The Three Dreams

(Heaven, Purgatory and Hell)
AUTHOR: MONSENHOR EYMARD L'E. MONTEIRO

(Note: Do not confuse Don Bosco's dreams)

With ecclesiastical authorization from the Hon. and Rt. Mr. Don Marcolino,
Christmas Archbishop

Studies and Comments - Deacon Francisco Almeida Araújo
(Studies and comments were verbally authorized to be posted on the Internet by the deacon.)

By way of introduction

The book that you, dear reader, has in your hands is the fruit of Monsignor Eymard's three dreams that came to our attention and we soon realized the good that you can do to souls, warning them to live happily here in this world to be very happy in the world. another life.
Now the Holy Mother Church teaches us that God deigned to reveal to men the truths for our salvation even to the apostle John. This is the official, public revelation to which all of us Catholics by the grace of God must give our total adherence of faith.
Not to believe in this public revelation, which is the Word of God, as the Church teaches us, is to place eternal destiny at risk of condemnation.
The Church also teaches us that there may be particular revelations such as apparitions, visions, oracles of the saints and even admits that they have been and that in a sense they are approved by the Church (Lourdes, Parai Le Monial, Fatima), but considers them rare; which must be proved and can never be presupposed, and only those which are in full accord with the official public revelation, which is Holy Scripture, are authentic. The Church does not require that we necessarily believe in particular revelations recognized by her.
Even the imprimatur of episcopal authority does not mean recognition of the Church, but rather that the content of that particular revelation does not go against Catholic faith and morals.
What about the physical penalties that souls suffer in Purgatory or Hell?
God speaks to us by comparisons, using things we humans know to roughly reveal to us the things of the supernatural world (Hosea 12:10), otherwise there would be no communication, revelation.
Physical punishment in Purgatory or Hell and even happiness in Heaven is presented by figures, symbols, though their reality is more stupendous than the figures used.
As for the feather for fire and other figures to represent suffering, we have to say that we cannot specify what it consists of. The truth is that we cannot think of fire as we know it, just like this world.
Let us not forget that everything is a state of mind. The sinner suffers in Purgatory (temporary) or Hell (eternal) because he recognizes that God is exceedingly good and that he voluntarily mismatched himself with the High Good.
In Purgatory the fire of purifying suffering is the destruction of all our selfishness, the sin of our soul. According to Saint Catherine Genoa, the fire that afflicts the souls of Purgatory without consuming them is the fire of love, more painful than the fire we know here on Earth. She tells us that it is such a pity that there are no words to express it and no intelligence to conceive. The joy in Purgatory is the knowledge that one day God will be seen face to face, and so the soul will gladly accept this suffering purifies and liberates.
In Hell the suffering represented by fire is infinitely greater, for the soul knows that it is doomed, for thus it has itself chosen; It is the fire not of love, but the fire of hate, where the slavery of selfishness presents itself to its fullest. In Hell there is no friendship only eternal hatred. He will have the company of the worst murderers, criminals in history, the eternal company of demons. It's a hate that never ends, never.
How many children in Hell will hate their parents for being there because of them, for their bad examples, for not having taught them the way of salvation, of the Gospel of Our Lord. The heretics and apostates will hate each other. They will hate their "shepherds" and will hate those who once deceived them from the way of salvation ...
We thank the good God for the faith received, for the grace of being Catholic, because belonging and being faithful to the Church is a sign of predestination.
May the reading of this book arouse in the heart of the reader a great love for Our Lord, the Virgin Mary, the Catholic Church and the brothers.
This book, as its author Monsignor Eymard says, “speaks to human feeling. They are simple dreams told in light and attractive language.
This is what I could do, the author tells us, to hold the reader to the last page, letting him mull over what he had read ...
And why not say?
I would even like him to be somewhat impressed by the reading, because only then could he turn away from sin. ” Amen, we say.

TRAVEL TO THE PURGATORY

I never worried about dreams. Especially when they talk about unimportant things that have their explanation in life fatigue, daily worries or nervous breakdown.
However, the three dreams I am going to tell deserve special mention for their significance and for the follow-up with which they were given to me.
presented by a messenger from God.
I dreamed that there appeared to me an angel with wings as white and long as if they were out of shape for his body, which looked like snow. His face was like glass, from which came a divine splendor that overshadowed my sight.
The strange visitor came to me and greeted me reverently, saying:
Hail, representative of Christ!
A little shy, I managed, however, to open my mouth and answer:
Save! Who are you and what do you want?
The angel continued:
I am one of the cherubim who attend the sacred throne of Almighty God (and here the angel bowed) and I came to pick you up to show you Purgatory. Today is Saturday, the day on which Our Lady sends for the souls who were leading the scapular in life and whose owners died with it. I want you to have a real view of that place of purification, where are the souls who have not yet had their feathers discounted.
And in the dream, I remember how I spoke to the angel, saying:
Yes, messenger of God. I will go there to help acquaintances who have not had Masses celebrated by their souls.
You will see the sufferings of several children, students from the schools where they live, who for a very simple reason still cannot see the face of God. My interest in taking you with me is precisely to know that there are several of your friends, young people who were your students and that death snatched from the world at the beginning of life, in full youth!
And the angel took me in his supernatural arms as if they were clouds that enveloped me and crossed with me the infinite space that separated us from eternity. The mysterious breadth surrounding us at that moment and the fear that made me shiver caused deep anguish in my heart, amazed at what might happen to me.
After a while, which seemed to me too long, on this dizzying ascent to an unknown place, I heard the angel's voice saying to me:
We're close! I ask you not to be scared!
Heavy clouds passed over us, and as we climbed, the wind howled like a hungry wolf in a moonlit night. I felt goose bumps creep through my body as I saw, far below, the great ball of the earth, moving dizzily around itself.
I closed my eyes to open them later, when the angel shook me to show me a gate of fire that we had before us. Thick flames shot through the cracks as dark smoke curled through the ceiling of the majestic building.
Said the angel:
Is here!
And with a sign of the cross made with his right hand toward the mysterious entrance, those great gates opened, creaking on the hinges that held them.
We entered.
A painful spectacle almost made my heart break. I saw in the dream souls who were suffering the hardships of fire and who, as I passed, stretched their arms in supplication without being able to speak, with a face that caused me deep anguish.
Don't they talk here? I asked.
No. Souls cannot speak. When they reach heaven, they will be able to know everything through divine intuition. This is precisely one of the great forms of happiness in bliss.
And as I spoke, the angel leading me would not stop for a moment.
He seemed in a hurry, just as if he had time to accomplish a mission. He led me to the abyss of Purgatory, suddenly stopping before a soul. She pointed to a girl of about twelve, sitting on the edge of a blaze. The poor thing wavered to the uncertain movements of the red flame and had a sad look of one who had already lost hope ... I looked at her, knew who she was. I remembered his last moments on earth that were assisted by me. When he saw me, he got up, opened his mouth, in an effort to speak, to shout without power. Then she tried a steric smile, an ugly mouth twitching.
I called your name:
Marisa!
But she just kept staring at me as she sat back in her fire seat at the simple gesture of the angel following me. Now he was pointing to five boys, one of whom I met as well. I had died many years ago of pernicious anemia and it was hard for me to believe that I was still in Purgatory because I had already celebrated several Masses for him.
Yes it's true! said the angel. The five of them will now go to Heaven. Your Masses have served them even though they were celebrated by one. But God contributed the merits of the infinite sacrifice for them five to be saved on the same day. Everyone used the scapular.
And that girl? I asked.
That girl said the angel whose name was Marisa on earth, will not go out today because she still has to cleanse herself of some minor faults that she committed in her life. Will spend another week in Purgatory.
I looked at Marisa. And I felt all the anguish of his spirit. Listening to her sentence, he shuddered slightly, and, not caring much for the pains of his burns, straightened at the end of the flare that enveloped her from moment to moment, plunging her into that red sea of ​​immense fire.
I turned to the angel and asked:
What did she do?
The cherub answered:
On Earth, he stamped his mother, answered her badly, ran away from home, and joined a colleague who was the cause of his perdition.
She fell ill from a severe flu that she had caught on the beach as she went there, hiding from her parents, with this colleague, who died of double pneumonia.
In Polyclinic, isn't it true?
Exactly! It was you who forgave her sins, but now she has to cleanse herself from the penalties ... God called her, despite her few years, before she fell into greater faults and condemned herself forever.
I lowered my head and walked toward the exit gate. Behind me came the angel with the five blessed children. And as we reached the flaming gate, I thought of countless other children on earth, whom I knew so much, of other people who were in grave danger of condemnation because they did not care for their parents' advice or seek repent of their sins or correct their faults. And when I said goodbye to the heavenly messenger, I said unto him,
Are you still coming to pick me up for another visit to Purgatory?
And he, flapping his long wings to heaven, embracing the new sons of Our Lady, exclaimed:
Not! Now, I won't come to you for Purgatory anymore. I'll take you to heaven next time!
When I woke up, it was already five o'clock in the morning, time to get up immediately. Dawn flares reddened the distant horizon through my open window. And while praying the morning prayer, the memory of Marisa did not leave the thought ... In Purgatory yet, because of his disobedience!
And I went out to celebrate Holy Mass for that unfortunate child, while thinking:
How many Marisas out there will not suffer so much in Purgatory! ...

