Since I’ve been sans classes for the past few days I have been living my life revolving around the Rangers schedule. Baseball, to me, is the best part of summer. I played when I was a kid and had to give it up due to my increasing bad eyesight. But, I still enjoy throwing the ball around with my friends or going to the batting cages. There’s something about swinging a bat that takes frustration out…releases the bad energy and what not. Well, as I have been absorbed in the television coverage of my favorite team, I’ve been learning some of the quirks about the game. This education is enhanced by the baseball book I got for my birthday to the point where I am fixated on learning more about the game. And if you have ever played or know someone who played, this game has a lot of ins and outs that many normal people aren’t aware of. For example, last month A's pitcher Dallas Braden(jackass) called out Alex Rodriguez(bigger jackass) for cutting across the pitcher’s mound. Unbeknownst to most of the country, this was an infringement of baseball's Code that had lain mostly dormant in recent memory.
It was only one of a litany of unwritten rules that covers major leaguers' actions, designed essentially to preserve a baseline level of respect between competitors. They constitute the moral fabric of the game. The best known of these rules tells players not to steal a base when their team holds a big lead in the late innings of a game. Others include barring overt displays of exuberance in all but the most extreme circumstances; the hitter who watches his own home runs is the most egregious of violators in this category. Many fans have heard of these rules in one way or another [Alex Rodriguez(even bigger jackass) himself was unaware of one]. Some sections of the Code, however, fly under the radar (even for baseball insiders, to judge by the number of people within the game who had never heard the rule about restraint from crossing the pitcher's mound). So, without further delay, here are 10 of baseball's more obscure unwritten rules:
1. Don't swing at the first pitch after back-to-back home runs
This is a matter of courtesy, respect for a pitcher who is clearly struggling, offering just a sliver of daylight with which to regain his senses. When Yankees rookie Chase Wright gave up back-to-back-to-back-to-back homers against Boston in 2007, the guys who hit numbers three and four, Mike Lowell and Jason Varitek, each watched a pitch before taking a cut.
2. Don't work the count when your team is up or down by a lot
This is true for both pitchers and hitters. Nobody wants to see the fifth guy on a bullpen's depth chart nibbling on the corners in the late innings of a blowout. Similarly, hitters are expected to swing at anything close. It's an effort to quickly and efficiently end a lopsided contest.
3. When hit by a pitch, don't rub the mark.
This one is all about intimidation or lack thereof. It's a hitter's way of telling the pitcher that his best shot…intentional or otherwise…didn't hurt. Pete Rose made a point of sprinting to first base after being hit, to ensure that he stripped all satisfaction from the pitcher. Lou Brock was the only hitter Sandy Koufax ever threw at intentionally, and despite the fact that his shoulder was fractured by the pitch, forcing him from the game, never once did he rub the spot.
4. Don't stand on the dirt cutout at home plate while a pitcher is warming up
Just as Braden(pansy) dismissed A-Rod's(douche) attempt to enter his sacred space, the area around the plate is meant only for the hitter, and then only when it's time for him to hit. Should a pitcher be getting loose before an at-bat, it's strictly off-limits. "I stay as far away from the cutout as I can when the pitcher is warming up," said Ken Griffey Jr. "If they could, they should put the on-deck circle in left field to make me happy. I don't want anything to do with messing with the pitcher when he's getting ready."
5. Don't walk in front of a catcher or umpire when getting into batter's box
This is respect, pure and simple. If the line from your dugout to the batter's box takes you between the pitcher and the catcher, walk around. Like the A-Rod(douchebag) incident, you'll likely never hear about this one until a player is called out for brazenly violating it.
6. Don't help the opposition make a play (bracing them from falling into the dugout, etc.)
In 1998, Dodgers left fielder Matt Luke braced Arizona's Andy Fox as the third baseman staggered into the Los Angeles dugout while chasing a pop fly. He knew the Code, but he had also been Fox's roommate in multiple levels of the Yankees' minor-league system, and was so tight with him that Fox had served as an usher in his wedding. Even then, he had his limits. "I waited until he made the play," said Luke in the Riverside Press Enterprise. "I wanted to prevent an injury. We're competing out there, and not for one second do I want to help the opposition."
