleasure, and delighting itself in the 

things which I have prepared: and when I turned myself to all the 

works which my hands had wrought, and to the labors wherein I 



THE FOLLY OF SIN 25 

had labored in vain, I saw in all things vanity, and vexation of mind, 

and that nothing was lasting under the sun" (Eccles. ii, i , etc.). 

Let us to-day contemplate the folly of the sinner who grievously 

offends God in order that he might : ( i ) Enjoy a temporary pleas-

ure, or (2) spare himself a temporary suffering. 

1. (a) "The perverse are hard to be corrected: and the number 

of fools is infinite" (Eccles. i, 15). We are reminded of these words 

when considering the actions of a great many people. Many there 

are who strive after empty honors. Others indulge in impurity. 

They seek their joys in the filth like unclean beasts. Others, again, 

endeavor to heap up treasures, without ever taking thought about 

their souls. Greed, sensuality, and vanity are the sources of untold 

. sins. This three-headed serpent is the mother of most vices. Hence, 

S t John admonishes us: "Love not the world, nor those things 

which are in the world. For all that is in the world, is the con-

cupiscence of the flesh, and ,the concupiscence of the eyes, and the 

pride of life. And the world passeth away, and the concupiscence 

thereof" (I. John ii, 15, 17). The world passeth away, and the con-

cupiscence thereof, yet the foolish man seeks unlawful pleasure with-

out considering the brief duration of his unholy pastime. Nor does 

he reflect on the consequences. I ask you, who perseverest in sin, 

are you a Christian ? Yes ! Do you believe that there is an eternity ? 

Yes ! Do you believe that God eternally rewards the good, and eter-

nally punishes the wicked ? You believe this ! But do you not, then, 

perceive the folly of indulging your evil passions and remaining in 

mortal sin ? How long will your unholy pleasure last ? At any rate 

you will have to abandon it at your death. "The world passeth 

away, and the concupiscence thereof." And for this unlawful and 

sinful pleasure of brief duration, you renounce the most holy joys, 

renounce eternal happiness 1 Is this not against reason and common 



IO 
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sense? If we offer to a small child the choice between a piece of 

candy and a costly diamond, he will choose the candy, and it does 

not surprise us, as the child has not yet the use of reason; he does 

not appreciate the diamond's value.' Do you perceive, dear brethren, 

how foolishly he acts who prefers the momentary sweetness of sin 

to an eternity of happiness? You know, your faith tells you, ex-

perience teaches you, that all worldly pleasures are vain and transi-

tory. Faith tells you also that the happiness of heaven is surpassing 

everything and is eternal. And still you choose the momentary en. 

joyment rather than eternal delight,and joy! Is not this folly? 

What would you think of the owner of a fine orchard who would 

hasten into his garden and gather the blossoms from the trees. Your 

first thought would be: that man has gone insane; in his right mind 

he would never do such a thing: he must know that the blossoms 

can do him no good, and he deprives himself of the fruit. Yet those 

who persevere in sin act in this way. They say, like the foolish man 

of whom we read in the Bible: "Come therefore and let us enjoy 

the good things that are present, and let not the flower of time pass 

by us" (Wis. ii, 6,7). If there are flowers of time, there is also a 

fruit of time, and this fruit of time is eternity. St. Bernard calls the 

works which we accomplish in this life the seeds of eternity. The 

foolish man plucks the blossoms of time. He wills to enjoy the 

pleasures of this world, and forfeits the fruits of eternity. He who 

spares not the blossom, will not reap the fruit. Those, however, who 

renounce the sinful pleasures of this world will accumulate in 

heaven the glorious fruits of eternal happiness. They will belong 

to the number of those of whom the Psalmist says: "Going they 

went and wept, casting their seeds: But coming they shall come 

with joyfulness, carrying their sheaves" (Ps. cxxv, 6). It will be 

said of them: "Blessed is he that is found without blemish. For he 



THE FOLLY OF SIN 27 

hath done wonderful things in this life" (Eccles. xxxi, 8, 9). Won-

derful things, because he did not allow himself to be deceived by the 

futile attractions of this world. "He that could have transgressed, 

and hath not transgressed: and could do evil things, and hath not 

done them: who hath been tried thereby, and made perfect, he shall 

have glory everlasting" (Eccles. xxxi, 10, 11). Oh, folly of the 

sinner, who plucks the blossoms of time, who wants to make himself 

a heaven after his own fashion in this world, and indulges in unlaw-

ful pleasures. Oh, folly of the sinner, who seeks his happiness in 

earthly honors, in possessions and pleasures, all these are like unto 

vapor, visible to the eye for a moment, and then vanishing. Oh, 

folly of the sinner, who will not practise renunciation, and who will 

be compelled to renounce eternal glory. 

(6) But how is it that even the Christian, who believes in an 

eternity, pursues the pleasures of the world against his own better 

conviction ? Why does he not shun the near occasion of sin ? How 

can he renounce heaven and eternal happiness to enjoy a momentary 

wretched pleasure ? What can induce him to do these foolish tilings ? 

St. James furnishes us with the answer: "Every man is tempted, 

being drawn away by his own concupiscenoe and allured. Then 

when concupiscence hath conceived it bringeth forth sin: but sin 

when it is completed, begetteth death" (James i, 14, 15). It is our 

evil nature which generates all vices.' The result is death of the 

soul, the loss of sanctifying grace and of Divine adoption, and, 

finally, eternal damnation. St. Paul writes, in his Epistle to the 

Galatians (v, 17) : "For the flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the 

spirit against the flesh, for these are contrary one to another," t. e., 

between sensuality and reason there rages a constant warfare: 

Reason, the spirit, desires the higher, nobler, supernatural posses-

sions. It finds rest only in God. Sensuality, on the contrary, strives 



IO 
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to drag the spirit into the mire of sin. This warfare is the result 

of original sin. Even the saints were subjected to this continuous 

struggle, from which they emerged gloriously as the conquerors. 

From this warfare not even St. Paul was spared. He complains, in 

the Second Epistle to the Corinthians (xii, 17) : "There was given 

me a sting of my flesh, an angel of Satan to buffet me." And in the 

Epistle to the Romans (vii, 23), he complains: "But I see another 

law in my members, fighting against the law of my mind. Unhappy 

man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" 

It is evident from these words that sensuality is a terrible enemy of 

the soul, to be overcome only by incessant warfare. Assisted by 

Divine Grace, the saints fought this battle victoriously. The 

thought of eternity steeled their wills so that they were not lured 

by the siren song of sensuality. And because in the five senses is 

found the fuel of the fire of concupiscence they watched them care-

fully. They crucified their flesh by rigorous penance, obedient to the 

exhortation of S t Paul: "And they who are Christ's have crucified 

their flesh, with the vices and concupiscences" (Gal. v, 24). Yet 

the most rigorous penance was trifling to them, urged on by the 

thought of eternity. What, indeed, is the most rigorous penance 

compared to eternal delight and joy? What is the transitory pen-

ance of this life compared to eternal torment? The serious thought 

of eternity is a mighty weapon against the fascinations of sin. 

(c) In order not to give way to the wrongful pleasures of the 

senses, Job made a covenant with his eyes. The eyes desired to look 

at dangerous objects. But his reason said: Look not upon them, and 

for this renunciation I promise you the everlasting blessed vision of 

God and of His angels and saints. In this manner his eyes were ap-

peased. You, too, dear Christian, should make a covenant like Job, 

not only with your eyes, but with all your senses. If your glance 



THE FOLLY OF SIN 
31 

rests upon a dangerous object, say to your eyes: Be closed to the 

vanities of this world, and for this you will behold, in heaven, Jesus, 

His most holy Mother, the elect, and all the wonders of the Divine 

Glory. If your feet would seek out a dangerous path, an occasion 

of sin: Stay away, you will say to them, and for this deprivation 

"an entrance shall be ministered to you abundantly into the ever-

lasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ" (II. Pet. 

i, 11). Your lips desire to utter impure or uncharitable words, and: 

Be silent, you say to them, and in eternity you shall never be tired 

of singing the sweetest hymns of praise. This, dear brethren, is 

making a covenant with our senses. In this way we are preserved 

from the follies to which concupiscence allures mankind. 

Should the consideration of eternal happiness not suffice, dear 

brethren, to conquer your sensual desires, then think seriously upon 

the eternal pains of hell. "This terrible punishment should move 

those whom the reward does not attract," says St. Augustine. Place 

upon one side of the scales the momentary pleasure of the senses, 

upon the other the unspeakable pains which threaten you if you 

satisfy your inordinate passions. Is it possible that the lure of a 

single pleasure has more weight with you than has eternal damna-

tion? When Saul was at war with the Philistines he forbade his 

people, under pain of death, to taste food before evening, until he 

had taken vengeance upon his enemies. This command was trans-

gressed by Jonathan. He found honey in the wilderness and ate of i t 

When Saul discovered that his command had been disobeyed, he 

said: "Know and see by whom this sin hath happened to-day. As 

the Lord liveth, if it was done by Jonathan my son, he shall surely 

die." And Jonathan lamented: "I did but taste a little honey, and 

behold, I must die" (I. Kings, xiv). Remember, my brethren, that 

the Lord has forbidden you under the pain of eternal death to par-



IO 
ETERNITY 

take of the sweets of sensuality. If a mortal sin casts you into hell, 

you will lament your folly for all eternity, but to no purpose. Would 

not the thought of having lost heaven on account of a wretched 

momentary pleasure plunge you into the extremity of despair? 

