An aritcle for Our Times

The Reality of Hell

Stories of Persons who Visited Hell and Apparitions of the Damned
The Reality of Hell

One of the great dangers of this century, and thus one of the great triumphs of Satan, has been the growing disbelief in the existence of Hell. For many, Hell has become a fable, a myth, an outdated holdover from "the Old Testament God of fire, brimstone and judgment." Urged on by false doctrines and a want to believe that there can be no such thing as eternal punishment for serious wrongs "when Jesus is a God of love and kindness," many have thrown Hell out the window – along with concern for sin. After all, if there is no Hell, then why need there be concern for sin? Unfortunately, they forget that "I am the Lord and I change not" (Malachi 3:6). Hell has not suddenly evaporated because we would prefer it so. How subtle Satan is in these times. He increasingly tricks people into his web by disguising its very existence. He wants you to let your guard down. Please do not be deceived. Hell, eternal punishment for serious sins, exists. Scripture, the Church and reports of modern-day visionaries all confirm that Hell is a reality – never-ending reality for those souls who must reside there with Satan and all the other damned forever, because by their own free will and choice they rejected God while on earth and excluded themselves from communion with Him.
The Bible and Hell

There are over thirty repeated references to the existence of Hell in the Old Testament alone. For instance: "The sorrows of death have compassed me: and the perils of hell have found me" (Psalms [D-R] 114:3). "For the Lord Almighty will take revenge on them. In the day of judgment he will visit them: for he will give fire and worms into their flesh, that they may burn, and may feel for ever" (Judith 16:20 -21). "Depart from me, come not near me, because thou art unclean: these shall be smoke in my anger, a fire burning all the day" (Isaias 65:5). "A fire is kindled in my wrath, and shall burn even to the lowest hell...I will heap evils upon the transgressors of my law, and will spend my arrows among them" (Deut.32:22-23). "The congregation of sinners is like tow heaped together, and the end of them is a flame of fire" (Ecclesiasticus 21:10). "He shall be punished for all he did, and yet shall not be consumed:...he shall burn, and every sorrow shall fall upon him...All darkness is hid in his secret places: a fire that is not kindled shall devour him" (Job 20:18,22,26).

In the Gospels, Jesus speaks of Hell more than of Heaven. In St. Matthew's Gospel, Jesus says "But I say to you, that whosoever is angry with his brother, shall be in danger of the judgment....And whosoever shall say, you fool, shall be in danger of hell fire" (St. Matt. 5:22). "The Son of Man shall send his angels and they will collect out of his kingdom all who cause others to sin and all evildoers. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth" (St. Matt. 13:41-42). In St. Mark's Gospel, Jesus warns: "And 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 hell, into the unquenchable fire..." (St. Mark 9:42).

A description of the last judgment in the Book of Apocalypse clearly makes the point: "And I saw the dead, great and small, standing in presence of the throne, and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which was the book of life; and the dead were judged by those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and hell gave up their dead that were in them; and they were judged every one according to their works. And hell and death were cast into the pool of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life, was cast into the pool of fire" (Apoc. 20:12-15).

Jesus describes in St. Matthew's Gospel the last judgment as His separation of the sheep (those who loved God and neighbor) from the goats (those who did not). To the goats, Jesus says His indictment will be: "Depart from Me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ...And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life" (St. Matt. 25:41,46). Jesus Christ could not have been more clear that each of us, by our choices and conduct, risks eternal punishment after death – Hell.
Apparitions of the Damned from Hell

In Chapter 16 of the Gospel of St. Luke, Jesus tells a parable on Hell. A rich man who has died and is in Hell pleads with God to send the poor man Lazarus, who has gone to Heaven, back from the dead to warn his five brothers that Hell really exists. God replies: "If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead." However, God is so merciful that He has reportedly allowed certain of the damned in Hell to return to earth to witness to others that there truly is a place of eternal suffering – Hell – for those who disobey God and His commandments. Here are two examples of many such occurrences, documented in the annals of private revelation.
God's 20th Century Warnings of Hell

In this century alone, the number of persons being chosen by God to witness the reality of Hell is greater then all prior centuries combined. Clearly, as our world moves further away from belief in sin and punishment for sin, God increases His Divine Mercy by granting us more and more confirmations of that reality.
St. Faustina Is Shown Hell