7. Relievers take it easy when facing other relievers
The caveat to this piece of the Code is that for the most part, relievers don't step to the plate in close games, which gives their counterparts on the opposing team some leeway in their approach. "You'd probably give them all fastballs," said Dave LaRoche. "It was just a professional courtesy type of thing. Here it is…I'll give you a chance to hit it if you can."
8. Follow the umpire's Code when addressing them on the field.
This is a book in itself. How one talks to umpires goes a long way toward getting favorable calls, or at least not getting thrown out of a game. ("That call was horsesh*t" is generally acceptable; "You're horsesh*t" is never acceptable.) Some savvy teams go so far as to post headshots and bios in the clubhouse for the umps working that day's game, so that players can butter them up a bit.
9. Pitchers stay in the dugout at least until the end of the inning in which they get pulled
This is purely about respect for one's teammates. "I know you're having a tough day, but give your teammates the respect to stay out here until the end of the inning," said Sean Casey. "You don't want to show that you think the game's already lost."
10. Pitchers never show up their fielders
This doesn't happen frequently, but when it does, players notice. One pitcher who made a habit of excessive body language on the mound was Gaylord Perry, who would put his hands on his hips and stare down fielders who made errors behind him. Perry, however, was occasionally able to find his fielders innocent of wrongdoing. Once, after shortstop Todd Cruz fielded a grounder and air-mailed the ball into the stands, Perry withheld judgment. "Too much stuff on the ball," he said after the game.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
The Relative Importance/Insignificance of Cinco de Mayo
Cinco de Mayo, or the fifth of May, commemorates the Mexican army's 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the French-Mexican War. In the United States, it has taken on significance and commercial value as a celebration of Mexican culture and heritage, particularly in areas with substantial Mexican-American populations. The fifth of May is not Mexican Independence Day, but it should be! And Cinco de Mayo is not an American holiday, but it should be. Mexico declared its independence from mother Spain on midnight, the fifteenth of September, 1810. And it took 11 years before the first Spanish soldiers were told and forced to leave Mexico.
So, why Cinco de Mayo? And why should Americans savor this day as well? Because 4,000 Mexican soldiers smashed the French and traitor Mexican army of 8,000 at Puebla, Mexico, 100 miles east of Mexico City on the morning of May 5, 1862. The French had landed in Mexico (along with Spanish and English troops) five months earlier on the pretext of collecting Mexican debts from the newly elected government of democratic President (and Indian) Benito Juarez. The English and Spanish quickly made deals and left. The French, however, had different ideas. Under Emperor Napoleon III, who detested the United States, the French came to stay. They brought a Hapsburg prince with them to rule the new Mexican empire. Napoleon's French Army had not been defeated in 50 years, and it invaded Mexico with the finest modern equipment and with a newly reconstituted Foreign Legion. The French were not afraid of anyone, especially since the United States was embroiled in its own Civil War.
The French Army left the port of Vera Cruz to attack Mexico City to the west, as the French assumed that the Mexicans would give up should their capital fall to the enemy, as European countries traditionally did. Under the command of Texas-born General Zaragosa, (and the cavalry under the command of Colonel Porfirio Diaz, later to be Mexico's president and dictator), the Mexicans waited. General Zaragosa ordered Colonel Diaz to take his cavalry, the best in the world, out to the French flanks. In response, the French did a most stupid thing; they sent their cavalry off to chase Diaz and his men, who proceeded to butcher them. The remaining French infantrymen charged the Mexican defenders through sloppy mud from a thunderstorm and through hundreds of head of stampeding cattle stirred up by Indians armed only with machetes. When the battle was over, many French were killed or wounded and their cavalry was being chased by Diaz' superb horsemen miles away.
