You will go down to the netherworld

Ex 2,1-15a; Ps 68; Mt 11,20-24
16 JULY

Every miracle is the grace of the Lord given to help so that man believes that Jesus is the true one sent by God, that his Word is the true Word of God and is converted to it to enter into eternal life. Instead, Corazìn, Betsàida and Capernaum have been closed in their pride. They rejected conversion. But they have sought and obtained miracles from the Christ of God. Being every miracle a grace aimed at true faith and true conversion, of the refused grace one is eternally accountable to God. By closing in their pride, these cities will hurled down into the abyss of perdition. The prophecy of Isaiah, reported by Lord Jesus, testifies it in an infallibly true way.

How the oppressor has reached his end! how the turmoil is stilled! The LORD has broken the rod of the wicked, the staff of the tyrants That struck the peoples in wrath relentless blows; That beat down the nations in anger, with oppression unchecked. The whole earth rests peacefully, song breaks forth; The very cypresses rejoice over you, and the cedars of Lebanon: “Now that you are laid to rest, there will be none to cut us down.” The nether world below is all astir preparing for your coming; It awakens the shades to greet you, all the leaders of the earth; It has the kings of all nations rise from their thrones. All of them speak out and say to you, “You too have become weak like us, you are the same as we. Down to the nether world your pomp is brought, the music of your harps. The couch beneath you is the maggot, your covering, the worm.” How have you fallen from the heavens, O morning star, son of the dawn! How are you cut down to the ground, you who mowed down the nations! You said in your heart: “I will scale the heavens; Above the stars of God I will set up my throne; I will take my seat on the Mount of Assembly, in the recesses of the North. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will be like the Most High!” Yet down to the nether world you go to the recesses of the pit! (Is 14, 4-15).

When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison. He will go out to deceive the nations at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. They invaded the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the holy ones and the beloved city. But fire came down from heaven and consumed them. The Devil who had led them astray was thrown into the pool of fire and sulphur, where the beast and the false prophet were. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. Next I saw a large white throne and the one who was sitting on it. The earth and the sky fled from his presence and there was no place for them. I saw the dead, the great and the lowly, standing before the throne, and scrolls were opened. Then another scroll was opened, the book of life. The dead were judged according to their deeds, by what was written in the scrolls. The sea gave up its dead; then Death and Hades gave up their dead. All the dead were judged according to their deeds. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the pool of fire. (This pool of fire is the second death. Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the pool of fire (Rev 20,7-15).

By cutting every bridge with grace, truth and justice according to God, pride always leads man into darkness and eternal perdition. Today we must affirm that pride is not only elevating man up to heaven, it has also made him be declared God above all the universe created by the Lord. Since pride is very high, the fall will also be very ruinous. When it happens, noise will be heard from the most distant galaxies. It will be so deafening that all the stars will tremble.

Then he began to reproach the towns where most of his mighty deeds had been done, since they had not repented. “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. And as for you, Capernaum: ‘Will you be exalted to heaven? You will go down to the netherworld.’ For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”

There is only one way to avoid plunging into the infernal abysses: being clothed with humility and believing that Jesus is the true Christ of God and his Word is of true eternal life for us.

Mother of God, Angels and Saints, fill us with all humility. We will welcome the Word of Jesus.