Therefore, if you have tasted of this unlawful honey of sin, hasten 

to become reconciled with God, invoke now the intercession of the 

Blessed Virgin, the angels and saints; for once in hell there will be 

no one to make intercession for you. 

2. (a) We have seen, dear brethren, how foolishly the sinner 

acts who offends God grievously in order to enjoy a vain, fleeting 

pleasure. And not only is temporal pleasure vain, but also temporal 

pain is vain when considered in the light of eternity. Some people 

sin in order to avoid suffering. Oh, folly of follies! Innumerable 

sins are committed in order to save one's self a contradiction, a hu-

miliation, an inconvenience. Suppose that you had to live in bitter 

poverty all your life, or to endure some other suffering, yet what is 

this compared to eternity? "The number of the days of men at the 

most are a hundred years; as a drop of water of the sea are they 

esteemed: and as a pebble of the sand, so are a few years compared 

to eternity." What is your life? St. James answers: "It is a vapor 

which appeared for a little while, and afterwards shall vanish away" 

(James iv, 15). Our life lasts really only a moment; the past be-

longs to us no more; and whether the present moment will be suc-

ceeded by another, we know not. "My days are nothing" (Job 

vii, 16). What, then, are the troubles and sufferings of this world? 

Nothing in comparison to eternity. Our momentary distress and 

adversity the good God will reward with everlasting joy, if we bear 

our cross with patience and persevere in the state of grace. But if 

you sin grievously, to shake off this momentary suffering, then you 

expose yourself to the danger of having to suffer eternally, if death 



THE FOLLY OF SIN 
33 

should surprise you in your sin. Does not sound reason tell us that 

of two evils we should choose the lesser? What folly, therefore, if 

you sin in order to spare yourself momentary and passing suffering. 

Which is greater, temporal or eternal suffering? We were sen-

tenced to temporal punishment when the Lord said to Adam in 

paradise: "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou re-

turn to the earth out'of which thou wast taken" (Gen. iii, 19). This 

was the sentence of Divine mercy. Another and quite different 

sentence will be pronounced at the end of time. Then the King 

will say to those gathered upon the left: "Depart from me, ye 

cursed, into everlasting fire" (Matt, xxv, 41). This is the sentence 

of the Divine justice. It will be the lot of those who will not submit 

to the sentence of mercy. It was unbearable for them to suffer in 

this world, and, therefore, they will have to suffer eternally. 

St. Bernard finds the difference of the two sentences in the little 

word "till." Adam was told: "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou 

eat bread, till thou return to the earth." In the sentence of con-

demnation at the end of the world there will be no "until." The 

punishment the damned will suffer will not be fixed by time, but 

by eternity. Depart from Me into everlasting fire! Oh, folly of the 

sinner, who grievously offends God to escape temporal suffering! 

Let us suppose, dear brethren, that God would send an angel 

to announce to you that you will live for six hundred years. The 

angel will tell you that if you consent to live the first five years in 

poverty, distress, tribulation, and suffering, then you shall pass all 

the remaining years in delight and comfort. On the other hand, 

you may live the first five years in comfort and pleasure, and shall 

pass the other 595 years in misery and wretchedness. Who, under 

such circumstances, would not choose to spend the first five years in 

deprivation? Now I ask you: What are the few years of life com-



IO 
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pared to the millions and millions of years of eternity? Is it not 

folly to refuse to submit to the hardships which a virtuous life in-

volves, when we can gain everlasting bliss thereby ? Is there greater 

folly than to incur eternal damnation for a fleeting enjoyment? Are 

they fools who bear their cross with patience in order to be saved, 

or they, who, Impatient of sufferings and prohibition, plunge into 

vice and risk eternal damnation ? The world calls blessed those who 

do not suffer. But the Saviour tells us: "Blessed are the poor, 

blessed are the mourners, blessed are those who suffer persecu-

tion." Remain, therefore, faithful to God, dear brethren, for brief 

is the suffering, eternal the joy. 

(b) Now, then, answer me, you who are revengeful, why will you 

not give up your enmity? Is it not true that you fear the small 

humiliation of first holding out your hand to your enemy? You 

say: What will the people say if I let this offence pass unheeded? 

They will take me for a coward. But why do you not ask: What 

will God say if I persevere in enmity, God, who will be my judge, 

before whose throne I must appear? You do not ask: How will 

the devil and the damned rejoice when I appear amongst them with 

this hatred in my heart? They will laugh at your foolishness, be-

cause you preferred eternal torment to a slight humiliation. And 

you, who are in unlawful possession of your neighbor's property. 

Why do you not give back that which does not rightfully belong to 

you? Is it not a fact that you fear you would have to limit your 

expenditure if you would make restitution of the unlawful prop-

erty? Tell me, do you expect to buy your rescue from hell with 

this unlawful property? I ask those who intentionally conceal sins 

in confession: Why do you commit this sacrilege? Why do you 

profane the holy Sacrament? Alas, you dread the trifling shame 

connected with the confession of that particular sin. Which is then 



THE FOLLY OF SIN 33 

the lesser evil, to be put to shame before an individual, only for a 

moment, or to stand before God and the whole world in ignominy 

and disgrace for all eternity? I ask others: Why do you riot give 

up the vice of cursing, swearing, and blaspheming? Because you 

will not use violence to yourself. Wo unto you, if your cursing casts 

you into eternal despair, where curses and blasphemies will forever 

be rampant! 

Dear brethren, think of eternity when temptation approaches 

you. This thought will strengthen you in the combat. It will not 

be difficult to observe the commandments when eternity is before our 

eyes. The Psalmist says, in the 118th Psalm: "Thy commandment 

is exceeding broad" (96). Why does he call the Divine law "ex-

ceeding broad" when Jesus Christ says: "Narrow is the gate, and 

strait is the way which leads to life" (Matt, vii, 14). Cardinal 

Hugo explains that to the Psalmist the way to heaven appears broad, 

because directly before he had been thinking on eternity. The way 

to heaven is truly narrow, few there are who walk thereon. Most 

men find the Divine Commandments too hard. For this reason they 

rush into the easy road and to ruin. Dear brethren, only momentary 

is the pleasure which sin affords. Brief is the suffering that 

oppresses us here below. Let us not be so foolish as to wish to free 

ourselves by sinning. In eternity, the brief pain of this life which 

we have borne for love of God will be rewarded with eternal joy, 

whereas the brief sinful pleasure will be punished with endless tor-

ment. Consider this truth, and you will say with the Prophet: "The 

way is broad." It is difficult and in opposition to your sensual 

nature to love your enemy; it may be hard to make restitution of 

unrightful property. But reflect what it means to lose eternal hap-

piness, and to suffer eternal damnation. "I have seen an end of all 

perfection, thy commandment is exceeding broad." Amen. 



IO 
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I V . PENANCE AND ETERNITY 

"For I am ready for scourges."—Ps. xxxvii, 18. 

The holy season of Lent is a time of penance. Holy Church calls 

upon us to "do penance, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand" 

(Matt, iii, 2). Many people become frightened when they hear 

the word penance. It is true the proper penance must be rigorous, 

enduring, and earnest; it should be an expiation for our sins and 

tend to reconcile us to the divine Justice. A half-hearted penance, 

one that does not crucify the flesh, nor humble the spirit, avails 

naught. A real, sincere, strict penance is required of us; neverthe-

less, we need not be afraid of it; for the more severe the penance, 

the sweeter and more efficacious it will be. Though it may chasten 

the spirit, crucify the flesh, oppose worldly desires, enforce self-

renunciation and denial, yet only such penance is capable of 

rendering the converted sinner happy, because it restores rest and 

peace to the conscience, fills the soul with the joy of the Holy 

Spirit, and will protect us from the Judgment to come. Mary 

Magdalen experienced this consoling fruit of penance. While yet a 

sinner, continual warfare raged in her soul. She was tormented by 

her passions and consumed with remorse of conscience. But 

heavenly peace and holy joy flooded her soul when she trod the path 

of rigorous penance. As a penitent she lies humble and contrite at 

the feet of the divine Saviour. Her heart melted with sorrow and 

joy when she heard the consoling words from the Lord's lips: "Thy 

sins are forgiven tlice; ,go in peace" (Luke vii, 48, 50). This 

Divine peace, in which the penitent is made to participate, this peace, 



PENANCE AND ETERNITY 35 

which, according to the words of the holy Apostle, surpasses all 

understanding, this peace sweeter than all the pleasures of 

this world, this peace which the world hath not, and cannot give, 

it alone should suffice to induce the sinner to penance. Because 

many persons shrink from doing penance, let us to-day consider it 

in the light of eternity and we shall learn: ( i ) How foolish he is 

who will not do penance in this life. (2) How the impenitent are 

warned of their folly by the testimony of the blessed and of the 

damned. 

