In today's first reading, we learn that truth of the faith,
that if the soul die with one unrepentant mortal sin staining it,
it does not enter the kingdom of heaven and suffers the eternal fires of hell for all eternity.
And our Lord does not apologize for this truth because the fault is not on his part,
but it is on the part of us when we refuse to respond to his grace.
And so with this understanding, the Lord begins to instruct the disciples.
He begins to elevate all that was required in the Old Testament.
For formerly, if one murdered their brother,
then they were slain.
Now he tells us if we are truly and deeply angry and use abusive language towards our brothers,
then we also are subject to the hellfire.
How is this distinction to be unknown?
Commonly, we hear the expression, when one is angry at one, they are told to go to hell.
If one says it out of passion, not really meaning it, then it is a venial sin.
But if one were to say that to their brother and truly mean it in their heart,
then it is a mortal sin.
And if it is not repented of by the time we part from this life,
then we will suffer the fires of Gehenna.
And so, our Lord tells us very clearly that we who are of the new dispensation of the new covenant
are called to a greater holiness.
Indeed, St. Bonaventure will tell us that it is useless to complain about the sin of our first parents, Adam and Eve,
because by the institution of the church and the sacramental dispensation,
God has established a kingdom by which, as St. Bonaventure tells us,
we are able to exceed the holiness of Adam and Eve before they fell into sin.
And so, God has not left us uncared for.
He has truly, in sending His Son in order that He may be sacrificed for our sin,
done all for us.
And so, He requires us to do to others what He has done for us.
For all that we are called to do,
is based not on ourselves,
but it is based on the love of the Trinity
and the sacrifice of that most holy second person of the Blessed Trinity for our sake.
And indeed, we also learn that we cannot even have the slightest stain of sin on our souls
when we part from this life if we are to enter into heaven.
And so, the Lord tells us at the end of the Gospel
that we will not be released from the prison until we pay the last penny.
And so,
if we are attached to any of our venial sins, our faults and failings,
when we leave this life,
then we will enter into the purifying fires of purgatory.
And once those sins and faults and failings are expiated,
then we will enter into the beatific vision.
And so, let us strive, as St. Thomas tells us,
let us strive for the highest place we can attain in heaven,
because, as he reminds us,
human beings affected by original sin,
often,
their aim is misguided.
And so,
if we merely aim to enter into purgatory,
St. Thomas will ask the question,
what happens if we miss?
If we miss purgatory,
then we suffer those fires of Gehenna spoken of by our Lord.
And so,
let us strive for the greatest holiness that we can possibly acquire in this life.
Indeed,
let us pray that upon parting from this life,
we are found worthy to enter immediately into the life of the eternal life,
of the beatific vision.
And so,
we see very clearly that God truly has loved us,
because,
as many of the fathers and doctors point out,
the fact that a venial sin does not condemn us for all eternity
is due to the mercy of God,
because those too are infinite offenses against His goodness.
And so,
it is in His mercy God has established for us
the purifying fires of purgatory,
so that we can ultimately gain union with Him.
And so,
let us repent of our sins,
most especially of any repentant mortal sins.
Let us strive always through the maternal mediation of the Mother of God,
and by staying close to her,
strive for that holiness that we are called to acquire in this life,
so that we truly may come to know
that greatest of all human desires,
that desire that can only be fulfilled
when we part from this life,
or when we depart from purgatory,
and are invited in to the life of the beatific vision,
where alone we will find all that will make us happy,
because we will find what we were created for.
And so,
let us not,
like the modern world,
be angry at God,
because ultimately,
that is one of the primary sins in our modern society.
How could a good God
condemn me for all eternity?
If my sins do not affect anyone else?
Because,
as the first reading tells us,
it is not for virtue that we are condemned,
but particularly for vice.
It is not because God is not good,
it is because we have chosen to reject that goodness
He wishes to give us by His grace,
and have committed ourselves to a life of sin.
And so,
we have chosen to reject God.
He has not chosen to reject us.
But at the end of time,
if we do not repent,
then God will reject us
from eternal life with Him in heaven,
and send us to that abode
which we have chosen.
And so,
God truly will condemn us
for even one mortal sin,
unrepentant for.
And so,
let us always be aware
of the great dignity we have
to be members of the mystical body of Christ,
because,
after falling into mortal sin,
we have the assurance
that that sin can be forgiven,
by a sacramental confession,
and we have the added assurance
that all that is acquired
is attrition for our sins.
That is,
we are not motivated
purely for love of God,
but there is a mixture.
We are fearful of going to hell,
which is not a perfect motivation,
it is not an unpleasing motivation,
but it is not perfect,
for we should be sorry for our sins,
because they have offended the good God.
But in the life of mercy,
God has even allowed attrition
to suffice for us to make
a sacramental confession,
thereby again being reestablished
in his life.
And so,
let us not turn back,
let us not look to the leeks
and onions of Egypt,
but let us always look forward
to that crucifixion
that we are called to undergo
for the sake of Christ,
because he first underwent it,
underwent crucifixion for our sake,
and he did so precisely
to open the gates of paradise,
so that we may enter in
to that which we were created for.
And so,
let us not turn back,
let us not look to the leeks
and onions of Egypt,
but let us always look forward
to that crucifixion
that we are called to undergo
for the sake of Christ,
and to that which we were created for.