Fire

Source

This picture was taken of a fire at a place in Oregon and I couldn't help but be mesmerized by it. I have never seen such fires in my life except in photos like this and it is so terrifying to behold. Although in our part of the world no fire of this size has ever occurred thankfully. The enormity of its destruction, the loss to nature and to people is saddening. As I look at the burning trees, thick impenetrable smoke and the raging fire gone out of control not to mention the tremendous heat emanating from the fire I am reminded of other similar fiery events
in the bible. I think of Gehenna where the fire is never extinguished, a place where one goes to suffer eternally when one rejects God. A place where a lot of people go and as Lucia of Fatima recounted she saw a great number of people falling like leaves into a lake of fire when she was shown hell. The Blessed Virgin sadly said many of them go there because of sins of the flesh.

Source

Then the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, the original sin cities totally destroyed because of their iniquities of sins of the flesh too. My thoughts shift to Daniel and his friends who were thrown in a fiery furnace made seven times hotter because they would not bow down to an idol. But they were not harmed, their clothes were not singed nor even smelled of smoke!

Source
Fire extolled by St. Francis of Asisi is something wonderful and useful made by God for us to give us life and happiness. It is also God's instrument to mete out His punishment in His justice that demands retribution for sins. But God in His mercy has created a place of cleansing too where fire will free us from all our imperfections. Naturally everything in me shuns the very thought of spending an eternity in hell nor would I wish it on anyone even my worst enemy.

There are means to avoid hell. The church, the Blessed Mother, all the saints and angels and those in purgatory are our help and consolation, our means on earth to avoid hellfire.

Source

Let us pray for the eternal repose of the faithful departed because they in turn pray for us.