I. (a) Reading the lives of the saints, we are amazed at the 

severe acts of penance which they took upon themselves. Many 

passed their nights in vigils and prayers, allowing themselves little 

rest on a hard bed or even on the floor. They fasted, living only 

on bread and water. They endured heat and cold, denied them-

selves every convenience, and scourged their bodies most severely. 

Not content with crucifying their flesh, they humbled their spirit, 

accepting insults, ridicule and contempt with equanimity, even with 

joy. They sought humiliation and abasement. They considered 

it a joy to suffer ignominy for the sake of Jesus. Penitential 

exercises, such as these, appear to the average man unbearable. 

But they are not unbearable when considered in the light of eternity. 

Most rigid penances seemed easy to the Saints in comparison with 

eternal joy on the one hand, and eternal torments on the other. 

They were convinced that man must merit heaven by suffering. In 

order to dwell eternally with Jesus in heaven, they would suffer 

with Him in life, mindful of the words of the Apostle: "If we be 

dead with Him, we shall live also with Him; if we suffer, we shall 

also reign with Him" (II. Tim. ii, 11, 12). For this reason they 

proved themselves as servants of God, in patience, in adversity, in 

distress, in prison, in labor, in fastings. With long suffering, with 



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sweetness in charity unfeigned, that bore with those who despised, 

hated, and persecuted them. Rejoicing they served the Lora! 

through honor and dishonor, through infamy and good name. "In 

the eyes of the world they had a troubled life, and yet they were even 

joyful" (II. Cor. vi). Why ? Because penance was sweet and easy 

to them in the thought of eternity. Always bearing about in their 

bodies their crucified Saviour, in the blessed hope that one day the 

"life also of Jesus might be made manifest in their bodies" (II. 

Cor. iv, 10). 

They wanted to die with Jesus in order to live with Him in ever-

lasting glory. They said with the Apostle: "Our present tribula-

tion, which is momentary and light, worketh for us above measure 

exceedingly an eternal weight of glory" (II. Cor. iv, 17). They 

were convinced "that the sufferings of this present time are not 

worthy to be compared with the glory to come which shall be 

revealed to us" (Rom. viii, 18). They rejoiced in ignominy and 

contempt, for faith told them: "Think not strange the burning heat 

which is to try you, as if some new thing happened to you, but 

rejoice, being partakers of the sufferings of Christ, that when His 

glory shall be revealed you may also be glad with exceeding joy. 

For if you be reproached for the name of Christ you shall be happy 

for that which is of the honor, glory and power of God, and that 

which is his spirit, resteth upon you" (I. Pet. iv, 12-14), namely, 

when you suffer and do penance in the Spirit of Jesus Christ, thé 

Holy Spirit will be within you, which is the pledge of our eternal 

honor and glory. 

See, dear brethren, how the Saints did penance because they 

reflected on eternal happiness. Among them were those who walked 

in innocence, who never grievously onended God, like St. Aloysius. 

What, then, must be required of those who grievously sin? For 



PENANCE AND ETERNITY 37 

them penance is absolutely necessary. You must crucify your flesh, 

and humble your spirit, you who have sinned, if you would be 

saved. How am I to do penance, you say? Must I watch and 

pray whole nights? Must I live on bread and water? Calm your-

self, my friend. God demands no extraordinary penitential exercises. 

Do penance by faithfully and conscientiously performing the duties 

of holy religion, even at some inconvenience and effort. Recite your 

morning and night prayers, say grace at meals, attend holy Mass 

on Sundays and Holy days of obligation, and on other days if you 

can, observe the fast days. If you do this, you make acts of self-

denial; you are performing penitential works. On days of absti-

nence refrain from eating flesh meat. By fasting and abstinence you 

will chastise your flesh. Avoid excess in eating and drinking, 

though your desires may incite you to intemperance. Thus you 

will practise mortification and renunciation. Avoid dangerous 

pleasures, such as excite concupiscence and are an occasion for sin. 

It may cost you some effort, but you will be practising self-denial and 

sacrifice and do penance. Bear with patience all suffering and 

adversity which the good God may send you. This will be penance 

of great merit. Accept your crosses in the spirit of penance; those 

crosses which your station and position in life may impose upon 

you. You see how manifold your opportunities are to crucify your 

flesh and to humble your spirit. If offended by another, humble 

your spirit and forgive. Forgiveness is penance, because it means 

a combat against your pride. If ridiculed because you fulfil your 

duties as a Christian, bear the contempt for the love of the Cruci-

fied who also was ridiculed. Such penance will wipe out a multitude 

of sins. There are a thousand opportunities of doing penance and 

of faithfully observing the will of God. 

In this holy season of Lent there is required a special penance and 



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humiliation, namely, the confession of your sins. Dear brethren, 

God requires of you nothing excessively difficult or impossible. 

But what He does require is necessary in order to participate in 

His eternal and superabundant glory. What folly, therefore, to 

fear this small penance, and to lose in consequence the "inheritance 

incorruptible, undefiled, reserved in heaven" for those who do 

penance. 

(b) Should the promise of eternal glory not be sufficiently 

powerful to move you to penance, then let the threat of eternal 

torment do it. Penance must be done, whether in this life or in 

the next. O, folly of the sinner, who lives unrepentant, dies unre-

pentant, to do penance eternally, when penance will no longer avail 

him I The sinner has many idle excuses for persevering in frivolity 

and indifference. The demands of the law of God and the Church 

appear too severe to him. He gives ear to his sensual nature, that 

advises him, "Let thy heart be in that which is good, walk in the 

ways of thy heart, and in the sight, of thy eyes" (Eccl. II, 9 . This 

siren song of sensuality charms him to such an extent that he 

considers it impossible to practise renunciation, self-denial, and 

penance. Poor man! If a small temporal penance appears so 

unbearable to you, how will you be able to bear eternal hell fire? 

The story is related of a delicate young man who entered a religious 

order of severe rule. A friend tried to make him leave the order, 

suggesting that on account of his feeble health the youth would 

hardly be able to stand the severe penitential practise. But the 

youth answered, "If I am to consider my comfort and avoid the 

practises of penance in this short term of life, how could I bear 

to be tortured forever in hell fire. I prefer a brief temporal penance 

in order to escape an eternal one." Dear brethren, so should you 

speak to your sensual nature, when it would deter you from the 



PENANCE AND ETERNITY 39 

exercise of reasonable penance. Say to yourself: I find it hard to 

bear the burn of hot wax from a candle, alas, how would I endure 

hell fire! Say to yourself: If I can not now endure humiliation and 

contempt, what would become of me if the devil and the damned in 

hell would ridicule and mock me for all eternity! 

O, folly of the sinner, who in this life will not do penance, so as 

to escape eternal penance. Even an eternal headache would be 

unbearable, and yet if the damned were given their choice between 

a fiery ordeal for a thousand years, or a headache for all eternity, 

they would prefer the fiery ordeal; they would prefer the hope of a 

final relief to the despair of eternal suffering. Now, then, if even 

a headache lasting eternally appears unbearable to us, how can we 

calmly think of hell fire? It is really inconceivable how anybody 

could, with this thought in mind, expose himself to such danger by 

committing, or remaining, in mortal sin. 

Once there came to a saint, so it is related, a great sinner, who 

had never thought of amendment and penance. The saint had com-

passion on this man's state of soul and promised that he would 

perform some penitential works for him, provided his visitor 

would undertake, in return for this favor, to remain lying upon 

one side in his bed the whole of the following night. "If that is 

all you wish me to do," said the sinner, laughingly, "that will be 

easy." That night, remembering his promise, he determined 

to do as the saint had requested. After less than half an hour he 

felt a strong inclination to change his position. But he resisted, 

as he desired to keep his promise. Soon it became quite un-

bearable to remain longer in this position. It seemed to him that 

in his whole life he had never been so uncomfortable. Still he 

remained in his position, until at last he could stand the torture no 

longer, and he thought, If I cannot bear to lie in an uncomfortable 



IO 
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position for a short while, what, if I had to bear the fire of hell 
for all eternity? 

My dear brethren, recall to mind the punishment that awaits the 

sinner in the hereafter, and assuredly you will not persevere in 

grievous sin; you will not delay your contrition and penance; you 

will cheerfully and in the spirit of penance accept the crosses which 

the good God may send you1; you will be reminded that all the 

sufferings of this time are trifling compared with the eternal punish-

ment of hell. 

II. (a) The sinner who considers penance in the light of 

eternity should exclaim with the Psalmist: "I am ready for 

scourging." I will gladly do penance in this world, if only I 

may be spared in eternity! How foolish I have been to have so 

long delayed repentance and amendment! To what awful peril 

have I exposed myself! Certainly it is the height of folly to post-

pone one's repentance, and then be obliged to repent for all 

eternity. 

