October 31, 2024 Daily Dose of Discernment

“ I say to you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But ... fear him who, after he has killed, has power to cast into hell.” (Luke 12:4-5)

God so loved the world that He gave His Son for it. His Son gave His life, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell, stormed its gates and conquered it in order to empty it of its prisoners. How then could we think God would sentence any of His children (or most of them, as some believe) to an eternity of unimaginable torment in it?

Note that in today's gospel, Jesus calls His listeners friends. He tells them not to be afraid of those who kill the body but instead reverence Him (in awe, not in fear) who, although He can can fully annihilate people, would never harm them. He is the same heavenly Father who numbers the hairs on their heads and values them more than sparrows, and who would rather die for His enemies than obliterate them.

This is the God we are to know and make known. It is His mercy and love that is without end, not His anger and punishment.