The Mexicans had won a great victory that kept Napoleon III from supplying the confederate rebels for another year, allowing the United States to build the greatest army the world had ever seen. This grand army smashed the Confederates at Gettysburg just 14 months after the battle of Puebla, essentially ending the Civil War. Union forces were then rushed to the Texas/Mexican border under General Phil Sheridan, who made sure that the Mexicans got all the weapons and ammunition they needed to expel the French. American soldiers were discharged with their uniforms and rifles if they promised to join the Mexican Army to fight the French. The American Legion of Honor marched in the Victory Parade in Mexico, City. It might be a historical stretch to credit the survival of the United States to those brave 4,000 Mexicans who faced an army twice as large in 1862. But who knows?
In gratitude, thousands of Mexicans crossed the border after Pearl Harbor to join the U.S. Armed Forces. As recently as the Persian Gulf War, Mexicans flooded American consulates with phone calls, trying to join up and fight another war for America. Mexicans, you see, never forget who their friends are, and neither do Americans. That's why Cinco de Mayo is such a party! A party that celebrates freedom and liberty. There are two ideals which Mexicans and Americans have fought shoulder to shoulder to protect, ever since the 5th of May, 1862.
Cinco de Mayo is not "an obligatory federal holiday" in Mexico, but rather a holiday that can be observed voluntarily. While Cinco de Mayo has limited significance nationwide in Mexico, the date is observed in the United States (also voluntarily)
and other locations around the world as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride. Cinco de Mayo is not Mexico's Independence Day, which actually is September 16, the most important national patriotic holiday in Mexico. In the United States Cinco de Mayo has taken on significance beyond that in Mexico. The date is perhaps best recognized in the United States as a date to celebrate the culture and experiences of Americans of Mexican ancestry, much as St. Patrick's Day, Oktoberfest, and the Chinese New Year are used to celebrate those of Irish, German, and Chinese ancestry respectively. Similar to those holidays, Cinco de Mayo is observed by many Americans regardless of ethnic origin. Celebrations tend to draw both from traditional Mexican symbols, such as the Virgen de Guadalupe, and from prominent figures of Mexican descent in the United States, including César Chávez. Events tied to Cinco de Mayo also occur outside Mexico and the United States. For example, a sky-diving club near Vancouver, Canada holds a Cinco de Mayo skydiving event. In the Cayman Islands, in the Caribbean, there is an annual Cinco de Mayo air guitar competition. As far away as the island of Malta, in the Mediterranean Sea, revelers are encouraged to drink Mexican beer on May 5.
VIVA EL CINCO DE MAYO!!
So, why Cinco de Mayo? And why should Americans savor this day as well? Because 4,000 Mexican soldiers smashed the French and traitor Mexican army of 8,000 at Puebla, Mexico, 100 miles east of Mexico City on the morning of May 5, 1862. The French had landed in Mexico (along with Spanish and English troops) five months earlier on the pretext of collecting Mexican debts from the newly elected government of democratic President (and Indian) Benito Juarez. The English and Spanish quickly made deals and left. The French, however, had different ideas. Under Emperor Napoleon III, who detested the United States, the French came to stay. They brought a Hapsburg prince with them to rule the new Mexican empire. Napoleon's French Army had not been defeated in 50 years, and it invaded Mexico with the finest modern equipment and with a newly reconstituted Foreign Legion. The French were not afraid of anyone, especially since the United States was embroiled in its own Civil War.
The French Army left the port of Vera Cruz to attack Mexico City to the west, as the French assumed that the Mexicans would give up should their capital fall to the enemy, as European countries traditionally did. Under the command of Texas-born General Zaragosa, (and the cavalry under the command of Colonel Porfirio Diaz, later to be Mexico's president and dictator), the Mexicans waited. General Zaragosa ordered Colonel Diaz to take his cavalry, the best in the world, out to the French flanks. In response, the French did a most stupid thing; they sent their cavalry off to chase Diaz and his men, who proceeded to butcher them. The remaining French infantrymen charged the Mexican defenders through sloppy mud from a thunderstorm and through hundreds of head of stampeding cattle stirred up by Indians armed only with machetes. When the battle was over, many French were killed or wounded and their cavalry was being chased by Diaz' superb horsemen miles away.
