Choose a topic from Part 3 Suppl:
1. The will of a person in hell is, by its own perversechoice, confirmed in evil, and is changelessly and wholly devotedto evil. Every act of such a will is a sin.
2. Repentance in the true meaning of that word, is ahatred of sin as such. There is no repentance of this kind in hell.But if repentance be taken to mean merely the regret that sincauses suffering, and hatred of sin merely as the cause ofsuffering, then we can say that there is repentance in hell.
3. The condemned in hell cannot wish to be annihilated,for this wish is in conflict with the nature of every being. Butdoubtless the damned wish for some kind of sleep or death orextinction of consciousness that would bring surcease ofsuffering.
4. As in heaven there is perfect charity, and happiness inthe fact of each soul's being saved, so in hell there isperfect hatred and envy, and malicious desire to see others sufferthe pains of hell.
5. The damned hate God (not in himself, for this isimpossible) in the effects of his justice which they haveperversely brought upon themselves.
6. Strictly speaking, there is no meriting or demeritingin either heaven or hell. For the time of meriting and demeritingis the time of life on earth.
7. Knowledge acquired during earthly life will remain inthe damned and will be a factor in their suffering.
8. The condemned who are in hell will never think upon Goddirectly, but only in so far as the thought of him is involved inthe thought of the divine justice which afflicts them.
9. The damned have knowledge of the glory of the blessedin heaven. When the resurrection of the body restores bodily eyes,the damned will look in vain to see the glorified bodies of thesaints. But they will know of heaven, and they will feel thepunishment of not being worthy even to look at it.
"The essence of perfection is to embrace the will of God in all things, prosperous or adverse. In prosperity, even sinners find it easy to unite themselves to the divine will; but it takes saints to unite themselves to God's will when things go wrong and are painful to self-love. Our conduct in such instances is the measure of our love of God."
St Alphonsus de Liguori
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"Let persons in the world sanctify themselves in their own houses, for neither the court, professions, or labour, are any hindrance to the service of God."
St Philip Neri
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"If you wish to learn and appreciate something worth while, then love to be unknown and considered as nothing. Truly to know and despise self is the best and most perfect counsel."
Thomas á Kempis
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