If all these considerations are not sufficient to convince the sinner, 

let him listen to the testimony of the blessed and the damned who 

testify from their own experience. Come with me, dear brethren, 

to the gate of the heavenly Jerusalem! Behold there the army of 

holy patriarchs and prophets. See the choir of the holy apostles, 

the glorious army of the martyrs, of holy confessors and virgins. 

"The Lord has wiped the tears from their eyes. And death shall 

be no more; nor morning; nor crying, nor sorrow shall be any 

more" (Apoc. xxi, 4). Ask these blessed souls about the sufferings 

which they endured in this world; ask them concerning the martyr-

dom they underwent, the rigorous works of penance they practised! 

What will they answer? Their answer will be that which the divine 

Saviour gave to the Disciples on the road to Emmaus. These 



PENANCE AND ETERNITY 
43 

Disciples were discussing the bitter passion and death of their 

Lord and Master. "And while they talked together of all 

these things which had happened, it came to pass that Jesus him-

self drew near and went with them. But their eyes were held 

that they should not know him. And he said to them: 'What are 

these discourses that you hold one with another as you walk?' 

And the one whose name was Cleophas, answering, said to him: 

'Art thou alone a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast thou not known 

the things that have been done there in these days?' The Saviour 

—answered: 'What things?' 'What has happened?' " (Luke xxiv, 

14). A remarkable question from the lips of the Lord! Dost thou, 

Oh Lord, no longer remember that they sentenced Thee to the cruel 

death of the Cross? Have the scourges, the crown of thorns, the 

toilsome road of the Cross vanished from Thy memory? And the 

three hours of agony upon the Cross? Hast Thou forgotten Thy 

death amid the mockery of Thy enemies ? How canst Thou then ask: 

" 'What has happened?' " And yet, dear brethren, this question was 

not put in vain, for from the lips of the eternal Wisdom proceed no 

useless words. In this question is concealed a profound mystery. 

Christ, the Lord, wanted to make known by this question that what-

ever He had endured appeared now as quite insignificant; that since 

the Resurrection His sufferings seemed small in comparison with His 

glory. For this reason He inquired: "What has happened?" as if 

He thought no longer of the terrible torture He has suffered. 

So, too, will the blessed ask, dear brethren, if you inquire -about 

their sufferings, their penitential works, their martyrdoms, endured 

on this earth. What sufferings? What pains? What persecutions? 

They say, "We think no more about them in the inexpressible happi-

ness that we enjoy. Of what mortification and penances are you 

speaking? We think no more about them. They were not to be 



IO ETERNITY 

compared to the glory and splendor which we now enjoy. The 

suffering lasted but a moment, but the joy lasts eternally." O, 

folly of the sinner, who disdains to do a small penance for a short 

time, and thereby loses heaven for all eternity. 

(b) I shall lead you now, dear brethren, from the gates of the 

heavenly Jerusalem to the gates of hell. Enter in spirit into that 

awful prison, into that exterior darkness where the worm never 

dies and the fire is not quenched. There you see persons of every 

walk in life, amongst them many who had received the gift of 

faith, but the words of the Psalmist have been verified in, them: 

"They are all gone aside; they are become unprofitable together" 

(Ps. xiii, 3). Gone aside from the path of virtue, turned from the 

narrow way that led to eternal life. They have become unprofitable 

as the withered vine branch; therefore, they are cast into the fire 

that never ceases. There you find no consolation—no hope. Ask them 

about the comfort, the honors, the pleasures which they enjoyed 

upon earth. They will say: "What comforts, what pleasures?" 

The tortures they now endure have wiped out the memory of what-

ever enjoyments they had on earth. They will say: "We pay dearly 

for our momentary pleasures. Here we are lying in the pool that 

seethes with fire and brimstone. Our torture is unspeakable, without 

hope, without alleviation, without consolation, without end!" They 

call out to the sinner: "Now you are making merry, you follow the 

inclinations of your heart and the desires of your eyes. You sin 

fearlessly. This is what we did when on earth, like you. And you 

will be doing the same as we are doing now, after you die." There 

it stands, the damned soul, enveloped in fire, surrounded by demons, 

burned with pain, devoured by worms! How wretched it looks, 

how sad, how repelling! Ask this soul: "Why were you damned?" 

"I was damned," it answers, "because I scoffed at the priest, because 



PENANCE AND ETERNITY 43 

I did not amend my life, because I would not forgive, because I 

would not make restitution of stolen property, because I was a slave 

to vice! I was damned because death overtook me in grievous 

sin, because I died impenitent!" "And how long have you been in 

hell?" "It seems to me over a hundred thousand years." "And 

how long have you to remain there?" And with a curse the damned 

soul shrieks: "For all eternity! Forever and ever!" 

Behold, O sinner, how recklessly you behave if you fail to do 

penance. Take counsel with yourself and ask: "Where am I in 

reality?" You will be obliged to answer: "I stand between heaven 

and hell." What is this life other than a narrow path, a straight 

road, upon which we pass to the shores of eternity. With what care 

and attention would you not tread if you were obliged to pass across 

an abyss on a board only a foot wide. Would you shut your eyes? 

That would not be possible. Why? Because you would be in 

terror of falling. How then can you be so careless and shut you eyes 

to the danger of falling into the abyss of hell? 

Choose now; it will be either torture with the damned eternally, 

or life with the saints in eternal joy. Choose now and choose at 

once! After death there is no longer any choice. Amen. 



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V . O N THE THRESHOLD OF ETERNITY 

"Remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth, before the time of 
affliction come . . . and the spirit return to God who gave it"—Eccl . 
cxxi, 7. 

There is a moment in the lives of all men that will decide forever 

their fate. This is the last conscious moment before death. O awful 

moment, that decides for us eternal happiness or unhappiness. How 

important that we should never lose sight of that all-important mo-

ment upon which our eternity depends. Listen, therefore, dear 

brethren, and I shall try and picture vividly to you the grave mo-

ment in which you will yield up your spirit ;• that critical moment, the 

like of which does not again come in this life or after; that solemn 

moment which is the end of time and the beginning of eternity; 

that telling moment, the most important of our lives, in which will 

be pronounced the irrevocable sentence; that blissful moment for 

the just, that sinister moment for the unrepentant sinner. The de-

cision rendered at that eventful moment will never be altered 

throughout eternity. For those who during life earnestly and fre-

quently consider this moment, its terrors will be diminished. The 

contemplation of that moment, the threshold of eternity, will: 

1. Arouse us from indifference. 

2. Liberate our hearts from the inordinate love of the things of 

this world. 

3. Incite us to a holy zeal in employing the time of our life for the 

good of our soul. 

I. (a) There are people who are not at all impressed by any 

thought or consideration of things eternal. But there is hardly any-

one who is not impressed by the thought of this last moment on 



ON THE THRESHOLD OF ETERNITY • 45 

earth, that moment on which depends a happy or unhappy eternity. 

We know the parables of the Lord about the wise and foolish 

virgins (Matt. 25). They went forth to meet the bridegroom. 

The foolish virgins took their lamps, but carelessly forgot the oil. 

The wise virgins provided oil for their lamps. The wise virgins 

are a symbol of the zealous Christians who feed the light of faith 

with the oil of good works. The foolish virgins signify sinners, who, 

although they wish to be favored by the bridegroom, yet neglect the 

oil of good works. When the bridegroom was delayed, the virgins 

slept. At midnight a cry was made: "Behold the bridegroom 

cometh;' go ye forth to meet him." The bridegroom means the 

Judge coming for the particular judgment, at the moment of death. 

At the cry the wise and the foolish virgins arose. But the awakening 

availed not the foolish virgins, because they had no oil for their 

lamps. They are a likeness of the souls who appear before the di-

vine tribunal without good works. The parable says: "At mid-

night there was a cry made," i. e., at a time least expected the mo-

ment of death will approach, and the coming of the Judge will 

be announced. Midnight is the moment when one day ends and a 

new day begins. So shall we, when cry of death is made, stand be-

tween time and eternity. The time of our life has ended, eternity 

begins. O, that we may not awaken too late, and not in vain, like 

the foolish virgins who were not given time to fill their lamps. 

Listen, therefore, with attention to the cry of the Gospel, announc-

ing the advent of the Judge at the end of your life. God grant that 

you may not delay to provide the oil, and that you may be ready 

when the Lord comes. "Rise thou that sleepest, and arise from the 

dead, and Christ will enlighten you" (Eph. v, 14). 

(b) Dear brethren, would the ticking of a clock awaken a sound 

sleeper? No; but when the moment arrives for which the alarm, 



IO 
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is set, then there is a noise that awakens those in deep sleep. The 

life of man may be likened to an alarm-clock. The time for 

awakening is set by God for a moment unknown to us. The tick-

ings of this clock are the numerous infirmities, sufferings, accidents 

that befall us. They are to remind you, dear Christians, that the 

time of your life is gradually running down: Yet, how few give heed 

to this! They have become accustomed to these events of life. 