Comment: Is Purgatory Biblical?
I was a believer, a Protestant pastor, and therefore did not believe in the doctrine of Purgatory. I am sad when I meet Catholics who, influenced by Protestantism, do not believe in Purgatory. Some ask me: is it dogma of faith the purgatory? Is the doctrine of purgatory biblical? My sincere and clear answer is: yes, Purgatory is dogma of faith and therefore its doctrine biblical. After I studied the subject of Purgatory I found this doctrine to be highly consoling.
The Church teaches that Purgatory is a state of moral purification, in which souls, not yet completely pure, are purified by penalties, becoming worthy of heaven. This is the definition of dogma.
As for the scriptural proofs (from the Bible), we find them in II Mac 12: 43-46: “Then he made a collection, sending about ten thousand drachmas to Jerusalem, to offer himself as a sacrifice for sins: beautiful and holy way. to act out of his belief in the resurrection, because if he had not thought that the dead would rise, it would have been futile and superfluous to pray for them.
But if he believed that a beautiful reward awaits those who die godly, this was a good and religious thought; this is why he asked for an atoning sacrifice so that the dead would be free from their faults. ” This text from the second book of Maccabees clearly shows us that there is a mystery of atonement (a purgatory) in the future life. Read still Eclo 7, 37. 1 Cor 3: 11-15: “As for the foundation, no one can lay any other than that which has already been laid: Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation with gold or silver, or with precious stones, with wood, or with hay, or with straw, the work of every man shall appear. (Judgment Day) will demonstrate it. It will be discovered by fire; the fire will prove what each one's work is worth. If the building resists, the builder will receive the reward. If it catches fire, it will bear the damage. He will be saved, though, by somehow passing through the fire. ”
The Apostle thus states that some, though building their lives upon Christ, yet build it with imperfect works (straw, hay), will be saved, but must pass through fire. This is what the Catholic Church teaches: many are saved, but because of their imperfections they must “pass through the fire” before entering heaven.
Matthew 12: 32: “Everyone who has spoken against the Son of Man will be forgiven. But if he speaks against the Holy Spirit, he will obtain no forgiveness in this century or in the age to come. ”
By this expression: “He will not obtain forgiveness in this century or in the age to come,” we see that there are forgivable sins in the future century, that is, in the other world. This place in the other world is called Purgatory.
Matthew 5: 26: "Verily I say unto you, Thou shalt not go out thence until thou hast paid the last dime."
This is not about Hell, from which you cannot leave; neither from heaven a place of joy, and not of atonement; but of Purgatory, the only place where one must atone for "till the last dime" the slight faults committed in this life.
Revelation 21:27: "Nothing profane or anyone who practices abominations and lies will enter into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life." Now, however pure man is in this world, he will always have blemishes contracted in his addicted nature, since "the righteous falleth seven times." To condemn him to Hell for having small weaknesses does not want the goodness of God. Giving him heaven at once hinders him the infinite purity of the Lord. Therefore, an atonement or purging in the afterlife is
in a state called Purgatory.
Tradition also teaches this truth, as the ancient writings and archeology attest.
To understand the doctrine of Purgatory, one must know that divine justice and mercy are reconciled in it. One cannot praise the first by sacrificing the second. God, who is rich in mercy (Ephesians 2, 4), is the same Just Judge (II Tim 4: 8), to whose court we shall all appear (II Cor 5:10).
Christ's sacrifice on Calvary which is renewed on the altar does not nullify divine justice, but opens the way to forgiveness. Even this pardon is within a criterion of justice. God will repay each according to his works (Matt. 16,
27; Rm 2.5-8; I Pet 1:17; Rev 2:23; Ap 22, 12, etc.).
Many men die and appear immediately before the Righteous Judgment of God and are in such a condition that they cannot be condemned to Hell, for they are not in mortal sin, but, on the other hand, are not pure enough to immediately enter into the glory of Heaven.
Nor was there time for perfect repentance or suffering enough to take them deeper.
Just as the truth that God will repay to each one according to his works is very true, so is the existence of Purgatory. Thank God!
Praised be God!
God forgives us, but demands from the forgiven sinner a penalty, an atonement. Just read Numbers 14, 11. 12. 19. 20- 20-23; Numbers 20, 12; Dt 34, 1-5; II Sam 11, 2-7; II Sam 12, 13-14; Jl 2, 12, etc.
 Purgatory purifies us from punishment and guilt. It is an extraordinary consoling doctrine, for there shines the sun of God's goodness.
 It is a pity that Purgatory is presented only as a place of suffering and not of joy, as Saint Bernardino de Sena tells us. The greatest pain is that on earth we no longer loved God and now (in Purgatory) have to wait a while to see our beloved Lord face to face. It is one thing to see from afar and another to embrace Him.
The radiant figure of the Lord, seen at the moment of private judgment, is our comfort and strength in Purgatory. And upon seeing God, the soul itself judges and recognizes itself unworthy of entering directly into heaven.
Purgatory is the time, the opportunity to purify oneself. It is a school of love. From love to God. Lord, give us Purgatory right now, here on earth, for we want to love Him intensely. How pain purifies us, frees us ...
We just want God. He alone is enough for us.

