The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-08-26
DID ANYBODY EVER COME BACK
FROM THE OTHER WORLD?

Saints and Doctors of the Catholic
Church give frightful descriptions OF
hell. They tell us of the fortunes OF
the damned, which are so horrible that
the mere consideration of them makes
us shiver and shudder. But how do we
know it is so? Nobody ever came back
from the other world, says the scoffer
triumphantly; for tout of hell there is
no redemption. This very fact, which
is sometimes held up as an objection
against the doctrine of hell, should
warn the sinner. If no one ever
escaped from hell, if there be no pos
sibility of ever returning from the
place of woe, why do you not make
sure to avoid falling into it?
Suppose, however, that nobody ever
came from the other world to tell us
how matters stand, would that deprive
us of all information concerning hell?
Nobody ever came from the moon, and
yet we know a great deal about the
moon But somebody did come from
the other world whose word we can
not doubt: Jesus Christ, infallible
Truth itself, the very One who created
hell and cast the rebellious spirits into
it. He came from the other side to tell
us all about it, He came exactly to
us all about it. He came exactly to save
us from hell-fire. For this reason He
came, and toiled and taught and suf-
fered and died. He certainly knew all
about that place and He who dares
contradict Him is beyond the pale of
salvation. Read that parable of Dives
and Lazarus (St. Luke xvi. 19-3D, in
which our Lord called up voice from
hell to tell us about the nature of the
eternal punishment inflicted upon the
goddess and heartless Dives. Lifting
up his eyes when he was in torments,
he begged of Abraham to have mercy
on him and to send him Lazarus that
he might dip the tip of his finger in
water to cool the burning tongue; for,
he added, l am tormented in this
fame" Even this small favor, which
would bring but an imaginary relief
what would a drop of water avail on
a fiery furnace?-is denied to the
damned.
In the same parable, Christ refutes
the foolish saying of Indifferent Chris
tians: If | go to hell, will not be
there all alone; / will have plenty Of
company. Many of my acquaintance
will be there; they are more wicked
than l am at present. Dives asks for
messenger to be sent to his brothers
sxn OWL 70 no
Their arrival would bring no relief, but
new torture to him. Here on earth,
suffering begets sympathy and the fact
that others are suffering in the same
way, brings comfort; but in hell the
opposite will be true. Companionship
in hell increases despair. The son
will curse and torment the father that
led him into sin by bad example. The
daughter will curse the wicked mother
who made her vain and worldly, and
did not warn her against evil. The
wife will curse her drunken husband
etc. Company will not tighten, but
heighten the sufferings of hell.
Whether you believe in this or not
whether you can see or not see that
God shall punish the wicked with the
everlasting flames of hell, does not
change in the least the truth of it. ASK
God to open your eyes, and let you see
what awaits you if you refuse to love
and serve Him. Ask Him, if it be
necessary to save you from hell, tC
send you in His mercy any form Of
affection, to make you poor ane
despised, to strike you with the mos
revolving disease, to let you die The
most shocking death rather than lose
Him and burn in hell forever.