They notice not that they are approaching death, having become so 

used to the tick of the clock that they no longer hear it. But the 

moment of awakening will come, the time of your death, when the 

life of your body, like the wheels of the clock, will have run down, 

when the soul must depart the body and go to its destination, pass 

into eternity. When this alarm of death calls, you will awaken. But 

wo to you, if you are then not equipped for the journey which you 

will undertake. Take care, therefore, to inquire what you may ex-

pect when the clock of your life shall have run down. Prepare now 

for the call of the Lord in that last hour, awaken now from the 

sleep of tepidity and sin, anticipate the. coming of the Judge. Re-

member, dear brethren, that time will inevitably be there for you 

some day. The physician and the members of your family will note 

the approach of death, and they will advise you to prepare your soul. 

This will be a shocking surprise to those who expected that they 

had many years to live; terrible news for those who until then have 

led a life of indifference or of sin. Reflect, dear brethren, upon 

this situation! Quickly your strength fails, your breathing becomes 

difficult, your vision is obscured, hands and feet grow cold, cold 

sweat gathers upon the brow, the senses are dulled, and, finally, 

that awful moment arrives, that heart-rending moment, when the 

soul leaves the body, death has come. Who can bear to think of it ? 

Who can remain indifferent at a deathbed scene! Yet there will 



ON THE THRESHOLD OF ETERNITY • 47 

come the time when you, my friend, will be prostrated upon your 

deathbed, and death, the fate of every man, will claim you. 

II. (a) Let us imagine, dear brethren, that at the last moment of 

this life we are placed upon a high rock from which we can see on 

the one side our lifetime, and upon the other, eternity. What will 

you think then of your temporal life? It will appear as nothing to 

you. Brief will appear its seventy or eighty years at that moment, 

as compared to eternity. What will remain of the years of your life ? 

Nothing! But what of the existence that follows ? Eternity without 

end, eternal glory, or eternal punishment. Can you venture then, 

on account of a life so insignificant, to put your eternal existence in 

danger ? 

(b) Let us suppose further that the evil spirit shows you from 

the heights of this rock, as he showed the Saviour, the riches and 

treasures of this world. You have a great liking for these things. 

The evil one whispers to you: "All these will I give thee if thou wilt 

forsake God and serve me." Christ, the Lord, however, shows you, 

on the other side, the land of eternity with unending delights, or 

never-ending torments. Could you really for earthly gain put your 

eternity in danger and forfeit your salvation? Do not let the evil 

spirit impose upon you. What will you think of the vanity of this 

world when, at the last moment, your eyes will be opened, and you 

are about to cross the threshold of eternity ? What will these things 

avail you in the hour of death? Can they protect you from the just 

wrath of the divine Judge? If, at that decisive moment, you are not 

in the state of sanctifying grace, all the wealth and wisdom of the 

wide world will not avail you! 

(c) How will the sensual pleasures of the world that once fasci-

nated your heart, appear to you when your eye rests upon the land 

of eternity? You will be as a man who is awakened from a dream. 



IO 
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The Psalmist says: "As the dream of them that awake, 0 Lord, so in 

thy city thou shalt bring their image to nothing" (Ps. lxxii, 20). 

Take note of the words: "As the dream of them that awaken, thou 

shalt bring their image to nothing." The impression of a dream is 

deep upon the sleeper, but it vanishes when sleep is past. And so it 

will be with you, O sinner, at the last moment of your life, if you 

now give yourself to the vain dreams of sensuality. 

(d) Let us proceed to the labors and afflictions of this life, how 

will they appear when you are standing on the brink of eternity. 

How trivial, indeed, are they! If you carry your crosses for the 

love of God, you will justly wonder that the good God rewards so 

little suffering with eternal joy. But if in your life you have 

shunned the crosses of penance, your conscience will bitterly re-

proach you, that to avoid a little suffering you have forfeited such 

great happiness. St. Peter of Alcantara, who had led a penitential 

life, appeared shortly after his death to another saint and said: "O 

blessed penance that has brought me to such glory." The just for-

get all the tribulations they had to undergo in this life when they 

contemplate the eternal happiness upon which they are entering. 

When Joseph was set free from the dungeon and became Viceroy of 

Egypt, he named the first son born to him Manasses and said: "God 

hath made me forget all my labors" (Gen. xli, 51). The word 

Manasses means: causing forgetfulness. O all you, who are 

suffering and afflicted, bear your crosses with patience, and at the 

last moment of your life you will exclaim with Joseph: "The Lord 

hath made me forget all my labors." 

(e) When Pope Leo XI was on his deathbed his confessor said 

to him: "Your holiness may be confident, for you have the keys of 

the kingdom of heaven in your hands," to which the Pope answered: 

"It would be a greater consolation for me had I been charged with 



ON THE THRESHOLD OF ETERNITY • 49 

the keys of a monastery during my life." When Philip III, King of 

Spain, a pious potentate, of whom it was said that throughout his 

life he never committed a grievous sin, was reminded at the hour of 

death of his royal honors, he said: "Rather would I have been a 

poor friar than a king." If, therefore, even the highest honors are 

considered so little at the moment of death, what can be said of 

lesser ones? Only the consciousness of having loved and feared 

God, and nothing else, will inspire us with confidence and hope at 

the last moment. 

, III. (a) Dear brethren, let this be a warning to us to despise 

the vanities of the world. The consideration of the last moment, 

upon which eternity depends, should incite us to a holy zeal in em-

ploying well the time of our life. At that critical moment the time 

which Divine Mercy has given us to prepare will be concluded. 

Then will be finished the fruitful years of grace. In this life we 

are given the heavenly manna of Divine Mercy. But he who does 

not gather this bread during his life, who does not co-operate with 

the merciful grace of God to make his election sure, will have 

squandered his golden opportunities. He who now "sows in spirit," 

who now leads a spiritual truly Christian life, will then reap eternal 

life. But he who now sows in the flesh, who is a slave to sin and 

vice, he will at that moment "reap destruction." 

(6) In the Secret Revelation of St. Joha we read: "And I saw 

another mighty angel come down from heaven clothed with a cloud, 

and a rainbow upon his head; and his face was as the sun, and his 

feet as pillars of fire . . . and he set his right foot upon the 

ea . and his left foot upon the land, . . . he swore by him that 

liveth forever and ever, that time shall be no more" (Apoc. x, i ) . 

The angel placed one foot upon the sea, and the other upon the 

earth, because the sea is an image of eternity, and earth the image 



IO ETERNITY 

of time. Between life and eternity, a picture of the moment of 
death! 

What would you not give at the moment of death for even 

one hour's grace. But in vain, your time is up. And can you im-

agine that you will be able to do at the moment of your death that 

which you will not do now ? What can you do when your mind 

becomes obscured ? What, when your senses forsake you, when your 

sight is extinguished, and your ear is closed to advice. What can 

you do when your will, so long enslaved to evil desires, has be-

come incapable of forming even one good resolution. How diffi-

cult it is to direct our thoughts to serious things even when a slight 

headache bothers us, and how can you expect to make a good confes-

sion, of a life-long series of sins, when sick unto death? The 

Apostle advises: "Be wise, and redeem the time" (Eph. v, 16). 

Time ought to be as precious to us as a jewel purchased at an enor-

mous price. "No earthly treasure," says St. Alphonsus,. "is of as 

much value as even a single moment of time." When once death is 

at hand time can no longer be purchased at any price. 

Now, let me ask you, dear brethren, what have you done so far 

to prepare yourselves for that critical moment upon which your 

eternity depends ? How have you spent your life ? You know not 

when your time will expire. How can you afford to be careless? 

How can you go on living in sin ? Where is your faith, your reason, 

your common sense, if you do not employ the term of your life in 

preparation for your death? Be wise in time, and live ajs if every 

day might be your last, as in truth it may be. Hate and avoid sin, 

especially mortal sin. And should you have the misfortune of sin-

ning grievously, let nothing prevent you from going to Confession 

at the earliest opportunity. Let us take to heart the words of St. 

Peter to "make sure our election by good works," for thus "an 



ON THE THRESHOLD OF ETERNITY • 51 

entrance shall be ministered to you abundantly into the everlasting 

kingdom of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ" (Pet. i, 10, 11). 

Death makes no distinction between youth and old age. "Remem-

ber thy Creator in the days of thy youth, before the time of afflic-

tion come, before the pitcher be crushed at the fountain, before the 

dust return unto its earth, and the spirit return to God who gave 

it" (Eccl. xii). Amen. 



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V I . T H E IMPENITENT SINNER ON THE THRESHOLD OF ETERNITY 

"The sorrows of death surrounded me, and the torrents of iniquity troubled 
ine."—Ps. xvii, 5. 