Deacon Francisco Almeida Araújo

VISIT TO HEAVEN

The same angel who last took me to Purgatory came to call me to heaven. He had told me that on any night he could return to make me enjoy, at least in a dream, the presence of Almighty God, in eternal bliss. I spent the week waiting for the pleasant surprise.
And just tonight I had fallen asleep very tired from the day's work and fatigue, with so many problems and worries. Before praying, I thought it would be a good opportunity if that beautiful angel came to get me to see heaven.
And this is what happened!
Moved only by a signal from my divine companion, I found myself suddenly in the infinity range, through the clouds, rising, always rising. An indescribable joy had taken hold of me, and as I climbed, I felt so light, so different, that I couldn't help asking my first question:
Where do you take me, divine angel?
I came to get you to heaven! he answered me.
And why am I getting so light?
Then the angel explained to me what was happening to me:
This feeling you feel is a feeling of well-being, of relief, of happiness that all who approach Heaven feel. As you know, Heaven is the place God has reserved for righteous and holy souls, where there is neither can nor can. there are sorrows, sufferings or setbacks. Heaven is the happiness itself, the unrestrained joy of those who have always desired good and the possession of eternity.
with God.
Is that where you live?
Yes, I live in heaven. I belong to the cherubim who are always before the throne of God to serve and love Him.
So are you always seeing God?
Yes, I see God every day. And when I have to move away from his presence, as now, for the performance of some mission, I miss my place immensely, because we always live happily there.
I thought then how good it would be if God allowed me to stay in heaven. And that this dream was not a dream, but pure reality! ... The more we flew, the more I became transformed, feeling something different inside me.
I was beginning to see my desires fulfilled and fulfilled my will. I was happy with everything I had and most interestingly, I wanted nothing more. And that brought me a great admiration, because how many things I have yet to do, business to solve and now all this disappears, enchantingly,
as if it were already done!
At one point the angel looked at me and said:
We are close to Heaven! Look down!
I looked. The earth seemed so petty, so despicable, so unattractive that I was amazed to settle for living there. I wanted to talk to the angel, but when I looked into his face, I was amazed. My companion was beginning to transfigure, becoming translucent, so beautiful that I was amazed.
A divine, sweet, meek smile was on his face that seemed to be staring at something far away. I did not want to arouse him from his ecstasy and waited for him to speak to me again to ask him what he was seeing. Finally, I began to transfigure, too, and I sensed that our flight speed was slowing down as a sign of Heaven's approach. A few moments later we find ourselves facing a much narrower gate than Purgatory. Seeing him, I even thought we couldn't get past him, and I assumed it was some camera from Heaven. After we stopped, I had the heart to ask the angel:
And now where are we?
Before the gate of heaven! answered.
So, so narrow?
And the angel explained to me:
It is that the entrance of heaven is very difficult. The road is tight and the little door ... well you see! ...
The angel knelt before that strange door, made three deep obeisances, and slowly it opened, letting us see what was inside.
My God, what a dazzle!
And at the signal of my friend, I followed him through the beautiful paths of eternity. We walked among magnificent gardens of beautiful flowers, feeling the fragrant breath of that splendid nook, where a beauty reigned that no one can describe. My body grew lighter and lighter. It hardly even touched the floor anymore! My anxiety was so great that I couldn't help but ask the angel:
Is this really heaven already?
Yes, we are already in heaven. Replied the cherub. But Heaven has many departments, and now we are coming to the first step of happiness.
And he pointed me to some very beautiful outbuildings that we were seeing and which, in the dream, had no doors and were like glass, where were the blessed souls.
The angel showed me those mansions, each more gorgeous, richer, and more enchanted. The people inside had such a beautiful face that I was confused if they were angels or mere souls.
They are souls, pure souls. said the angel to me.
And he continued showing me the different steps of that happiness:
There are the humble souls, beyond the obedient souls, and there I want to show you the souls of the children.
It was a wonderful place, ringed with light, with little angels that came and went, smiling and happy. Some were taller than others.
Why? I asked.
despising their home and their presence.
Children who do this on earth will spend a long time in Purgatory before coming to heaven.
Quickly my thoughts turned to Earth. And immediately I set out to begin my preaching on the behavior in the Church as soon as he returned to the world. Because if young children suffer in Purgatory for lack of respect in the Church, what suffering will not be reserved for adults?
And I continued my walk through Heaven, looking at the divine beauty of the saints' abode, following the angel's indication. I was dazzled with such happiness, and though I was only there in a dream, I was so happy that I was amazed when the angel told me that we had been in Paradise for a month.
So great is the happiness that God reserves for their souls that we are not even aware of time. Here we live the fullness of what is good, without noting that it has been more than a month since we left Earth!
Is it all? I asked. It seems that this is when we arrived.
And anxiously, fearing it was time to return, I asked, anxiously:
Are we going back yet?
No. answered the angel. You will still be here for several days, because I have a surprise for you.
Which is?
You will have the great joy of speaking with God.
Hearing these words, my heart trembled with contentment.
Talk to God. So many times on earth had he called upon his holy Name, and now he was going to see Him face to face!
I also want to show you your protective saints and the beauty of the place where they live. Look back and see the great distance that separates us from the entrance gate.
It was then that I realized that many days ago we were there, for in the dream I saw the gate so far, so far away, disappearing, little one, among the golden clouds of the heavenly homeland. And by divine intuition, he realized that such a distance could only be walked in heaven within many days.
The angel led me through the galleries of heaven, adorned with tapestries of rare value, where angels passed, always calm, but with the countenance of one who was going to do something. As they passed us, they bowed deeply and continued on their way.
Where do they go? I asked.
They are angels, messengers of God, who come to earth to fulfill some mission, just as I am fulfilling mine.
And why do they bow when they pass you?
Not for me. As they pass you answered the heavenly friend.
You well know that the Priest has great powers in the world, and in heaven they then immediately together with God.
And to my astonishment he stated:
Do you know something? If an angel found a Priest and Our Lady here, he would first greet the Priest and then greet the Mother of God!
It was then that a chill ran down my spine.
My God, what situation am I in? Called by God to perform a great mission. To live in Heaven next to the Almighty and to be greeted first than Our Lady!
And where are the priests' souls?
The angel bowed his head sadly and answered:
Unfortunately, you will not be able to see them. The greatness of the priest in heaven compares with the greatness of God Himself. I have orders from the Omnipotent to show you the place they occupy in Hell when they are condemned.
I was amazed by that news and asked:
And here we go to Hell?
No. From here we will not be able to go to Hell. You will see eternal damnation again.
So will you still pick me up for Hell?
This is the order I received.
And despite all that happiness, the mystical joy that had once invaded my heart, I began to cry. Go to Hell to see where the souls of the unsaved Priests suffer! ...
But the angel comforted me, saying,
Do not worry. There are few who condemn themselves.
You, of course, will be saved. Can't you see the favor God gives you?
Protect your works, help yourself, inspire good thoughts, all because of your devotion to the divine Holy Spirit.
The angel's words fell on me like a wounded balm. And my countenance was filled with light as we continued our visit through the heavenly stops of bliss.
We are before the quarters of your pet saints. You can't come in because you haven't died yet. But you will see your protectors through the glass walls surrounding the mansion of the saints.
And, unveiling a great curtain of red velvet, he introduced me to my heavenly friends, who on earth are so invoked by me.
In the dream this nook seemed to me like a huge field covered with a thousand flowers, cradled by the caress of the breeze, as if all the beauty of the world, that is, of Heaven, had been laid there by the mysterious hand of God Himself. My joy reached its peak when I saw the first known face - Santa Maria Goretti! There she was. Looking at me, he smiled a smile so beautiful that I couldn't help but exclaim.
