WHERE THEIR WORM DOES NOT DIE

Nm 11,25 -29 ; Ps 18; Jm 5,1-6; Mk 9,38-43.45.47-48
30 SEPTEMBER
The ancient eschatology knew how to distinguish the things that happened as soon as the soul, having left the body, entered eternity. Immediately it was presented before God for judgment. If it was found righteous, in the grace of God, but not perfect concerning the expiation of the temporal punishments due to its sins committed on earth, in its body, through its body, it passed through the way of purgatory. The Church, with her prayer, appealed to the Lord’s mercy to speed up the process of purification and bring the soul into the eternal light. All Holy Masses for the dead are for the souls in purgatory. Since the Church does not know who is in purgatory and who is in eternal perdition, she prays for all souls, without any distinction. Who makes the difference is the Lord. The mercy required is for the souls of the righteous.

If the soul is found in the state of spiritual death, because it has denied God and lived not listening either to the Gospel and nor to the conscience, there is no place except in the eternal hell for it. For this soul there is no mercy so that the Lord changes his judgment. The soul is in death. Nor might there be mercy so that the punishment is lighter. It is in the measure of its sins, of its responsibility, of the ministry exercised, of the charismas given as gifts and of the sacrament received. The Book of Wisdom tells us that there will be a rigorous investigation on those who are placed high. The higher up one ascends in responsibility and the more one is accountable before the Lord, especially for the sins of omission. One sin of omission can ruin an entire people.

Hear, therefore, kings, and understand; learn, you magistrates of the earth’s expanse! Hearken, you who are in power over the multitude and lord it over throngs of peoples! Because authority was given you by the Lord and sovereignty by the Most High, who shall probe your works and scrutinize your counsels! Because, though you were ministers of his kingdom, you judged not rightly, and did not keep the law, nor walk according to the will of God, Terribly and swiftly shall he come against you, because judgment is stern for the exalted – For the lowly may be pardoned out of mercy but the mighty shall be mightily put to the test. For the Lord of all shows no partiality, nor does he fear greatness, Because he himself made the great as well as the small, and he provides for all alike; but for those in power a rigorous scrutiny impends. To you, therefore, O princes, are my words addressed that you may learn wisdom and that you may not sin (Wis 6,1-9).

For the damned once the pain of damage and the pain of sense was taught. It is the pain of damage the worm that does not die. The True Good, the Divine Light and the Eternal Life was lost for a nothingness. For an ephemeral enjoyment, the endless enjoyment has been lost.

John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us.” Jesus replied, “Do not prevent him. There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me. For whoever is not against us is for us. Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward. “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe (in me) to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were put around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed than with two hands to go into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life crippled than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. Better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna, where ‘their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.’

The pain of sense is instead the fire that consumes the soul and the body for eternity. So once the Church taught her children. These are the traces found in the Gospel. Today we want to erase even the memory of all these details of eternity.

Immaculate Virgin, Angels and Saints ensure that the Christian returns to the sources of truth.