Once more we will direct our thoughts to that grave moment upon 

which our eternity depends. We have learned how the consideration 

of this important subject is well calculated to rouse us from the 

sleep of indifference. We have seen how this thought of death 

incites to the employment of the time of life for the good of our 

souls. It is for this very end that God gives man time in this world 

so that he may be well prepared to appear before the divine Majesty, 

adorned with merit and virtue. One of the first things we learned in 

the Catechism is that God made us to know Him, to love Him, and 

to serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him forever in the 

next. "With him that feareth the Lord," says the book of Wisdom, 

"it shall go well in the latter end, and in the day of his death he 

shall be blessed" (Eccl. i, 13). But how will the sinner fare who 

never gave thought to eternity; to whom "the worship of God was 

an abomination" (Eccl. ¡,32). What will he do at that last ,moment 

when he stands between time and eternity ? What will all his worldly 

affairs and successes avail him, when he has failed to attend to his 

chief business, the salvation of his soul? What assistance will he 

derive from the sinful deeds in which he sought delectation? He 

will arrive at the threshold of eternity: 

1. In fear of the evil one, who drives him to despair. 

2. In fear of the multitude and gravity of his sins. 

3. In fear of divine Justice. 



THE IMPENITENT SINNER ON THE THRESHOLD OF ETERNITY 53 

4. In fear of damnation. 

Let us contemplate the fear of the sinner at his death, so as to 

obtain from this contemplation a wholesome fear of sin and of 

spiritual sloth. 

I. St. John records, in his Secret Revelation, that he heard a loud 

voice in heaven, saying: "Wo to the earth and to the sea, because 

the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, knowing that 

he hath but a short time" (Rev. xii, 12). Sinners like to persuade 

themselves that they are safe from death, at least for a long time to 

come. . They avoid all thought of death. The devil, who during 

their lifetime exerted his flattery to tempt them, will now, in the hour 

of their death, come in great wrath to wage war upon them. Why 

is his wrath so great at this hour ? He knows that only a short time 

remains to him to overpower the soul of that dying man. If he wins, 

the soul will be his for all eternity; if he looses, all his former 

work has been in vain. The shorter, therefore, the time, the greater 

his wrath and rage. It is probable, even, that the soul at that 

fateful moment is attacked not only by one, but by many evil spirits. 

When the people of Israel marched out of Egypt, Pharaoh 

assembled his entire army and pursued the people of God. Thus 

the devil calls upon all the powers of hell when the soul is leaving the 

body. The temptations will be stronger and more numerous. The 

evil spirit, who formerly, when the sinner was in good health, and 

presuming upon the mercy of God, promised him a long life in his 

career of sin, will now whisper to the dying man: "If even the just 

man is only with difficulty saved, what can you hope for? There 

is no mercy for you! He who leads a bad life cannot die a good 

death!" And, while thus plunging the dying man into despair, the 

evil spirit will change about and inspire false hopes. "What are you 

afraid of? You will not die in this illness! You will get 



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better. Do not let them frighten you! There is plenty of time 

to confess your sins, to make restitution of unjustly gotten 

property 1" Again, the devil resorts to other tactics. He will'incite 

the poor sick man to impatience, to anger against God. , "God is 

unjust towards you. Here you are in your best years upon a sick-

bed, while others no better than you are healthy and well! You did 

not trouble about God all your life, and He will not bother with you 

now! Be consistent and show that you are not a coward! Only 

weaklings want a priest at their deathbed!" So will the devil 

torment the sick man or woman. It happens not infrequently that 

at the hour of death an old passion, a deep-rooted sinful habit, 

a malignant hatred towards our neighbor, or an impure inclination, 

makes a last powerful attack and puts the soul in extreme peril. 

Doubts about faith are not infrequent, especially when the mind has 

been poisoned by the reading of bad books, or through association 

with scoffers. The devil will suggest: "Be ashamed of your fear! 

Why trouble now about matters in which you never really believed! 

There is no God, no Judgment, no heaven, no hell, no immortality!" 

Alas, how will the poor soul be able to withstand this onslaught, 

not having prepared itself for it during life, having, on the contrary, 

consented to every suggestion of the devil ? How can it now offer 

resistance, when all its powers are enfeebled through pains and 

illness? Fearful is the power in which the evil spirit holds the 

sinner in the hour of death. During life he has made easy the path 

of sin. On the deathbed, on the threshold of eternity, however, the 

devil will paint your sins in the blackest and most horrible tints 

and cause you such anxiety that you will not know where to turn. 

Therefore, dear brethren, accustom yourself now to resist temptation. 

Practice now putting satan to flight, and, assisted by Divine Grace, 

you will be able to resist his assaults in the hour of death. But 



THE IMPENITENT SINNER ON THE THRESHOLD OF ETERNITY 55 

"wo unto the earth and to the sea," wo to the sinner who meets 

this struggle unprepared for it! All his life he has allowed the devil 

to be victorious over him, and little chance he has on his deathbed 

to conquer a life-long habit. > ' 

2. In that solemn moment on which eternity depends, the person 

who has led a sinful life will not only be worried by evil spirits, 

but his conscience will present the misdeeds of his past life to his 

gaze in their true character. While in good health he imagines 

himself far removed from the divine tribunal; he thinks lightly of 

his sins; he likes to consider them human weaknesses. Impure 

thoughts and acts, immodest conversations, seem harmless to him; 

revenge is to him a matter required by honor. If I forgive this 

insult, he reasons, I shall be ridiculed by my friends. Gross 

intemperance in drink is, in his eyes, just hilarity and good fellow-

ship. Frivolous love affairs are the fashion! Yet, how different 

will these things appear to him in view of death and eternity. Then, 

for the first time, shall he see what sin is. Now, offenders may 

smile when their attention is drawn to the gravity of their sins. 

But wo unto them that drag such incumbrances with them to the 

threshold of eternity. Then their laughter will be transformed into 

wailing. Terror will possess their souls when they realize that no 

time is left to undo the harm. 

Holy Scripture says of Esau: "He went his way making little 

account of having sold his first birthright" (Gen. xxv, 34). But 

when he discovered that the blessing of Isaac had been bestowed 

upon his brother Jacob, he realized his loss, and he roared out with 

a great cry (Gen. xxvii, 34). Why had he thought so little of his 

privilege when he struck the bargain? Because concupiscence and 

sensuality had dazzled his reason. Now his deprivation opened his 

eyes, when all his cries no longer availed him. Little is thought by 



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some persons of slandering their fellow men. Others seek out the 

near occasion of sin and think nothing of the wrong they do. Others 

enter the confessional without proper intention and preparation, make 

a perfunctory confession without contrition and without good reso-

lutions ; they are not in earnest about forgiving their enemies, nor 

are they resolved to fight that grievously sinful habit, to avoid the 

near occasion. They leave the confessional much relieved, not, 

mind you, because they consider themselves free from guilt, but 

relieved because they are over with it for another year. Alas, 

the hour will come when their eyes will be opened like Esau's, when 

they will cry out, but in vain, for their lost privilege. St. Bona-

venture says: "So long as the ox stands still, he notices not that he 

has a rope around his neck and that he is tied, but when he tries 

to break away he discovers it." And so the sinner notices not the 

shackles of sin as long as he remains in sin, but he will notice them 

when he tries to escape from his evil ways. Many are the shocking 

discoveries the sinful man will make in his last moment, which now 

he refuses to make. Many sins, now condoned, will then cut deeply 

into his soul! 

3. How the unrepentant must tremble at the thought of Divine 

Justice! Dear brethren, let us work out our salvation now with 

fear and trembling, so that we may be spared all solicitude at the 

instant of death. It is related of a pious prince, who seriously con-

sidered the thought of death, that he became grave of mind 

and avoided all participation in noisy festivities. One day a 

courtier asked him, "Why is your Highness so disinclined to share 

our amusements ?" Instead of answering, the prince caused an old 

unsafe chair to be brought, and placed at some height above the 

floor. A fire was then kindled under the chair, and over it was 

suspended a sword hung by a thread. The prince invited the 



THE IMPENITENT SINNER ON THE THRESHOLD OF ETERNITY 57 

courtier to be seated on the chair and said: "Now rest here peace-

fully and contented until I shall return." "How can I," exclaimed 

the youth, "when I am placed in such danger." "Now then, under-

stand," returned the prince, "why my mind is serious. How can I 

be content to pursue vain amusements when at any moment the 

support of my life may break. I fear the ever-burning fire of hell 

below, and above the menacing sword of Justice. How can I be 

frivolous when such perils threaten me 1" jj This prince, dear 

brethren, wisely thought of death and eternity in good time, so that 

at the final moment he had not to be afraid of hell fire, nor of the 

sword of Divine Justice. 

When the giant Goliath came forth from the camp of the Philis-

tines, to challenge the Israelites to single combat, not one of them 

at first ventured to meet the powerful monster. Finally, the boy 

David volunteered to fight him. After much hesitation Saul allowed 

the combat, put his armor upon the boy, covered him with a coat of 

mail, and girded him with a sword. But David felt embarrassed in 

this armor. Excellent and strong as the armor was, it did not avail 

David. He said: "I cannot profit by these weapons because I am 

not used to them." I warn you brethren, that it will be difficult in 

the hour of death to clothe your soul with a perfect love of God, to 

awaken worthy contrition, unless during your lifetime you have be-

come accustomed to these weapons against the devil. An extraordi-

nary grace will be needed, and who can tell whether it will be given! 