But what beauty ... what unspeakable happiness in that face!
The angel said to me:
In heaven, those who die in defense of their purity always bring a smile on their face. Even God likes to contemplate the souls who live here because of their purity!
São Luís de Gonzaga, the patron of the College that I drive on Earth. St. Francis of Assisi the poor. San Francisco who was humble and a friend of nature. There I saw him kissing Sister Water and contemplating Sister Moon. St. Anthony, speaking to the little fishes of the sea. Santa Teresinha, hugging her crucifix. Saint Dominic Savio, crying out to the world that it is better to die than to sin. Now I see why he said that.
And my admiration continued and would go much further, if I had not been approached by the angel, who asked me:
Do you want to see the popes' place?
I want! I answered.
And we walked along the glorious paths of heaven until we came before a monumental basilica, just like St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. A large door opened as beautiful angels presented themselves to us, asking us what we wanted:
See the holy popes we answered.
Show us the last one here! said my mate, addressing a colleague.
And bowing to me, the keeper of the pope's heavenly abode, he said to us:
Accompany me!
And we went walking. The three in silence. The last pope must have been Pius X. I wanted to ask, but I controlled myself and waited. When we were introduced to the precincts of the Holy Fathers, the accompanying angel took a golden trumpet and played a beautiful song.
What does this means? I asked my friend.
Here each pope listens for a different song. Each has its own ringtone.
And who is he calling?
Wait and see.
And what was not my surprise when, when a curtain of soft, soft clouds opened, the Holy Father, Pope John Paul I, appeared before us. I could not resist the thrill and fell to my knees before him. It was a moment of great joy. It had been a while since I had attended the funeral on earth. I had prayed before his body exposed in St. Peter's Basilica, and now I had him there beside me, even touching his white cassock as his own purity.
But it all happened very quickly and we should continue our visit to the divine mansion where God himself lived.
The angel prepared my spirit by telling me that I was going to have the immense happiness that is only given to blessed souls. And that if I had any request to make, I would soon be ready, because before God only very little could be said. In heaven there is no talking. Souls understand each other through a special gift given to them. This is part of eternal happiness. However, I was going to be able to speak for the simple reason that I had not yet died and be there as a simple visitor.
As we walked, stepping on a cloud carpet, I concatenated my thoughts to make a wish to my Creator. But, my heart was beating so fast and a weird anxiety clutched my soul so much that I couldn't even get it right with the words I was going to say when I was before God. Finally, we stopped in front of a doorway defended by several light-decked angels. When they saw us, they all knelt down.
"These are the angels who guard the eternal presence of God," said the cherub who accompanied me.
And pointing to an empty spot between them, he continued:
See that vacant place?
See you, yes.
For it is my place. From there I went out, called by God, to bring you to heaven in this dream, just as I took you to Purgatory last week.
As I stared at that huge legion of angels, clad in great tunics, holding flaming gold swords in their hands, all on their knees before us, my companion continued:
We here kneel only before the Priests and before Our Lady.
And before God? I asked.
Yes, before God, we are all on our knees. Now give them a signal to rise.
And at a little sign I made with my hand they all rose.
It made me more and more impressed. Priests in heaven are as revered almost as God Himself.
And now, get ready to enter! said the angel to me.
With a panting heart and a soul overflowing with emotion, I entered the sacred quarters of Almighty God, the Creator of the world.
Astonished, dazzled, I lay before Divine Majesty, unable to look straight at that brightness that surrounded me with light. Still, serene and without even squinting, I stood there in that happy, peaceful silence that made me feel so good. Face to face, before my God, I glimpsed the great mystery of the Holy Trinity, seeing at the same time the Eternal Father, the Son Jesus Christ, the one of whom I had become a representative, and the Holy Spirit, the inspirer of my good thoughts. And while I saw them like that, in three different people, he beheld them by a mysterious divine intuition as one God. Stunned, marveling at that vision that I could never describe, I lost track of time, feeling a happiness that I can't explain what it was, because it was felt, lived by me and not seen!
I have forgotten all that had happened before, and even rapt myself before my Lord. And I only woke from this surrender of myself to the happiness that flooded me with satisfaction and filled me with love, because my heavenly companion lightly touched my shoulder, making me realize that it was time to leave. And whispering in my ear said:
It's been a year since you were here. You must return to earth to continue your work with the souls entrusted to you.
And in a rather distressed question:
Did you say what you had to say?
I did not answer. Can I still talk?
Yes you can. Enjoy I'll wait for you out here.
And the angel departed, always on his knees, going to put himself in his place, with God's other cherubim and attendant seraphim.
It was then that I received a special grace and had the courage to speak.
My Lord is my God! I exclaimed.
And a sly voice like a whisper of breeze, so tender, so sweet that it filled me with the courage to continue, replied:
Speak, good and faithful servant!
What sweet words from the mouth of God. How happy and excited I felt at that time I wish it never ended. Could understand, very well, all the satisfaction of the Apostle St. Peter, when he asked Jesus to remain on the Mount of Transfiguration, proposing to make three tents, three houses, for Jesus, Moses and Elijah.
If I could, too, I would never leave the presence of God and always listen to the divine beauty of his words of affection, encouraging me to make my request.
My Lord is my God! I continued. I come to make you a single request. I come with a soul full of supplication, to beg of your mercy forgiveness for my sins. If I am not a Priest according to what your heart desires, forgive me, Lord, and teach me to live as you desire.
And that same soft and tender voice left the softness of this consolation, filling me with unspeakable commotion and happiness:
Yes my son. Your sins will be forgiven to the extent of your repentance. You will receive the grace of this repentance.
And, pausing for a moment, let me experience that divine promise. Finally, he spoke again.
What more do you want? Ask in the name of Jesus Christ, of whom you are a representative!
And I asked. I asked for what I thought was essential for the balance of the world and for the subsistence of society. I asked, excited to receive, in the name of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Master. I asked like this:
O Almighty God, since I have the joy of being able to speak to you, I ask you a great thing. I beg you not to forget the mothers of the world. Of the mothers who ask me to pray for them. Of mothers who don't know how to be mothers. Of mothers who do not take care of their children. Of mothers who scandalize their children. Of mothers who disrespect motherhood. Of mothers who are not true mothers. Of the mothers ...
I was so excited, making my big and important request to God, when the angel touched my shoulder, saying to me:
God has other things to solve. It's been over a year since you've been here before him. It is time to return to Earth. And even God will not be able to answer all your requests about mothers. The most necessary would be that they, on earth, would employ the means to achieve salvation. But if they do not convert, if they do not seek God, they cannot find Him. It would be good if you came back to earth and tried to prepare them with your preaching, for the great mission of motherhood, for the sublime vocation of being able to give saints to the world.
And pulling me to my feet:
Get up, come on, don't you see that God is no longer here?
True, yes. God was no longer there. And me wanting to keep talking, asking, insisting. Pure selfishness on my part. Taking advantage of the opportunity to want everything at once. Yes, God was no longer there and I did not know how He had received this other request from me.
I accompanied my guide to Heaven's exit gate and said goodbye there, asking him:
Will you still pick me up to visit Hell?
Yes, it was this command I received from God.
I shuddered with fright.
And when will it be?
BRIEFLY! cried the divine messenger.
At this time I woke up and immediately sat on the bed. My God, what would that have been? A nightmare? A simple dream? A warning from God?
As I prepared to celebrate Holy Mass, I thought only of the angel's response, warning me that I would soon be visiting Hell.
And I asked God with all my soul to deliver me from this other dream!

