“The mansions of hell, no less than the mansions of heaven, are not makeshift shacks thrown up after the darkness of death has come down upon life. Both are built slowly, carefully, stone by stone, through all the abundant moments that measure the length of a man’s life. A man does not achieve hell by a last minute quirk of divine judgment, but when he embraces sin; a man does not win heaven when God embraces Him eternally but when he embraces God despite the alluring promises of all that is contrary to God. Heaven or hell, in other words, never comes as a shock; it is the harvest that was planted so long ago, watched, cultivated, defended and now reaped in all its fullness. It is the house at the end of the road that could lead nowhere else. In the case of heaven, it is home; and all along the road there were signs marking the path, help proferred to pilgrims, and directions to be had for the asking. Arriving there, man has come home to the God Who made him.”
From Walter Farrell, OP., “Companion to the Summa“, Chapter XX — Eternal Beginnings.
Go here to read the late Father Farrell’s Companion to the Summa.
Perseverance in prayer and obedience to the Will of God is the key to our salvation. Never give up regardless of the number of failures. I believe God will judge us more on our continued efforts than their success.
Amazing summary by an amazing priest and preacher.
We miss the Fr. Farrells dearly today.
Ditto what Steve said. I have this book, and I think I have this edition or a similar one, found at a thrift store. I need to make the time to read it all the way through.
Another thing worth pondering, from Father Farrell’s advice: Although sometimes at first “the embrace of sin is subtle”, eventually we find ourselves on a wide road (Mt. 7:13), blithely cruising to Hell. We know what we’re doing and we can’t deny it any longer. We just don’t want to apply the brakes.
Unless the prayers of family and friends and the grace of conscience steps in, the end result is fait accompli.
It is absolutely terrifying.