The Mexicans had won a great victory that kept Napoleon III from supplying the confederate rebels for another year, allowing the United States to build the greatest army the world had ever seen. This grand army smashed the Confederates at Gettysburg just 14 months after the battle of Puebla, essentially ending the Civil War. Union forces were then rushed to the Texas/Mexican border under General Phil Sheridan, who made sure that the Mexicans got all the weapons and ammunition they needed to expel the French. American soldiers were discharged with their uniforms and rifles if they promised to join the Mexican Army to fight the French. The American Legion of Honor marched in the Victory Parade in Mexico, City. It might be a historical stretch to credit the survival of the United States to those brave 4,000 Mexicans who faced an army twice as large in 1862. But who knows?
In gratitude, thousands of Mexicans crossed the border after Pearl Harbor to join the U.S. Armed Forces. As recently as the Persian Gulf War, Mexicans flooded American consulates with phone calls, trying to join up and fight another war for America. Mexicans, you see, never forget who their friends are, and neither do Americans. That's why Cinco de Mayo is such a party! A party that celebrates freedom and liberty. There are two ideals which Mexicans and Americans have fought shoulder to shoulder to protect, ever since the 5th of May, 1862.
Cinco de Mayo is not "an obligatory federal holiday" in Mexico, but rather a holiday that can be observed voluntarily. While Cinco de Mayo has limited significance nationwide in Mexico, the date is observed in the United States (also voluntarily)
and other locations around the world as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride. Cinco de Mayo is not Mexico's Independence Day, which actually is September 16, the most important national patriotic holiday in Mexico. In the United States Cinco de Mayo has taken on significance beyond that in Mexico. The date is perhaps best recognized in the United States as a date to celebrate the culture and experiences of Americans of Mexican ancestry, much as St. Patrick's Day, Oktoberfest, and the Chinese New Year are used to celebrate those of Irish, German, and Chinese ancestry respectively. Similar to those holidays, Cinco de Mayo is observed by many Americans regardless of ethnic origin. Celebrations tend to draw both from traditional Mexican symbols, such as the Virgen de Guadalupe, and from prominent figures of Mexican descent in the United States, including César Chávez. Events tied to Cinco de Mayo also occur outside Mexico and the United States. For example, a sky-diving club near Vancouver, Canada holds a Cinco de Mayo skydiving event. In the Cayman Islands, in the Caribbean, there is an annual Cinco de Mayo air guitar competition. As far away as the island of Malta, in the Mediterranean Sea, revelers are encouraged to drink Mexican beer on May 5.
VIVA EL CINCO DE MAYO!!
Monday, May 3, 2010
What the Hell?
"If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed than with two hands to go into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire." - Mark 9:43
God who is infinitely good and very the source of goodness itself, is also and at the same time infinitely just. Nevertheless it may be said that it does not seem fitting that our punishment is for so long since it only took us a few moments to commit? However sin is neither measure by the duration (i.e. it only takes a few seconds to kill someone with yet for this, people are sentence to a life time in prison, that is their whole earthly life!) or by the number of times we commit it, but rather by the degree of the person offended which determines the gravity of the offense. A spiritual adviser and coworker once explained sin in this way to me: if a student takes a knife to school and throws it at a teacher, who is in a position of authority over the student, the punishment may be something like suspension. If the student throws the knife at the principal, who is in a position of authority over the school, the punishment would probably be expulsion. If the student were to throw that same knife at a police officer, who is in a position of authority over the city, the punishment may be imprisonment for a moderate amount of time. And if that student threw the same knife at the President of the United States, who is in authority over the nation, the punishment would be life in prison or even death. You see that as the authority or position of the person being offended gets greater, so does the punishment for that offense. This is simply because the offense is measure by the degree of the person offended. Now when we sin we offend God, who is infinite and so it is only just that the punishment be infinite. Further on the same note, this is the very reason why only Christ could save us and no other, since only He (God) is infinite and yet at the same time He had to be man [the incarnation (John 1) since it was man who committed the offense and thus it was Christ who bound us back to God in fact that is what the very word religion means]. However eternal torment is not only fitting but affirms well the greatness of God who is not only able to destroy the body as any human can do but is also able to send souls to Hell as their eternal punishment for offending an eternal King (Matt 10:28).