4. The last hour, finally, will find him, who has led a frivolous and 

unrepentant life, in the agony of fear at the uncertainty of his 

ultimate fate. Even saints have trembled at that thought. How 

will the sinner bear it? His death is at hand; it will be followed 

either by eternal joy or eternal suffering. Which will it be? The 

sinner knows that he has gravely failed, that his confessions have 



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been careless, his good resolutions insincere. Now, at the moment 

of death, what distress and apxiety! Weakened by worry and fear, 

the sick man enters upon the contest with satan. Behold, upon one 

hand heaven, upon the other, hell; here the Angels, there the damned! 

They watch your combat and await the issue. To lose or to win in 

this combat means either to be eternally the devil's own, or God's 

own in heaven. What a fearful struggle! 

Dear brethren, may these considerations on eternity and on the 

critical moment on which it depends induce all of us to make use 

of our time. If inexorable death were to cut you down this 

instant, would you have reasonable hope of being saved? God 

forbid that the dreadful misfortune of an uhprepared death should 

happen to any of us, and yet sudden deaths happen every day. 

Accidents, treacherous diseases, claim their victims without warning. 

You cannot venture to delay your account with God. Who knows 

when his time will come? Cast yourself into the arms of Divine 

Mercy while the gates of grace and pardon are still open! Approach 

the confessional and say with your whole heart: "O, my God, I 

heartily repent of having sinned against Thee, because Thou art 

infinitely holy, good and loving! O, my God, I firmly intend with 

Thy grace never more to sin! I would rather die than offend Thee 

again so grievously! I will avoid the occasion of sin. I will confess 

my sins sincerely, perform the imposed penance, and endeavor to 

lead a good life, repairing the scandal I have given. My Jesus, I 

have sinned. But now I will love Thee above all thihgs, so that 

when my soul is called from this earth it may be found worthy of 

Thy Kingdom." Amen. 



THE JUDGMENT FROM THE CROSS 59 

V I I . T H E JUDGMENT FROM THE CROSS 

SERMON FOR GOOD FRIDAY 

" N o w is the Judgment of the World."—John xii, 31. 

Shortly before His Passion our divine Saviour said to the peo-

ple : "Now is the Judgment of the world; now shall the prince of 

this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will 

draw all things to myself" (John xii, 31-33). St. John adds: "Now 

this he said, signifying what death he should die." Of this prophecy 

of the Lord two things have been fulfilled. As the Lord hung upon 

the Cross He drew all things unto Him. The truth began to 

triumph. Jews and pagans were moved to worship the Son of 

God, hanging upon the Cross. The power of the Cross converted 

the people. The prince of the world, namely the devil, was cast out. 

His power was broken. It was a hard blow to the devil who until 

then had been lord of the world. What about the other words 

of the Saviour, "Now is the judgment of the world?" Was the world 

judged at the death of Jesus? Are we not told that this will take 

place at the end of time? If the Saviour had said: Now the mo-

ment has come when the world will judge its Saviour, these words 

might easily be understood, for the world did hold judgment upon 

its God and sentenced Him to death. The words of the Redeemer 

mean the judgment at the end of the world will be the confirmation 

and final execution of the sentence that Jesus Christ has already 

passed upon the world from the Cross. Yes, the world is already 

judged. All that remains is to have the judgment solemnly an-

nounced and proclaimed at the end of time. Let us contemplate 



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this truth on this day, devoted to the divine Victim on the Cross of 
Calvary. 

When the day of judgment shall have arrived, there will appear 

the sign of the Son of Man in the clouds. Then the Son of Man 

will come for judgment. "And every eye shall see him, and "they 

that pierced him" (Apoc. i, 7). The godless will realize that the 

day of retribution has arrived. They will lament and say to the 

mountains: "Fall upon us, and hide us from the face of him that 

sitteth upon the throne, and from the' wrath of the lamb. For the 

great day of their wrath has come: and who shall be able to stand ?" 

(Apoc. vi, 16, 17). The sun will be darkened, the earth will tremble, 

the elements will be in confusion; the dead will rise from their 

graves. "When these things begin to come to pass," said the Lord 

to His disciples, and, therewith, to all devout believing Christians, 

"lift up your hearts, fear not," for then your redemption is at hand, 

"the eternal day of your everlasting glory and happiness approaches" 

(Luke xxi). It will benefit our immortal souls to give our close con-

sideration to this subject. 

I. (a) At the end of time, "the sign of the Son of Man will ap-

pear in the heaven." What sign is this? The holy fathers declare 

that :t is the Cross of Christ. "And then shall all the tribes of the 

earth moan" (Matt, xxiv, 30), meaning many peoples will lament 

who have lived as enemies of the Cross of Christ. The Cross, which 

to the righteous is the sign of Redemption, will cause anguish to 

the ungodly and will proclaim their punishment. They will realize 

that their lives have been in opposition to the Cross. They have re-

fused to bear the sweet yoke of the Lord, they have trodden it under 

foot by their vicious lives. They have scorned and blasphemed the 

holy Cross. The way of the Cross was not for them. They walked 

upon the broad road of sin. The holy Cross will reproach them 



the judgment from the cross 61 

with their faithlessness and ingratitude. As Moses divided the 

Red Sea with his staff, so will Christ the Lord with the sceptre 

of the Cross separate the reprobate from the just. 

(6) This sign of the Son of Man will appear at the end of the 

world for the second time. It first appeared on Calvary. Ever since 

this sign has been visible. From its first appearance it has been 

a bitter reproach to the sinner, and has passed sentence of dam-

nation upon the impenitent world. The Cross is the symbol of suf-

fering, of renunciation, of humiliation, of penance. It reproaches 

those who complain of suffering and contradiction. It reproaches 

those who, instead of practising renunciation, give free reign to 

sensual pleasure. It reproaches those who resent humiliation; those 

who harbor hatred and revenge in their hearts. It reproaches you, 

if you instead of doing penance add sin upon sin to those of the past» 

Can you bear the sight of the Cross if your daily life is opposed 

to it? O, dear brethren, let us not be enemies of the holy Cross, 

that it may not pass the sentence of condemnation also upon us. 

Let us bear patiently the cross which divine Providence lays upon 

us, then the Cross of Christ will not reproach us, but pass upon 

us the sentence of mercy. 

(c) St. Paul writes, in the First Epistle to the Corinthians: "We 

preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling-block, and to the 

Gentiles foolishness" (I. Cor. i, 23). The words of the Apostle, 

addressed to the Jews and Gentiles of his time, apply even to the 

world of to-day. The Crucified, the Cross, the Religion of the 

Cross, are to many persons a scandal. Their lives and actions do not 

correspond to the tenets of this Cross, they refuse to accept the 

Christian truth. Hence the hatred of the Cross, not so much among 

the heathen, not only among fanatic writers who seek to obscure the 

light of heaven; no, even among those with whom we are daily 



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thrown together. The sign of the Son of Man has been a judg-

ment of damnation for the children of darkness. The separation of 

the good from the wicked was begun upon Calvary; it still continues, 

and will be concluded at the last judgment. Few on Mount Calvary 

saw in the Cross the sign of salvation. Many .turned away from it 

in contempt and horror. Few are, even to-day, the faithful ad-

herents of the holy Cross. For very many it is an object of scom 

and derision. The Cross of Christ is separating the elect from the 

impious. Now is the judgment of the world! "Many are called, 

but few are chosen." 

II. (a) On the day of judgment the godless will be filled with 

terror, when they see the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. Their 

fear will be without bounds when they behold the Son of Man com-

ing upon the clouds of heaven. His countenance will crush them. 

They will then recognize that He is the King who will judge the 

world. They will behold Him in the "armor of zeal," equipped "for 

the revenge on his enemies." Like lightning they will see Him 

descend "in the breast-plate of justice" with the "invincible shield of 

equity," with "the helmet of true judgment," with the "spear of His 

severe wrath" (Wis. v, 18). Despair will seize upon them when 

this King of heaven and earth shall proceed to pronounce against 

them the final verdict. And yet, dear brethren, this verdict is not a 

new one, it is the one proclaimed from the Cross on Golgotha. 

(b) Upon the Cross, Christ the Lord was victim and judge. 

The judgment of the world had begun. Now is the judgment of 

the world! As Judge, Christ upon the Cross passed sentence upon 

the good, the pious, the penitent, and, likewise, sentence upon the 

impenitent. It was not by chance that Christ upon the Cross was 

acclaimed King. It was ordained by divine Providence, so says 

St. Augustine, that Pilate, even against the wishes of the Jews, 



THE JUDGMENT FROM THE CROSS 63 

placed above the head of the dying Saviour the inscription "Jesus 

of Nazareth, King of the Jews" (John xix, 19). It was to signify 

that the Crucified had the royal privilege to judge, and He did judge. 

The Gospel expressly speaks of the Son of God as King: "And the 

King shall say to them that shall be on his left hand, 'Depart from 

me ye cursed,' etc." (Mass. xxv, 41). 

