Page:The Catholic prayer book.djvu/286

 Then will  Jesus  turn  to  the  elect  and  say: Come, blessed children  of  my  Father; come,  receive  the kingdom which  is  prepared  for  you; come,  no  more to bear  the  cross  with  me,  but  with  me  to  wear  the crown. Come and  be  heirs  of  my  kingdom,  companions of  my  glory;  come  to  praise  my  mercy through all  eternity; come  from  exile  to  your  home, come from  misery  to  joy,  come  from  weeping  to  rejoicing, come  from  suffering  to  eternal  rest! “ Come, ye blessed  of  my  Father,  possess  the  kingdom  prepared for  you.”  O my  Jesus! I also hope  to  be among  these  blessed  ones. I love thee  above  all things. O give me  thy  blessing  now ! And do  thou, my mother  Mary,  bless  me  also.

I. Contemplate  for  a moment  that  frightful  prison of Hell,  filled  with  fire,  where  the  damned  suffer eternally. Into this  fire  they  are,  so  to  speak, plunged and  buried. Under them  a sea  of  fire,  over them a sea  of  fire,  around  on  all  sides  fire — fire  in the  eyes,  fire  in  the  mouth,  fire  penetrating  everywhere. There each  and  every  sense  has  a torment  of its  own. The eyes  are  tormented  by  darkness  and smoke, and,  at  the  same  time,  by  the  sight  of  the devils and  the  rest  of  the  damned. Day and  night the ears  hear  nothing  else  but  howling,  and  weeping, and cursing. The sense  of  smell  is  sickened  by  the insupportable stench  of  so  many  putrid  and  infected bodies. The taste  is  tormented  by  a burning  thirst and a cruel  hunger,  while  never  can  be  had  a drop  of water  or  the  least  refreshment. And thus  these miserable captives,  suffering  every  want,  devoured  by fire,  tormented  by  every  pain,  weep,  groan,  howl,  and