Comment:
Heaven It is the dogma of faith of our Holy Church that the souls of the righteous who at the moment of death are freed from all guilt and the penalty of sin enter Heaven. Heaven, the Mother Church teaches us, is a place and state of perfect happiness supernatural, which has its raison d'être in God's vision and in the perfect love of God that results from it.
The human heart is a requirement for happiness and we all have a longing, a longing for the lost Paradise. How many times do we miss a lot and we are not sure why. It is from Heaven, for God created us for Eternal Life, for Eternal Happiness. Holy Scripture records the truth about the immortality of the soul (Psalm 48, 16; 72, 26; Daniel 12: 2; II Maccabees 6, 26; 7, 29.36). The Bible speaks of the resurrection in many passages and condemns reincarnationist superstition, for we only have this life here on earth, and then come to Eternity (Hebrews 9:27).
The book of Wisdom describes to us the happiness and peace of the souls of the righteous, who rest in God's hands and live forever with Him (Wisdom 3: 1-9; 5, 15-16). Our Lord represents the happiness of heaven in the image of a wedding feast (Matthew 25, 10; 22, 1ff; Luke 14, 15ff) designated this bliss of life or eternal life (Matthew 19, 19; 25, 46; John 3: 15ff; 4, 14; 5, 24; 6, 35-39; 10, 28; 12, 25; 17, 2). The condition for attaining eternal life is to know God and Christ (John 17: 3). To the pure in heart Christ promises to see God (Matthew 5: 8).
Nothing on earth can be compared to the beauty and happiness of heaven, although the beauty and happiness here in this world is a pale image of the reality of heaven. Read the words of the Apostle St. Paul, who was taken up to heaven ( 1 Corinthians 2: 9; II Corinthians 12: 4). Believers who endure to the end are guaranteed a reward of eternal life (Romans 2: 7; 6, 22f) and a glory that has no proportion to the sufferings of this world (Romans 8:18). Instead of the imperfect knowledge of God that we had here in this life, then we will see God immediately (I Corinthians 13, 12; II Corinthians 5, 7).
A fundamental idea of ​​St. John's theology is that by faith in Jesus, Messiah and Son of God, eternal life is attained (John 3:16; 20:31; I John 5:13). Eternal life is God's immediate vision (I John 3: 2).
The book of Revelation describes to us the happiness of the blessed who are in the presence of God and the Lamb, that is, glorified Christ. All physical evils will disappear (Revelation 7, 9-17; 21, 3-7).
In heaven those who remain in the true faith will also be extraordinarily happy, for they will be in the company of Christ (concerning His humanity), the Blessed Virgin, the angels, the saints, and will reunite with loved ones, family members. and friends, who had during earthly life and know the works of God.
The dogma of our Catholic faith also tells us that the happiness of heaven lasts for eternity. Our Lord compares the reward for good works to the treasures kept in Heaven, which cannot be lost (Matthew 6, 20;
Luke 12:33; 16, 9). The righteous, says Holy Scripture, will go to eternal life (Matthew 25:46; 19,29; Romans 2, 7; John 3, 15s). St. Paul speaks of eternal bliss by employing the image of an incorruptible crown (I Corinthians 9:25). St. Peter, our first Pope, calls it the imperishable crown of glory (I Peter 5: 4).
Heaven is the fulfillment of all legitimate desires analogous to the future state of man (Psalm 16:15). To prove it, these two principles are sufficient: first, heaven is the complete deliverance from evil and the complete enjoyment of pure endless happiness; Secondly, man will be a true man in heaven, that is, in body and soul. Heaven will then be the most complete happiness of body and soul. Thus teaches us the Holy Mother Church based on Holy Scripture, tradition and our reason, our heart says amen! Heaven is a fundamental requirement of the human heart.
This is why man desires heaven with all the strengths of his being. Created for happiness, it gravitates ceaselessly and hopelessly to its end, like the needle touched with the magnet to the pole, and like everything in nature to its center. From the cradle to the grave, this slaughtered and disgraced being seeks his rehabilitation and deliverance from evil; this dethroned king seeks his throne; he seeks it everywhere, remembering heaven. Sadly, the man without the star, the compass that leads him to heaven, the Catholic Church in its The pursuit of happiness puts it where it is not, and that is a terrible consequence of its degradation. One would say a great child who, standing on the shore of a serene lake, suddenly sees in the mirror of the waters the image of the moon.
Take it by its own star, and in its error, it falls into the lake, and the image of shatters; and the more you shake to catch it, the less you reach it. And what results from their painful efforts is fatigue, despair, death in the midst of the waters. It is man who seeks at his feet what is above him, pursuing the shadow and not the reality. His heart desires happiness, heaven, but man without reason illuminated by faith follows instinct and as a sinner embraces the shadow of the pleasures of the flesh and misses the mark; instead of heaven and freedom, there is Hell, slavery.