It has become a formality that everyone is automatically whisked to heaven. Purgatory is ignored and the chance that a departed soul might be in hell is no longer part of the equation. Only monsters such as Hitler and Stalin could possibly be suffering with the fallen angels. Thanks to ill-educated teachers many people have been convinced that Christ is tolerant of sin, non judgmental, and pluralistic in His view of salvation. People actually believe that Jesus would never allow anyone to be cast down into everlasting torment because He is a God of love. This idea is contrary to the Bible and Church teaching. It is true that Christ loves all of mankind even those in the pit of unquenchable fire. It is also true that He desires all to be saved and to embrace the truth, but the reality is some people because of their pride decide to reject Him and prefer the darkness of sin thus casting themselves into the bowels of hell. "And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil" (John 3:19). If people would just open up their Bibles and read, they would discover that the Jesus of the Gospels bears no resemblance to the fabrication created by the "feel good" ministers of our day. Christ forewarns us that there will not be universal salvation of mankind. "The Son of Man will 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" (Matt 13: 41- 42). Christ's teachings are not ambiguous. The rejection of the free gift of salvation offered by Christ through sin or unbelief carries with it a clear a defined outcome.
One needs to understand the magnitude of importance Jesus placed on avoiding damnation. If you were to take a Bible where the words of Christ are highlighted in red, and go through it, one would discover that Jesus spent one third of His ministry on this unpleasant subject. The Catholic Church understanding the significance of this fact has always taught the reality of hell. As a matter of fact, the new Catechism of the Catholic Church states: "The teaching of the Church affirms the existence of hell and its eternity. Immediately after death the souls of those who die in a state of mortal sin descend into hell, where they suffer the punishments of hell, 'eternal fire.' The chief punishment of hell is eternal separation from God, in whom alone man can possess the life and happiness for which he was created and for which he longs" (CCC 1035). Priests, deacons, and religious instructors that are faithful to Christ and the Church unashamedly preach about the doctrine of hell because they love their fellow man as themselves and want everyone to live in God's grace forever. On the other hand, those who remain silent on this subject or deny its existence have instilled a false sense of security and self confidence concerning salvation. This is quite evident in Christians that have foolishly subscribed to the religious concoction that a person cannot sin once they believe in Jesus and even if they would sin, no punishment will be due them because they are already saved. The Bible unquestionably denies this theology. "I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me" (1 Corinthians 4: 4).
The Church teaches and the bible confirms that Christ will bring the faithful to everlasting life through His instruments of justification and sanctification, the seven sacraments. In baptism, we are born again, cleansed from all sin, and permanently claimed as a child of God. The sacrament of confession is where Christ lovingly waits to forgive the repentant sinner. Confirmation completes the baptismal promises, places an indelible mark upon the soul, and gives one the strength to endure the struggles of this life. Holy Orders are God's unique channel of dispensing His sacraments to the faithful. Marriage builds up the kingdom of God through love and procreation. The Holy Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life. "He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day" (John 6:54). The Anointing of the Sick forgives sin, heals the body if it is God's will, and strengthens the soul for the journey home. This is the path of sanctification in the Catholic Church. Those who die in perfect communion with Christ through the sanctifying grace of His sacraments will be given the bliss of seeing God in the face, the beatific vision. People that pass on in a state of grace, but still have temporal punishment to atone for will enter heaven only after they have been cleansed in the fires of purgatory (see next week's blog). All Catholics must never forget that it would be a miracle for any invincible ignorant soul to be saved, because it is impossible to keep the whole moral law without Christ's grace bestowed through His sacraments. "For all have sinned, and do need the glory of God" (Roman 3:23). Therefore the conversion of the world to Jesus and His Church is paramount so all will have a true hope of salvation. Lastly, those who live an unrepentant life of sin and debauchery and the prideful that choose by their own freewill to reject either Christ will not like where they end up. "If anyone remains not in me, he shall be cast forth as a branch, and shall wither, and they shall gather him up, and cast him into the fire, and burned" (John 15: 6).
