By Barbara Kralis

©Barbara Kralis 2005
Catholic Online
www.catholic.org

Many years ago, Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen wrote a theological book in which he capitalized the word Hell. His editor corrected it by putting in a small "h." Archbishop Sheen sent it back putting the capital letters in again. When asked why, he said: "Because it's a real place!"

Today, we need only look around us, even in our own families, to see so many people have lost belief in the place called Hell. Why? Because they have lost the sense of sin.

The greatest obstacle to man’s journey toward God is perseverance in and the denial of sin.

We may ask, “What does disbelief and the loss of the sense of sin in others have to do with me? I haven’t lost my faith.”

It has a lot to do with us. In fact, the Church teaches that every sin committed drags down with itself the Church and, in some way, the whole world. In other words, there is no sin, not even the most intimate and secret one, which exclusively concerns the person committing it. [1]

Unbelievers, no matter what their faith, unfortunately impact all of us. Unbelievers convey their disbeliefs to all believers through evil advertising, television programs, movies, literature, music, newspapers articles, clothing fashions, school text books, computer games and internet content.

When man thinks that the Church’s moral laws are simply directives drawn up by men to make society run more smoothly, then man will change these laws to suit the likes and dislikes of the majority. The unbeliever wants the majority to rule. ‘Do not bother to think, just count,’ they say.

Many so-called Christian faiths have lost their Christian identity as their church constitutions acquiesce to the pressure of a perverted society. These unbelieving denominations now freely embrace abortion, sodomy, contracepting, and euthanasia when at one time all Christians believed these actions to be immoral.

Oremus - instaurare omnia in Christo! [2]

What is the obvious result of so much denial of sin? People, unconcerned or unsure of what is right and what is wrong, will follow the loudest majority to perdition.

It is true that a large number of people are leaving the Church because they have never been taught the truth about sin. However, it is encouraging to know that people who have been taught the Faith well are not leaving the Church but are, in fact, becoming more resolute.

It is the primary responsibility of every Catholic to learn their faith and recognize their sins. If we do not know our faith, how can we know what is from God and what is from the Devil.

There are excellent catechetical books with absolute moral content available to us. We must study the true faith ourselves to insure our salvation. The eternal life of our soul depends upon it.

Let us meditate for a moment on the apparition of Our Blessed Mother who appeared to three children in Fatima:

On Saturday, October 13, 1917, more than 70,000 people, both believers and critics, had gathered in the field, despite the heavy rain. Many newspaper reporters and photographers were there to record the miracle or prove the three child visionaries were lying. The crowd, standing in the relentless rain and mud, were praying the Rosary aloud, as if with one voice. Suddenly Lucia cried out:

"Put down your umbrellas everyone!”

To Jacinta and Francisco, Lucia said:

"Kneel down. Our Lady is coming! I have seen the flash!”

Lucia then said to Our Lady:

"What do you want of me?” Our Lady replied,

"I am the Lady of the Rosary, I have come to warn the faithful to amend their lives and ask for pardon for their sins. They must not offend Our Lord any more, for He is already too grievously offended by the sins of men. People must say the Rosary. Let them continue saying it everyday.”

Then the miracle of the dancing and spinning sun appeared.

Later, Our Blessed Mother at Fatima spoke these words:

"Will you offer yourselves to God, and bear all the sufferings He sends you, in atonement for all the sins that offend Him, and for the conversion of sinners..."

"Make sacrifices for sinners and say often, especially while making ...