Deacon Francisco Almeida Araújo

The Dream of Hell

After the dreams I had last week that were more or less told in these pages, I had no doubt that the angel would come to me again to take me to Hell. The first two tours he gave me, even made me very happy, especially from Heaven. But, given his promise to take me to Hell, I was no longer calm.
However, I should visit the place of the reprobate in eternal damnation, to closely examine the horrors suffered by the damned souls because of their sins committed on earth. I had slept many nights startled. And I thought:
My God, will the dream come true today?
And I prayed, prayed a lot, asking God to dismiss me from seeing the suffering of souls in Hell.
And a few days passed.
But when it was tonight, I dreamed, after all ...
I dreamed that the same angel, so cheerful and divine in appearance, who had brought me to heaven, and rather to purgatory, stood before me, his face heavy and austere. I asked:
Why are you so serious?
Hell is so horrible that even the angels of God are transformed when they have to go there in fulfillment of some mission. I myself didn't want to show it to anyone, but this is the third time I'm in charge of doing it.
Why, I thought to myself:
If this angel who lives in heaven and can do everything, he doesn't want to go to Hell, much less me!
And I remember that in the dream I was kneeling on the floor and telling the angel that I didn't want to go either, but if it was God's will, I was ready.
I just asked him to help me not to be impressed by what I had to see there.
He answered that God wanted me to observe the horrors of eternal damnation because of my mission as a Priest, that I might better preach against sin.
And, saying these words, he took me by the waist, and suddenly we find ourselves in space, flying through heavy, threatening clouds.
I'm afraid! I exclaimed.
And I hugged myself to my protector, whose countenance was growing ever lower. I noticed then that, unlike the other times, we were going down. And that unpleasant feeling that I was going to fall, scared me from moment to moment. I thought from moment to moment that some obstacle would come before us, and my heart was as small as if it would stop beating. This was accentuated most when we entered a thick, dark, terrifying cloud. I had a horrible impression that something extraordinary was about to happen and I started to cry.
The angel hugged me tenderly and said to me:
Fear nothing. You are with my assistance and I have God's powers to protect you.
And wanting to distract me a little, he added:
Look up!
It was then that, for the first time, I observed the Earth turning away from us, lost in space, spinning, dizzyingly. And as we went down, it got smaller and smaller.
A warm wind, as if coming from an oven, began to blow.
Her lips were dry, her eyes swollen and her ears were on fire. My God, what will become of me? The angel did not speak. I was serious and worried, continuing to hold me by the waist. That hug from her was the only relief I experienced under the circumstances. And the certainty that he would protect me gave me encouragement to continue this mysterious journey.
A few moments later I heard a voice that seemed so dark, so cavernous, as if it were a wonder:
We are coming!
It was the angel announcing that we were near the great gate of Hell.
Why is your voice different? I asked.
"It is pure impression," he answered. In Hell it's like that, things are always very scary ...
And that voice, once so soft and delicate, now seemed a sob of infinity.
There is the great and wide gate of Hell!
And the angel pointed me down, where I could see a great gust of black smoke, letting through the cracks of the huge doors a terrifying fire that seemed to consume everything inside.
Is the fire destroying Hell? I asked.
Not! answered the angel. The fire of Hell is eternal and never ends. Nor does it consume the souls who live there. They are burned but not destroyed!
We were getting closer and closer to the great gate.
Now the rate of our descent was slowing down, and we could clearly see through the holes and cracks in the gate, the hot, ravenous fire of eternal unhappiness.
We have arrived.
Everything is easy here, said the angel. You get in without any complications, just make the sign. By the way, you don't have to, there they are waiting for us. They think we are condemned.
I looked to one side and came across more than a hundred devils, a horrible spectacle that I didn't even want to describe. They were like great men, with tails and horns, with huge forks in their hands, as warm as if they were glowing iron. When they opened their mouths, they let out flames of fire between their teeth, and their eyes bulged, almost out of their orbits. His arms were long and his hands felt tenacious holding the terrible weapon.
I clung tightly to my mate, feeling the warmth of one of those ugly mouths open close to my face, while a hellish, hysterical, insane laugh made itself heard through Hell's brokenness.
It sounded like thunder rumbling for eternity.
What's that? I asked, very scared.
It is the sign they give when souls come to their kingdom. This horrible laugh is the satisfaction they feel in their fleeting triumph against God.
While explaining this to me, the angel drew his golden sword and pointed to the squat demons before us, exclaiming:
I came from God. Go away.
Hearing the name of God, the devils vanished in two moments with a great roar and growls of revolt, each leaving a trail of fire behind them, roaring to the gates of the infernal entrance.
Now we are alone. No one will bother us. Read that inscription.
Obeying the indication of my protector, I looked up at the door of Hell and read these words:
“O ye that enter in here, forsake all your hopes, for ye shall no more get out of here!”
This caption was written in letters of fire and just thinking about the fate of those condemned to eternal fire, I shuddered in horror.
Lets go in? invited me the angel.
When we looked at the gate, we saw that it was wide open. Inside, a horrible picture presented itself to my eyes.
They were souls engulfed in large bonfires, whose flames threateningly licked the walls of Hell's jailed prison. I was me
approaching, slowly, utterly haunted, those unhappy ones who roared and roared like angry beasts. At my astonishment, the angel said to me:
This is nothing here. We are in the first degree of eternal damnation.
And marching faster, he exclaimed:
Come with me.
We crossed a sea of ​​fire, where the hysterical demons laughed madly, opening those huge mouths near my face, letting me tremble with dread. Hot breath poured from his gut, coming in gusts of fetid smoke, further congesting the unfortunates.
The angel showed me the department of those still awaiting the degree of condemnation that Lucifer, the chief of Hell, would give them within a few days. I saw in these souls the terrifying face of suffering. Urges of revolt, in a constant roar of malpractices, came out of their burning mouths. There, there was crying, and beyond, the desperation in howls of resentment.
Thousands of glittering demons, armed with sharp forks, pushed these souls into a dark hole where there was only weeping and gnashing of teeth.
I closed my eyes to stop seeing that painful spectacle anymore and was supported by my friend who approaching me, comforted me:
God wanted you to see these scenes, but you will suffer nothing.
But I can't stand it! I exclaimed.
And we both went to a quieter place.
I want to show you the various punishments imposed on souls according to the quality of each creature's sins.
At this moment, for us, two terrible devils passed, giving laughter that sounded more like a roar of thunder.
Where do they come from? I asked.
They come from the earth. They went to fetch a dying man who has just died.
He did not want to confess and died in sin.
And pointing to the unfortunate creature said:
See who he was!
When I turned around, I came across one of my friends who was really sick on Earth. When he saw me his eyes widened, he gritted his teeth and writhed convulsively, plummeting on the warm floor of Hell, leaving me shaking with agony and fear.
I was impressed by my friend's death and condemnation. If I had been there on earth, I would have been able to confess it.
Impossible! said the angel. He rejected God's grace and was despised of his own destinies.
Finally we came to a bare place where the angel showed me various kinds of sufferings.
As we passed, faces contorted with the bitterness of pain seemed to devour us with their eyes. Fire-skinned arms extended toward us, as if for help we could not give. I began to feel bad again in that suffering environment and hugged myself to the angel, crying, convulsively.
Are you afraid?
Yes I have. Above all sorry for these souls. And I wonder why they were condemned. Whose fault would it be? Their own?
In your question I read your thoughts ... I know what you mean! ...
Yes, dear angel. I think of the great responsibility of priests.
Many get lost through our negligence, don't they?
True, no.
In heaven you did not want to show me the priests' place of glory. Will you show me here the place of your condemnation?
It was the command I received from God. I will show you where the souls of the unsaved priests are.
As we marched, the horror show grew.
The angel said to me:
Remember that this suffering here is eternal. In Purgatory there is still hope of salvation. But here, it all ends with the convict's entry into this damn city.
And turning quickly to me, he added:
But do you know what is the greatest suffering of Hell? It is the absence of God. It is to know that there is a supreme happiness, a place of tranquility where all our desires are fulfilled, a place of glory, where there is no pain and no lament, for which all were created, without being able to ever leave here. . Worse still, damned souls know perfectly well that they are here willingly and spontaneously. Leave heaven for this eternal suffering!
So is God's absence even worse than that?
Yes it is. This suffering is imposed by sin itself. Remember,
however, that man was made for God, for God is his ultimate end. And they will not possess God! They will always be in this eternal desire, this eternal dissatisfaction.
We were walking.
The angel showed me a lot of thorns.
They are souls, he explained to me. It is a kind of suffering. You want to see?
And approaching the twisted branches on the ground, he picked one up and broke in half.
My God, what did I see?
The blood dripping from that broken branch, dripping on the ground, a warm, dark, thick blood, while a deep, hurt moan seemed to be from those thorny branches, moving mysteriously to the ground.
This is the suffering reserved for people who in life sinned,
humiliating and despising others, said the angel.
And he continued his presentation while explaining their sufferings.
See this sea of ​​mud?
I do see.
They are souls turned to mud ... Here in Hell this is how the sin of lowliness, hypocrisy and betrayal is punished.
Then I saw a huge tank containing lots of molten lead.
They are the souls of the ambitious!
Farther on, that giant reservoir of glowing gold:
The souls of the rich and miserly are punished here, being turned into molten gold.
Now, let's cross a river of blood.