If a person chooses not to believe in hell, it does not nullify its existence. The denial of this doctrine only calls God a liar and says that the crucifixion was a useless and vain sacrifice. So the next time you are confronted by a person that makes an absurd statement such as, there is no hell or that everyone goes to heaven because God would never allow anyone to suffer eternal damnation. Just read them Christ's own words and watch them squirm. "Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few" (Matthew 7:13 -14). If you choose to turn away from God and find your own path in life, you may life well, but you will fall into the torment of Hell after death. Hell in and of itself is the absence of the presence of God. The bible teaches us that the wages of sin is death, not just physical death, but the death of the eternal soul of a person. Every time you sin, you pull yourself further and further for the grace of God. This is of course, an abbreviated, truncated, and paraphrase version of the Church's teaching on Hell. The Church describes Hell as a real place that is as eternal as God, where the damned seek not repentance and suffer true pains. If you long for disconnection of the true happiness God can give, then begin on a path of mortal sin and book your ticket to Hell.
"Do you not know that the unjust will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor boy prostitutes nor sodomites nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor robbers will inherit the kingdom of God." (1 Corinthians 6:9-10)
God who is infinitely good and very the source of goodness itself, is also and at the same time infinitely just. Nevertheless it may be said that it does not seem fitting that our punishment is for so long since it only took us a few moments to commit? However sin is neither measure by the duration (i.e. it only takes a few seconds to kill someone with yet for this, people are sentence to a life time in prison, that is their whole earthly life!) or by the number of times we commit it, but rather by the degree of the person offended which determines the gravity of the offense. A spiritual adviser and coworker once explained sin in this way to me: if a student takes a knife to school and throws it at a teacher, who is in a position of authority over the student, the punishment may be something like suspension. If the student throws the knife at the principal, who is in a position of authority over the school, the punishment would probably be expulsion. If the student were to throw that same knife at a police officer, who is in a position of authority over the city, the punishment may be imprisonment for a moderate amount of time. And if that student threw the same knife at the President of the United States, who is in authority over the nation, the punishment would be life in prison or even death. You see that as the authority or position of the person being offended gets greater, so does the punishment for that offense. This is simply because the offense is measure by the degree of the person offended. Now when we sin we offend God, who is infinite and so it is only just that the punishment be infinite. Further on the same note, this is the very reason why only Christ could save us and no other, since only He (God) is infinite and yet at the same time He had to be man [the incarnation (John 1) since it was man who committed the offense and thus it was Christ who bound us back to God in fact that is what the very word religion means]. However eternal torment is not only fitting but affirms well the greatness of God who is not only able to destroy the body as any human can do but is also able to send souls to Hell as their eternal punishment for offending an eternal King (Matt 10:28).
It has become a formality that everyone is automatically whisked to heaven. Purgatory is ignored and the chance that a departed soul might be in hell is no longer part of the equation. Only monsters such as Hitler and Stalin could possibly be suffering with the fallen angels. Thanks to ill-educated teachers many people have been convinced that Christ is tolerant of sin, non judgmental, and pluralistic in His view of salvation. People actually believe that Jesus would never allow anyone to be cast down into everlasting torment because He is a God of love. This idea is contrary to the Bible and Church teaching. It is true that Christ loves all of mankind even those in the pit of unquenchable fire. It is also true that He desires all to be saved and to embrace the truth, but the reality is some people because of their pride decide to reject Him and prefer the darkness of sin thus casting themselves into the bowels of hell. "And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil" (John 3:19). If people would just open up their Bibles and read, they would discover that the Jesus of the Gospels bears no resemblance to the fabrication created by the "feel good" ministers of our day. Christ forewarns us that there will not be universal salvation of mankind. "The Son of Man will 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" (Matt 13: 41- 42). Christ's teachings are not ambiguous. The rejection of the free gift of salvation offered by Christ through sin or unbelief carries with it a clear a defined outcome.
