Fr. Dwight Longenecker6. Embrace Your Catholic Faith – The sixth circle is for the heretics. A heretic is a cafeteria Catholic–someone who picks and chooses what they want or don’t want from the Catholic religion. Love all of it–even the difficult parts. The Catholic faith is a rich treasure house of truth, beauty and goodness. Learn your faith. Love your faith. Study your faith. Share your faith. Immerse yourself in prayer, theology, the lives of the saints–Say with little St Therese–“I will have all!”
7. Pursue Good Relationships – The violent against their neighbor, against themselves and against God are in the seventh circle. Build good, positive loving relationships. Listen to people. Give them the benefit of the doubt. Reach out and take an interest in others. Hear their story. Affirm them because they too are created in the image and likeness of God. See Jesus in each one and thank God for his goodness.
8. Be Honest in All Things – Dante has ten subdivisions in the circle of the fraudulent. All of them have lied intentionally to better themselves at the expense of their neighbor. So be happily honest in all things. Be generous and open in business. Give good, honest advice. Help and serve others in all you do. Never lie about anything. Ever. If you can’t tell the truth in charity be silent. Even a fool is accounted wise when he keeps his mouth shut.
9. Love Your Neighbor The depths of hell are reserved for those who betray a loved one. Ask God for the grace to love your neighbor as yourself.
10. Love God Judas is in the deepest place next to Satan for both of them betrayed the one who loved them unconditionally. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength.
Return to the First Page to Share This post
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In