It's the souls of the killers!
Until we got to a weird place where the angel stopped, telling me that I was going to see what I had never thought to see!
It is the place of mystery said the angel.
What mystery?
A mysterious place, unlike the others, where are Satan's favorite souls ...
Satan's favorite souls? What are they?
Satan's and God's favorites too ...
I was panting, breathing in despair, not knowing what it was about. While the angel continued his explanation.
These souls are those chosen by God for a prominent place in heaven. But enviously, Satan desires them more than the others and sends legions of demons to earth to search for them. They have Lucifer's command to employ every means of losing them.
But why don't you tell me whose souls these are?
Because you'll see them soon.
And pointing me to clouds of fire, he showed me some demons coming in hideous rales, accompanied by
raging roars of a soul I could not know who it was.
What soul is this? I asked.
Poor soul! exclaimed the angel. Dear soul of God, made by God to save the world, to give saints to the world, and now here you will be forever unable to enjoy the great reward God has in store for you.
Dear angel, tell me, who is it?
His place will always be empty in heaven. He will never be occupied by another soul.
And the demons passed us, enveloping us in the cloud of fire that surrounded them with their precious prey.
Now you will know whose soul this is. They will open the jail of these unfortunate creatures. She will be with the other companions of eternal misfortune!
See, they're opening the door.
My eyes were riveted on the great door before us. My heart was pounding so hard it couldn't stand me up. My legs trembled, I was in great panic until I felt my strength weaken. I held on to the angel, saying:
I'm going to pass out ...
No, said the angel. The power of God will give you strength because you will see something else worse!
And, lying on the warm floor of Hell, at the feet of my protector, I followed the demons' movements, opening that jail of mystery. A hideous crash shook the whole huge room when, at last, its doors were flung open.
At this moment, lifting up my arm, the angel said to me:
See the souls inside!
I looked at them! My God, what an affliction, such a deep pain, hurt my whole being. I can't believe what I see!
And looking at those horrible animals, those horrible beasts, in writhing contortions and creeping spasms, exclaimed the angel:
There they are! They are the souls of all mothers who have condemned themselves.
God's favorite souls, God's dear souls, those for whom God has the most favor. They, the souls of the unhappy mothers who did not know how to be mothers, who despised the great trait of motherhood, who neglected their children, letting many be lost because of their neglect.
I stared in astonishment at that dark spectacle in which foul demons, menacing as angry dogs, threw themselves at those crumbling souls as if to devour them, poking them at the tips of their glowing forks.
Poor mothers! I thought. This is how they, the careless, are condemned for the neglect in which they lived. The mothers, who were elevated to the same dignity as Our Lady, but would not listen to the voice of God who called them to perform such a high mission.
While I was like this, engrossed in my thoughts, I saw another wave of devils dragging yet another mother into eternal damnation.
Then, looking up, I could read the following words on the roof of that dreadful jail as a macabre greeting to the mothers who were there.
“Here are our collaborators in the great work of the world's perdition!”
Seeing me read this inscription, the angel cut short.
Yes, because if all mothers were holy, godly, and raised their children, the world would not go so badly. There would be no misguided youth, nor would we see in today's youth a constant threat to the subversion of order.
Do you mean that the holiness of the world is due exclusively to mothers? I asked.
Exclusively, the angel did not answer.
And stressing the words, he added:
Almost exclusively. I say this because there is another class of people to whom God has entrusted the salvation of souls and the holiness of life.
To the priests? I asked.
Yes. God has entrusted the salvation of the world to mothers and priests.
Therefore, He reserved the best places in Heaven, just as Lucifer reserved the greatest sufferings in Hell.
And in a question that was a real challenge to me:
Do you want to see where the souls of the unsaved priests are? Do you dare?
At that moment, I was dumb with terror. A weird anguish came over me, and I felt a sense of who was going to rush into an abyss.
If this is God's will I exclaimed I want to see my brothers in the priesthood!
For we need not leave, said the angel. Mothers and priests are on one foot with equal suffering in eternal damnation. See that door that is opening!
It was then that I heard the creaking of the hinging hinges as two bands of doors opened to give way to another priest coming to Hell.
 Impressive picture that I saw in this dream, that I would give everything to finish as soon as possible. He could see countless bodies without heads and legs, only the logs, moving from outstretched arms to an invisible, to something that was not there.
It is the desire to have God! explained the angel. They have no legs because they were given to them to walk the world in the glorious work of preaching the Gospel to all peoples. As they have employed their walks for the service of evil, they must move here without legs. And they have no head, because God has given them their eyes, ears, mouth, nose, brain, and thought to be applied to the conquest of souls, the service of the regeneration of the world, and the restoration of the kingdom of Christ. Through word and thought, the Priests were to sanctify all men. Since they did not do this will of God, even though they were called by Him to
so noble mission in Hell are punished separately: the bodies on one side as you have just seen and the heads on the other, attached to the legs, monstrous thing.
You want to see?
And the angel led me to a dark place, where the smoke brought us a dull smell of burnt human flesh. We went walking. Suddenly,
I saw horrible monsters. They were heads with bulging eyes and wide open mouths, wanting to pronounce words.
do not leave. Immediately, attached to these heads, two legs that moved, without leaving the place. Plus the demons who enjoyed the crippled position of those monsters, engulfed in flames devouring them, burn them while grunts of gagged animals were heard in that fetid, congested room. It was the hottest place we found in Hell.
And to think the angel said that these souls are sisters of Christ, they are other Christs. And to think that in Heaven the souls of priests are more revered than Our Lady, the Mother of God Himself. And to think that in Heaven the Priests live together with God, enjoying their same glory, because they have been entrusted with the continuation of the great work of redemption of mankind. Here they are, the Priests who have condemned themselves! ...
Suddenly a huge demon near me blew a trumpet.
Let's see what Lucifer says, said the angel. It must be some order that will give.
Hearing the sound of that shrill trumpet that blared throughout Hell, thousands of demons appeared there within a few moments, and as my protector had predicted, we heard the chief demon of that band give the following instructions:
I have learned the utmost power that commands all the demons of Hell that there is on earth a twelve-year-old boy who will be a saint if he continues on his way. We will no longer be able to bestow any triumph of this nature on this ... (and that demon did not utter the name of God, but all understood, with a terrifying howl that rolled through the endless space of Hell). "We must conquer that soul," Satan continued for us, for Lucifer, for our fire! (At this time, there was a frantic laugh, translating the hellish satisfaction of those devils.) Our work went on the devil will be to make that boy buy many malicious magazines, go to all movie screenings, watch all the soap operas, watch all the shows, make friends with elements that are already ours. He must often disobey his mother, run away from home and walk the streets learning what he does not know. We also have to do a little service with his very pious mother. She should arrange parties to attend in order to make the boy more comfortable. We must use every means to get this boy lost, for it is written that he must die soon, because of an operation you are going to undergo within a few days. (New hysterical laughter boomed throughout Hell!). That boy must be lost, said the devil, this will be our most important achievement. I command, in the name of Lucifer, that all of you (and thousands were there) go forth to earth immediately. Wherever there is, in that street, a boy from our pack, try to make him a friend of what we want for us by using all means. You see, the best way to get him out of his house is to get someone to give him a ball so he can join the boys on his street who are already ours to play football where they learn all sorts of things. of profanity and immoralities. That is where you should be, among these street boys, loose, without mothers, that is, whose mothers are also ours, so that we lose this prey of our common enemy ... (New boom, with sparks and thunder! ).
At this point I woke up, thank God.
I sat up quickly in bed. It was early morning, and the sun was rising. He was dizzy with agony, terrified of the dream, a true nightmare.
I knelt down and prayed. I prayed a lot to God, a prayer that only I can pray, asking him, for everything, to get rid of these nightmares.
Then, as I calmed down, I remembered that I should say a Mass and it should be the same today for the intention of that boy, who I didn't know who he was, but God knew it well. He would celebrate Mass for that child and his mother, asking God to give them the strength not to succumb to the temptations of the thousands of demons who had departed.
Hell, to tempt them here on earth.
And I went to celebrate my Mass.
When I arrived at the sacristy, a lady, very my friend, approached me and said:
Father, today is the birthday of my son, Roberto, your student. I came to ask him if you could not celebrate this Mass for him. You need prayers badly. Lately, you've been disobeying me several times.
Got some friendships on my street that I'm not satisfied with.
He invented a football around the corner, joining a half-dozen well-known boys, and I have noticed a great transformation in him lately. Last week, you started to feel some pain in your right leg.
I took him to the doctor who found an already advanced hernia. It has to operate.
I'll wait for vacation, I already talked to the operator. Today is his birthday. Can you celebrate Mass in your intention?
And I, meditative, vague, impressed, opened my lips and stammered:
Well no ... ma'am ... I'll celebrate for him ...
And seeing my confusion, my broken words, she said,
Father, are you sick?
I answered:
Yes, ma'am. I am sick ... But rest assured that I will say Mass for your son, for my student Roberto, and he will return to what he always was: a godly, obedient and holy son!