St. Mary Faustina, a holy nun from Poland was canonized a saint by Pope John Paul II on April 30, 2000. Our Lord had her to visit Hell in 1936. Here is her awesome account of this horrifying and dreadful place: "Today, I was led by an angel to the chasms of hell. It is a place of great torture; how awesomely large and extensive it is! The kinds of tortures I saw: the first torture that constitutes hell is the loss of God; the second is perpetual remorse of conscience; the third is that one's condition will never change; the fourth is the fire that will penetrate the soul without destroying it – a terrible suffering, since it is a purely spiritual fire, lit by God's anger; the fifth torture is continual darkness and a terrible suffocating smell, and, despite the darkness, the devils and the souls of the damned see each other and all the evil, both of others and their own; the sixth torture is the constant company of Satan; the seventh torture is the horrible despair, hatred of God, vile words, curses and blasphemies. These are the tortures suffered by all the damned together, but that is not the end of the sufferings. There are special tortures destined for particular souls. These are the torments of the senses. Each soul undergoes terrible and indescribable sufferings, related to the manner in which it has sinned. There are caverns and pits of torture where one form of agony differs from another. I would have died at the very sight of these tortures if the omnipotence of God had not supported me. Let the sinner know that he will be tortured throughout all eternity, in those senses which he made use of to sin. I am writing this at the command of God, so that no soul may find an excuse by saying there is no hell, or that nobody has ever been there, and so no one can say what it is like. I, Sister Faustina, by the order of God, have visited the abysses of hell so that I might tell souls about it and testify to its existence. I cannot speak about it now; but I have received a command from God to leave it in writing. The devils were full of hatred for me, but they had to obey me at the command of God. What I have written is but a pale shadow of the things I saw. But I noticed one thing: that most of the souls there are those who disbelieved that there is a hell. When I came to, I could hardly recover from the fright. How terribly souls suffer there! Consequently, I pray even more fervently for the conversion of sinners. I incessantly plead God's mercy upon them. O my Jesus, I would rather be in agony until the end of the world, amidst the greatest sufferings, than offend You by the least sin."
Sister Josefa Menendez's Description of Hell

One of the greatest mystics of this century was Sister Josefa Menendez, who died in 1923 at the age of 33. This young Spanish sister, who had a short religious life of great suffering, experienced revelations throughout much of her life, compiled in The Way Of Divine Love. More than once, she was taken to Hell to witness and feel the suffering first-hand. Sister Josefa was reluctant to write on the subject of Hell, and did so only to conform to Our Lord's wishes. Sister Josefa repeatedly dwelt on what she described as the greatest torment of Hell, namely, the soul's inability to love. One of these damned souls cried out: "This is my torture...that I want to love and cannot; there is nothing left me but hatred and despair. If one of us could so much as make a single act of love...But we cannot, we live on hatred and malevolence..." (March 23, 1922).

She records, too, the accusations made against themselves by these unhappy souls: "Some yell because of the martyrdom of their hands. Perhaps they were thieves, for they say: 'Where is our loot now?' ...Cursed hands... Others curse their tongues, their eyes...whatever was the occasion of sin... 'Now, O body, you are paying the price of the delights you granted yourself!...and you did it of your own free will...'" (April 2, 1922).

"I saw several souls fall into Hell, and among them was a child of fifteen, cursing her parents for not having taught her to fear God nor that there was a Hell. Her life had been a short one, she said, but full of sin, for she had given in to all that her body and passions demanded in the way of satisfaction..." (March 22, 1923).

"My soul fell into abysmal depths, the bottom of which cannot be seen, for it is immense. . . ; …

WONDERFUL BEYOND BELIEF!
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Sister Josefa Menendez

Feast Day: December 29

The miraculous power of Sister Josefa Menendez (1890-1923) is truly spectacular! If you've found this page, you must be very much loved by Our Lord. He reveals the incredible power of the intercession of Sister Josefa Menendez to his closest friends. Miraculous answers to your prayers may be very close at hand. Just ask her for help ... and the proof will be on it's way! Jesus Christ loves Sister Josefa Menendez with such a fierce and tender love that he will quickly help you in a miraculous way, just to prove how much he loves Sister Josefa. Open up your heart to her, pour out your concerns to her, and you will quickly find out why the intercession of Sister Josefa is so powerful.

Why is Josefa so Powerful?

The good Apostle, St. Jude Thaddeus, became gloriously renown as the most powerful Patron Saint of Desperate Cases because he was eclipsed for centuries in history. For ages he was forgotten. In the minds of the early Christians, his name seemed sullied because he was confused with the traitor Judas Iscariot. God rewarded St. Jude with an uncanny power to help the desperate. The evidence of this is the thousands of private adds, which newspapers have carried almost every day: "Thank you Saint Jude!" His power is well known all over the world.

In a similar way, Sister Josefa Menendez has also been eclipsed and forgotten. One of the most glorious saints of all time: Saint Faustina Kowalska has become singularly associated with the success of the new and wonderful Devotion to the Divine Mercy. This is just as it should be. By amazing acts of providence, God ordained that the official devotion to his Divine Mercy should be brought to the world through Saint Faustina.

