When asked about what should be our greatest concern, “Am I going to Hell?”, the answer is, “It depends on how you use the time you have before you die.”
Dante’s timeless story offers modern advice. He wrote about his trip through the Inferno. There, in the depths of hell, Dante met the soul of the Duke of Montefeltro . He had been a rapacious thief and murderer on earth. The Duke was killed, instantaneously and unexpectedly. His soul went to Judgment. Then, it was sent to a place of appropriate punishment in the Inferno.
That Duke of Montefeltro’s brother was no better. He, too, died after a heartless lifetime spent satisfying ravenous appetites. While fleeing from pursuers, he was forced to ride his horse into a swamp. Far from help, his horse fell over while trying to struggle through the mire. One of the Duke’s legs was trapped underneath it. He and the horse began to sink. The Duke realized that he was going to drown and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it.
In the short time remaining, he begged God to forgive him for his sins and wrongdoings. He pleaded with Mary to intercede for him. Despite a lifetime of crimes, his request for mercy was granted.
That Duke of Montefeltro’s soul did not go to Hell. It was sent to Purgatory. Dante met him on his journey through that place of purification. That Duke of Montefeltro’s soul was painfully purged of stains and sins and placed on a pathway to Heaven.
The lesson? If we are in a State of Mortal Sin, and die suddenly, like the first Duke of M0ntefeltro, our soul is lost. If we are in a State of Mortal Sin and have time to ask God to forgive us our sins with sufficient contrition, our soul, like the second Duke’s, may be saved.
Since we don’t know if we will die immediately in an accident or have time to seek reconciliation, the smart way to live is to avoid Mortal Sin.
What if a person doesn’t know if, or refuses to admit that, it is in a State of Mortal Sin? Those too vain to make the effort to find out if, or admit that, they are in a state of Mortal Sin, cannot be forgiven.
When it comes to the actual passing of Judgment on our soul, Jesus, the Judge, will heed His Beloved Mother. Asking her to intercede on our behalf is about the smartest thing we can do. Only a fool would not ask a judge’s mother to intercede on earth. Only the most total, stubborn fool would not ask God’s Mother to intercede to provide his soul with everlasting joy.
Dante’s timeless story offers modern advice. It pays to be, especially at the end, devoutly and obediently Catholic.