One needs to understand the magnitude of importance Jesus placed on avoiding damnation. If you were to take a Bible where the words of Christ are highlighted in red, and go through it, one would discover that Jesus spent one third of His ministry on this unpleasant subject. The Catholic Church understanding the significance of this fact has always taught the reality of hell. As a matter of fact, the new Catechism of the Catholic Church states: "The teaching of the Church affirms the existence of hell and its eternity. Immediately after death the souls of those who die in a state of mortal sin descend into hell, where they suffer the punishments of hell, 'eternal fire.' The chief punishment of hell is eternal separation from God, in whom alone man can possess the life and happiness for which he was created and for which he longs" (CCC 1035). Priests, deacons, and religious instructors that are faithful to Christ and the Church unashamedly preach about the doctrine of hell because they love their fellow man as themselves and want everyone to live in God's grace forever. On the other hand, those who remain silent on this subject or deny its existence have instilled a false sense of security and self confidence concerning salvation. This is quite evident in Christians that have foolishly subscribed to the religious concoction that a person cannot sin once they believe in Jesus and even if they would sin, no punishment will be due them because they are already saved. The Bible unquestionably denies this theology. "I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me" (1 Corinthians 4: 4).
The Church teaches and the bible confirms that Christ will bring the faithful to everlasting life through His instruments of justification and sanctification, the seven sacraments. In baptism, we are born again, cleansed from all sin, and permanently claimed as a child of God. The sacrament of confession is where Christ lovingly waits to forgive the repentant sinner. Confirmation completes the baptismal promises, places an indelible mark upon the soul, and gives one the strength to endure the struggles of this life. Holy Orders are God's unique channel of dispensing His sacraments to the faithful. Marriage builds up the kingdom of God through love and procreation. The Holy Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life. "He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day" (John 6:54). The Anointing of the Sick forgives sin, heals the body if it is God's will, and strengthens the soul for the journey home. This is the path of sanctification in the Catholic Church. Those who die in perfect communion with Christ through the sanctifying grace of His sacraments will be given the bliss of seeing God in the face, the beatific vision. People that pass on in a state of grace, but still have temporal punishment to atone for will enter heaven only after they have been cleansed in the fires of purgatory (see next week's blog). All Catholics must never forget that it would be a miracle for any invincible ignorant soul to be saved, because it is impossible to keep the whole moral law without Christ's grace bestowed through His sacraments. "For all have sinned, and do need the glory of God" (Roman 3:23). Therefore the conversion of the world to Jesus and His Church is paramount so all will have a true hope of salvation. Lastly, those who live an unrepentant life of sin and debauchery and the prideful that choose by their own freewill to reject either Christ will not like where they end up. "If anyone remains not in me, he shall be cast forth as a branch, and shall wither, and they shall gather him up, and cast him into the fire, and burned" (John 15: 6).
If a person chooses not to believe in hell, it does not nullify its existence. The denial of this doctrine only calls God a liar and says that the crucifixion was a useless and vain sacrifice. So the next time you are confronted by a person that makes an absurd statement such as, there is no hell or that everyone goes to heaven because God would never allow anyone to suffer eternal damnation. Just read them Christ's own words and watch them squirm. "Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few" (Matthew 7:13 -14). If you choose to turn away from God and find your own path in life, you may life well, but you will fall into the torment of Hell after death. Hell in and of itself is the absence of the presence of God. The bible teaches us that the wages of sin is death, not just physical death, but the death of the eternal soul of a person. Every time you sin, you pull yourself further and further for the grace of God. This is of course, an abbreviated, truncated, and paraphrase version of the Church's teaching on Hell. The Church describes Hell as a real place that is as eternal as God, where the damned seek not repentance and suffer true pains. If you long for disconnection of the true happiness God can give, then begin on a path of mortal sin and book your ticket to Hell.
"Do you not know that the unjust will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor boy prostitutes nor sodomites nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor robbers will inherit the kingdom of God." (1 Corinthians 6:9-10)
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