True peace and security

People want peace and security.

Only Jesus Christ can supply peace and security because he suffered every indignity, and yet forgave while dying on the cross. God then rewarded Jesus Christ by raising him from the dead and gave him the role as Supreme Judge of the living and the dead, and so we want to be prepared to receive Jesus Christ with great love and reverence.

Jesus delights in his people and sent the Holy Spirit to us that we might be his disciples who pray fervently, serve generously, study wisely and share lovingly the fullness of the Catholic faith with others in order to attain heaven.

Jesus teaches about the three levels of the One Church under his care. These three levels of his Kingdom can share spiritual gifts with the other levels. The first level is the Church Militant which is comprised of we baptized who are still in this world as soldiers of Christ and ambassadors of God’s peace.

We are called to battle the forces of evil and defend the dignity

of every human being by promoting the Catholic Faith which recognizes God’s supreme dignity, truth and love. Jesus says, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be.” (Cf. Mt 6:21)As ambassadors of peace, we share with people the Good News that a living relationship with God is possible through Jesus Christ and His Seven Sacraments, and by living His divine teachings.

Some people have questioned why Christ’s Catholic Church still believes in heaven, hell and purgatory. Sometimes I have been asked, “Where is that in the Bible?”

Look no further than this Sunday’s Gospel reading, the Gospel of Luke, chapter 12, verses 40 and following, Luke 12, 40-48. Jesus says that those who are faithful and fully prepared for his second coming, or their personal death, will be put in charge of all his property. What is God’s property but the blessings that the Saints in heaven have at their disposal! For example, a woman from India, who had severe pain because of an inoperable stomach tumor – such that her doctors gave her no hope of survival – had a Miraculous Medal that had touched the deceased body of St. Mother Teresa placed on her stomach. She promptly fell asleep.

When she awoke her pain was completely gone.The doctors examined her and discovered that the tumor had vanished! Scientifically, it was inexplicable.

St. Mother Teresa, and other canonized Saints in heaven who have been perfectly prepared or purified, belong to the Church Triumphant. They share in the full property of the Lord and can share these miraculous blessings with us.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus reminds us that the opposite is also true. Those servants who are not prepared and think that “My Master is delayed in coming” (cf. Lk 12:45-46) and begin to beat the menservants and the maidservants, or get drunk, will be surprised when the Lord Jesus comes unexpectedly and assigns them to a place with the “unfaithful.” There they will be severely punished forever and ever, and this is hell, because they chose not to repent and seek God’s holiness. Those baptized into the Church Militant might fall away from God’s sanctifying grace by intentionally and severely breaking one of God’s Ten Commandments, but they can regain his grace by seeking God’s mercy in Christ, assuredly by celebrating God’s compassion in the Sacrament of Confession.

But what about purgatory, the Church Suffering? Jesus Christ tells us, “Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.”(Mt 5:48) This is difficult, and so Jesus created purgatory out of mercy for us. It is a place of temporary punishment to cleanse us of unrepented venial sins and for mortal sins already forgiven but not fully remitted (lacking in satisfaction or restoration), that is why Jesus said in today’s Gospel: “That servant who knew his Master’s will but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will shall be beaten severely. And the servant who was ignorant of his master’s will but acted in a way deserving of a severe beating shall be beaten only lightly. Much will be required of the person entrusted with much…”(Cf. Lk 12:47-48)

We are responsible, at any age and capacity, to grow in our faith to avoid the purifying pains of purgatory. Jesus Christ teaches us the reality of heaven, hell, and purgatory, out of perfect love for us. He teaches us that the saints in heaven, the Church Triumphant, can help us battle against sin as the Church Militant. And when you know your faith well enough you can help the Church Suffering – those faithful but imperfect souls in purgatory – by praying and sacrificing for them. We can ask those souls in purgatory to pray for us, but they can no longer pray for themselves.

When we practice the fullness of our Catholic faith, we can help a soul leave purgatory through Christ by applying a plenary indulgence to them, which remits all their remaining punishment and sends them to the fullness of heaven – perfect peace and security.

When anybody asks why Catholics still believe in heaven, hell and purgatory, ask them to remember how Jesus spent 40 Days in the desert overcoming the devil’s temptations by prayer, fasting and quoting sacred scripture. He then chose his Twelve apostles to follow him in this life of penance.

Hopefully this will remind you to ask them to read the Gospel of Luke, chapter 12, verse 40-48 wherein Jesus describes the Church Triumphant in heaven, the Church Suffering in purgatory, and the Church Militant. By following Jesus Christ and his Catholic Church’s divine teachings we can bring divine peace and security into our lives, our families and into our world.

Peace in Christ,

Fr. Thomas McCabe