However, Sister Josefa Menendez played a critical role cultivating the soil of the Church for rapid acceptance of the devotion to the Divine Mercy. She was really Christ's first messenger of the Divine Mercy to the world! Like St. John the Baptist, Sister Josefa was chosen by Our Lord to prepare the way for the universal acceptance of the Devotion to His Divine Mercy. He began quietly, by having his messages to Sister Josefa's published and circulated throughout the world. For many decades, the official devotion to the Divine Mercy was repressed, and forbidden by the Vatican to be promulgated. So Christ used the work of Josefa to cultivate the soil of his Church, to familiarize it with the devotion to his Divine Mercy through the writings of Sister Josefa Menendez. Then, in 1980 Christ went public in a powerful way with this special devotion, through the endorsement of Pope John Paul II, as he had revealed it to Saint Faustina Kowalska. The devotion spread rapidly throughout the whole world.

Sadly, today most souls forget that Christ first introduced this wonderful devotion to his Church through Sister Josefa Menendez. The devil hated Josefa for this! He dreaded what was to come, and he wreaked his full vengeance on Josefa for a work that Faustina would accomplish later in its fulness. Josefa was tortured by the devil perhaps more than any other soul in history! The devil knew how many souls would ultimately be saved on account of her work. Christ's mission for Josefa was actually entirely accomplished after her death! Very few really knew what messages the Lord was giving to her. These messages, however, would soon be published and widely circulated by an act of God Himself, and supported by the recommendation of the future Pope Pius XII! But, the tortures and sufferings that Sister Josefa endured during her life time were unbelievable! Her story is awe inspiring! It is one of the most fantastic in the history of the Church! You can read some of it below, in the ONLINE version of Christ's message to the world through her.

Today, the critical role that Sister Josefa played in the divine plan, has almost faded from memory. Even the Church itself has abandoned Josefa to the dusty annals of misplaced causes in the Sacred Congregation for the Causes of the Saints. Nevertheless, the Lord remembers the unimaginable sufferings Josefa endured to make known his Message of Divine Mercy! As a reward for her abject humility and for the incomprehensible tortures and sufferings Josefa endured for Jesus, she has ascended in heaven to the ranks of one of the most amazing intercessors of all time! The Lord has given Sister Josefa a special power for results, just like St. Jude, the Patron of Desperate Cases! But her incredible power is not well known! Very few actually lift their hearts up to her in prayer. Still, she will obtain great favors for anyone who will call upon her! She may be unknown, but she is absolutely MARVELOUS for souls with special needs. She does not have millions of devotees like St. Faustina. She is reserved for the dear friends of Christ, or the most desperate cases.

If you want to experience the miraculous power of Sister Josefa, turn to her with tender confidence! She can console you almost instantly in little things if would take some time, and quietly recollect yourself in a spirit of prayer to her. In a sweet and gentle voice, she can console you with an answer, or grant you peace. If your case is more desperate, your prayers must be more serious and diligent. You might compose a Novena of your own, offering prayers, or Chaplets, or Rosary's in Josefa's honor. (A novena is a way of praying of the same prayers of supplication for 9 consecutive days, in remembrance of the 9 days the Apostles waited for the descent of the Holy Spirit after the Ascension of Jesus into heaven.) You might ask the other saints in heaven to greet Josefa with kisses of love in your name. Or, you might pray the wonderful Novena provided below, which was composed with great love by someone who was miraculously touched by Josefa's power. He then, sent that prayer to me. I had no specific prayer to Josefa posted on this site. In a similar way, a Mexican girl who had been helped by Josefa, contacted me via the Internet years ago. She translated the early version this article into Spanish. Her Spanish version of this page has been viewed many times.

Sister Josefa ALWAYS grants a signal grace at the end of any Novena said in her honor. The answers she will provide for your prayers are truly amazing! She really will help any time ... all the time! Like Jacinta of Fatima, she is EXTREMELY POWERFUL against the temptations or torments of the devil. Turn to Josefa if you are being tempted or tormented, tell her that the devil is attacking the kingdom of her Lord Jesus, (your soul). She will provide help for you almost immediately. Just threatening to call upon Josefa causes the devil to flee!

Sister Josefa can help in every area of life. There is only one way to find out how powerful she really is: send up a prayer! You can click on the above picture of Josefa, to get a slightly larger image of her. You might print out that picture, secure it in some way to a stronger backing, have that image blessed, and talk to Josefa like you would to a dear friend. Her spirit is kind, gentle, and very compassionate. She really will help you in miraculous ways! Please, remember, to fittingly thank her for any favor she obtains for you!

NOVENA PRAYER THROUGH JOSEFA

Help Promote Sister Josefa's Cause!

Inquire about the status of the cause for her Canonization by sending a certified postal correspondence to:

Piero Galavotti
Proto Notario Apostolico
S.C. Causa Santi
00120 Citta' Del, Vaticano

Include a return, self-addressed envelope within your letter. Any current information about Josefa's cause would be greatly appreciated!

Read:
The ONLINE version of:
The story and writings of Sr. Josefa:

Christ's Appeal to the World:
"The Way of Divine Love"

For more information about Sister Josefa, you may purchase the full version of her story, The Way of Divine Love and read the messages Jesus gave to her, through: TAN BOOKS.

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