(c) Before His Passion even the Lord frequently threatened the 

wicked world. "Wo to you, O avaricious rich." "Wo to you hypo-

crites." He threatened the unrepentant with damnation. He repeated 

this verdict upon the Cross, and sealed it with His Blood. He did not 

pronounce it with His lips, yet His entire being was eloquent. His 

torn and tortured body proclaimed: Wo to you unchaste man, on 

account of your sins wounds cover my whole body! And yet you 

continue in your crimes and make of your body a vessel of volup-

tuousness. Wo to you intemperate! For your revelries I suffer 

excruciating thirst, and you persevere in vice and my suffering is in 

vain for you. Wo to the proud! For you I die upon the pillory of 

shame. Even my garments are taken by my enemies, and you will 

not give of your abundance unto the poor. Wo to you slanderers! 

On your account I endure calumnies and revilings. Wo to all you 

who scorn my commandments! And thus sentence is passed upon 

all sinners. 

(d) We understand now why the Saviour, upon the road to 

Golgotha, said to the weeping women: "Weep not for me, but weep 

for yourselves and for your children." Those tears, shed in sym-

pathy with their suffering Saviour, one should think were pleasing to 

God. And yet, these tears are bidden to cease. It is tears for our-, 

selves, sorrow over our sins, which are of merit. He who at sight 

of the suffering Son of God experiences lively sorrow for his sins, 

who at sight of the penance of the innocent Lamb of God feels im-



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pelled to do penance to amend his life, he may confidently await the 

day of his redemption. His will not be the sentence of condemna-

tion, but the sentence of grace and of life. The King will say to 

him: "Come ye blessed of my father, possess the kingdom pre-

pared for you from the foundation of the world" (Mass. xxv, 34). 

And did not the same Lord pass a similar sentence upon the Cross? 

"Amen, I say to thee, this day thou shalt be with me in Paradise" 

(Luke, xxiii, 43). Merciful judgment was also passed upon the 

centurion, who struck his breast and confessed in contrition: "In-

deed this was the Son of God" (Matt, xxvii, 54). A gracious 

sentence such as this is spoken from the Cross also upon us, if we, 

for love of the suffering Saviour, repent of our sins. Do you under-

stand now, dear brethren, that the judgment of the world was begun 

on the Cross? When appearing for the second time the Lord will 

only solemnly confirm and proclaim before the whole world the 

sentence already pronounced from the Cross. Now is the judgment 

of this world! 

III. (a) St. John, speaking of the second advent of the Divine 

Judge, says: "Behold, he cometh with the clouds; and every eye 

shall see him, and they that pierced him. And all the tribes of the 

earth shall bewail themselves because of him" (Apoc. i, 7). They 

that pierced Him, who are they? The soldiers that crucified Jesus 

were not really those that pierced Him, they were hirelings and did 

what they were told. It was sin that pierced the Lord. "He was 

wounded for our iniquities" (Is. liii, 5). The contrite sinner, who is 

sincerely converted, has nothing to fear. Those wounds are for him 

the source of grace and mercy. But impenitent sinners will weep 

and bewail, because, as St. Paul says, their obduracy has cruci-

fied Him afresh (Heb. vi, 6). At sight of these sacred wounds 

their consciences will be plunged in confusion and distress. The 



THE JUDGMENT FROM THE CROSS 65 

sight of the crucified King, shining in celestial radiance, will con-

fuse them to such an extent that they will fall into the depths of 

despair. Those sacred wounds will be a bitter reproach to them, 

reminding them of their monstrous ingratitude and neglect of God. 

The Saviour may say to them: Behold O sinner, your iniquities 

have pierced these wounds, yet I have not condemned you for this 

reason. My Blood has not cried out for vengeance, but for grace. 

The Blood from these wounds was to have washed you clean from 

every stain. But in your impenitence you scorned it. I have offered 

you grace, but you rejected it. What answer can the ungodly 

make? They will be silent, there will be nothing but despair left 

to them. They must acknowledge: We are damned through our 

own fault. 

(b) The wounds of the Saviour reproached the ungodly from the 

Cross. This they do to this day and will do so until the last day. 

On Golgotha only few listened to this voice of reproach. The 

majority of Jews and pagans, who witnessed the Saviour's death, 

turned away their gaze from those wounds, which might have been 

the source of their salvation. And so it is to our day. Many sinners 

are converted by attentively contemplating the image of the Crucified, 

by letting those wounds speak to their hearts. Others fear to glance 

at the crucifix, lest their conscience might be disturbed. But the 

day will come when they, too, will have to contemplate those wounds, 

but that day will bring despair to them in place of mercy. Now is 

the judgment of the world! If the world now refuses to listen to 

the voice of the Judge, it will one day be compelled to do so. Then 

it will cry out: "Fall upon us, ye mountains, and cover us, ye hills, 

from the face of Him that sits upon the throne, and from the wrath 

of the Lamb, for the great day of His wrath is come, and who shall 

stand it J" 



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IV. (a) The last day is also the day of wrath, the day of venge-

ance, the day ordained for the punishment of iniquities. So was 

the day, upon which the Son of God bled upon the Cross, the day of 

vengeance; for with the death of Jesus the judgment of the world 

was begun. Now is the_ judgment of the world! God had before 

that day avenged Himself upon sinners. Adam and Eve had been 

driven from the Garden of Eden. The flood had destroyed all flesh 

with the exception of Noe and those with him in the Ark. Fire from 

heaven had wiped out Sodom and Gomorrha. But sin is so frightful 

an evil, so terrible an offense against God, that such chastisements as 

these were not sufficient to appease His wrath. In expiation for the 

sins of the world it was necessary that the Son of God should suffer 

and die, in order to make full satisfaction to Divine Justice. The 

Son of God alone could offer up a suitable sacrifice of expiation to 

the Infinite Majesty. That the vengeance of God might not strike 

us, the only begotten Son of God took upon Himself our iniquities. 

Behold the mystery of love, the mystery of justice! For love of 

us the Father sacrifices His only begotten Son to suffering and 

death. For love of us the Son of God takes our sins upon Himself, 

in order to atone for them in our mortal flesh, and thus appease 

Divine Justice. Sin is something so terrible that the Father must 

strike at His only begotten Son, because He became like unto men, 

although Himself no sinner. "For we have not a high priest, who 

cannot have compassion on our infirmities; but one tempted in all 

things like as we are, yet without sin" (Heb. iv, 15). On the day 

on Calvary the judgment of the world began; for this is the day of 

vengeance, the day upon which sin will be revenged upon the inno-

cent Lamb. "For the day of vengeance is in my heart" (Is. lxiii, 

4), says the Lord, namely, the day is ordained upon which the Di-

vine Majesty will be avenged in me, for the sins of the world. This 



THE JUDGMENT FROM THE CROSS 67 

day sin is avenged upon the Son of God. This day is the day of 

vengeance! 

(b) Divine Justice upon the last day will avenge itself upon the 

impenitent sinner, who, in his heedlessness and unbelief, will not 

benefit by the satisfaction of Christ. Through penance we render 

ourselves partakers in the satisfaction of Christ. But wo to the 

man who dies unrepentant, burdened with grievous sin! The 

Saviour has suffered in vain for him, his sins have not been taken 

away, because he has trifled with grace. The vengeance of Divine 

Justice will be discharged upon him in its entire severity and rigor. 

Hence, the Saviour said: "For if in the green wood they do these 

things; what shall be done in the dry?" (Luke xxiii, 31). If sin is 

so avenged in Me, who am indeed no sinner, but only become like 

unto sinners, and have assumed the punishment of sin, what will 

be done to those who appear before the judgment seat of God really 

burdened with sin? Now is the judgment of the world! 

From the Cross the Divine Judge passed sentence upon the un-

godly and unbelieving. If this sentence is not to be passed upon us 

likewise, dear brethren, we must separate ourselves from the un-

righteous world; we must not do homage to its principles, nor 

imitate its vicious ways; we must have nothing in common with 

the idle frivolities of the world, we must be free from the degeneracy 

of the children of darkness. Even if on account of our position 

we have to associate with the impious, it should be said of us, what 

St. John said of Jesus Christ: "He was separated from sinners" 

(Heb. vii, 26). The divine Saviour did associate with sinners, but 

He had nothing in common with their sins. We must even love 

sinners and pray for them, but we can have nothing in common with 

their sins. We must endeavor to benefit by the satisfaction and 

merits of Christ, through frequent and worthy reception of the holy 



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Sacraments, through devout attendance at the holy Sacrifice of the 

Mass. If we do this, then'from the Cross there will be passed upon 

us the sentence of grace and mercy, and this sentence will find its 

solemn confirmation on the last day when the Lord shall appear to 

judge the living and the dead. Then we need not fear when the 

sign of the Son of Man shall appear in the heavens, when the Lord 

shall come upon the clouds of heaven. "Look up, and lift up your 

heads; because your redemption is at hand" (Luke xxi, 28). Amen. 





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