Comment: Hell
Holy Scripture speaks of the reality of Hell. Our Lord Jesus Christ spoke more about Hell than Heaven.
It is the dogma of faith of our Holy Church that the souls of those who die in a state of mortal sin go to Hell.
Hell is a place in a state of eternal disgrace where the souls of the reprobate, that is, condemned, are.
Holy Scripture is rich in passing over Hell. According to Daniel 12, 2 the wicked will be raised to everlasting shame and reproach. Read also Judith 16, 17 and compare with Isaiah 66, 24. It also deals with this terrible truth, Hell, the book of Wisdom 4, 19 according to 3, 10; 6.5ff.
Our Lord threatens the Pharisees with the punishment of Hell (Matthew 5: 22.29-30; 10, 28; 18, 9; 23, 15.33: Mark 9, 43.45-47). Our Lord clearly and categorically states that Hell is eternal torment, eternal fire, unquenchable fire. (Matthew 25:41; 3.12; Mark 9:43; Matthew 13, 42.50; Matthew 25:46). Place of darkness (Matthew 8, 12; 22, 13; 25, 30). A place of weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 13, 42.50; 24, 51; Luke 13:28). St. Paul gives the following testimony: “These (those who do not know God nor obey the Gospel) will be punished for eternal ruin, far from the face of the Lord and the glory of His power (II Thessalonians 1: 8-9, according to Romans 2,6-9; Hebrews 10, 26-31). According to Revelation 21, 8 the wicked will have their share in the tank that burns with fire and sulfur and will be tormented there day and night for ever and ever (Revelation 20, 10 according to II Peter 2, 4-6 and Jude 7).
They give unanimous witness to the reality of Hell, the Fathers of the Church (disciples of the apostles and successors) and we mention only the holy martyr Ignatius of Antioch, the second successor of St. Peter in Antioch who thus wrote: God's faith by which Jesus Christ was crucified will go into the unquenchable fire and to all who hear him. ” What terrible words, what a terrible fate, for the heretics and apostates who deny Catholic doctrine, who leave the true and unique religion: the Catholic. What a terrible fate for those who, by denying the one true Church: the Catholic, commit the folly of founding a new "church" to replace the one instituted by Our Lord. St. Ignatius says: to the heretics, apostates and those who follow them. Let us seek to hear the wise counsel of St. Jude (Jude 17-24).
Let us not forget that it is dogma of faith that Hell lasts for eternity. The Greek words aionios, which translates “that which has no end” referring to the eternity of Hell, is the same used to speak of eternal life (John 3:16), to speak of God's eternity (Romans 16:26).
God intentionally used that same word to speak of Hell (Revelation 14:11).
Aionios has no double meaning. If it reveals to us that God is eternal and that the life we ​​receive, if we persevere in the Catholic faith, is eternal, then it must mean that Hell is also eternal.
Why are there people who do not believe in the existence of Hell? Denial of this truth is not an intellectual problem but a moral one. They are really people who don't want to change their lives. They want to live in bondage to the sins of the flesh and then to heaven. Charles Baudelaire was saying, "The devil's most beautiful cunning lies in persuading us that he, the devil, does not exist," and consequently Hell does not exist. .
So little is said about the devil, about Hell, about death. It is the false prophets who are afraid to speak of these things and live, not according to God's Word, but with the ideas put forward by the dominant mindset.
Our Lord, we repeat, spoke more about Hell than Heaven, the Eucharist, the Virgin Mary, because He, who is All Love, wants men to know the terrible fate into which they may fall with their refusal of love. of God and the saving grace offered to them.
It is good to clarify that the Bible's descriptions of Hell are only a hint and pale shadow of reality.
Our imagination is unable to portray the horror of Hell anyway. Every description of Hell is very far from reality.
Hell is infinitely more terrible than the Holy Scripture reveals to us and tells us the dream of Monsignor Eymard.
Good confession, godly participation in Sunday Masses, love of the brethren with good works are signs of true faith in Jesus Christ.
And it is this true Catholic faith that saves us from Hell and brings us to Heaven.
There are only two paths that lead to Eternity: Heaven and Hell, which one do you choose?
If you want heaven, repent of your sins and look for a godly Catholic priest today and make a good confession and never miss Holy Mass on Sunday - the Lord's Day.
If the reader refuses to believe in the reality of Hell, I can only remind him of the words of Jesus:
"Crazy, your soul will be asked of you tonight ..." (Luke 12:20).

Deacon Francisco Almeida Araújo

PRAYER

O my good God! That you are all love, I thank you for the gift of faith, I thank you for His Holy Church, I thank you for being Catholic, I thank you for the hope of Heaven, I thank you for the School of Love that is Purgatory for us. prepare better for the delights of heaven and I ask you, have mercy on sinners and grant your Church a deep love for souls to witness to His Gospel with word and life! Amen!