One Sin Too Many?
During the early part of Lent, we think about our sins, and the punishment for them - hence the ashes on the forehead. Now is as good a time as any to consider a very recent event that reminds us of this. Fasten your seatbelts. Our subject matter is, let’s say, on the surface, unusual for Lent. Okay, you’ve been warned — let’s dive in!
Some theologians have said that there is a sin limit for everyone. This does not only include individuals but it can also refer to cities, states and even countries. Each of these can only commit so many sins before the wrath of God comes crashing down on them.
In our opinion, this is why God allowed the evil government of California to start fires (or at least did not do much in the way of stopping them) which burned down a good portion of the city of Los Angeles. Remember way back in the 400’s when the barbarians were invading Europe, destroying cities and plundering? Well, one of the most famous, Attila the Hun, was nicknamed the “Scourge of God.” That’s because the Catholics realized that God was using their enemies to punish the Roman Empire for its many and very serious sins. Sometimes the wrath of God does not directly come from Him, but He allows other people to punish the offenders.
Something that very much supports our proposition of the “one sin too many” theory is that, interestingly, two days before this disaster struck, there occurred the big award ceremony of the Golden Globes. Hollywood is of course very renowned for its vices and hatred of God, but this year they decided to disrespect their Creator in a special way. The hostess, Nikki Glaser decided to list all the people and groups who had been thanked by the different actors. Watch the video below (Be warned, she could be dressed more modestly) to see what this looked like:
And as if this wasn’t bad enough, the hostess of the ceremony actually wore a bishop’s mitre while wielding a stupid-looking crosier and singing a blasphemous song about Catholics; she even tried be punny about the word “popular” by changing it to “pope-u-lar.” This was in “honor” of the movie Conclave that was released last year, which had been nominated for a number of awards at the Golden Globes. Interestingly this particular film was well-liked by Hollywood. (Yes, I know, alarm bells are going off inside you right now!) Conclave was a movie that gave false impressions of the Church, and worst of all, (don’t read this part to your kids) featured a pope getting elected who is intersex. Sick, right? No wonder godless Hollywood loved it!
While this “one sin too many” theory is still a theory, it does seem very believable. On YouTube we have observed that others are making the same connection. It does make sense. “God is not mocked,” as St. Paul says, and eventually Divine Justice does catch up with people.
Can Punishments Be a Sign of God's Mercy?
Ironically, punishments from God can be a sign of His mercy. As unbelievable as that sounds, it is true because one day, during World War I, a nun who had revelations from the Sacred Heart of Jesus, was imploring Him to stop the war. He appeared to her and when asked why He did not answer her prayers and stop the terrible war with all its ghastly effects, including loss of souls, He said a surprising thing. Jesus replied that He was allowing it to continue because more souls were being saved than would be if He stopped the bloodshed. He even went so far as to say that it was His mercy and love of souls that prevented Him from ending the world war.
God knows that sometimes suffering is the only thing that will make people wake up and turn to Him. When things are going well, people often forget about God, and concentrate on themselves and material things. However when trouble comes, and especially when nothing can be done from a human standpoint, people tend to turn back to God and realize that He is the One who should be paid attention to. There is much more to be said on this particular point, but that will be for another opinion piece.
Another thing that we can learn from chastisements, is that while they are happening, God is able to show His power more clearly and openly. After all, He only allows bad things to happen, so that a greater good will come out of them. In the six minute video below, you will hear about a miracle that highlights God’s mercy and loving protection that happened THIS YEAR, 2025.
God knows that sometimes suffering is the only thing that will make people wake up and turn to Him. When things are going well, people often forget about God, and concentrate on themselves and material things. However when trouble comes, and especially when nothing can be done from a human standpoint, people tend to turn back to God and realize that He is the One who should be paid attention to. There is much more to be said on this particular point, but that will be for another opinion piece.
Another thing that we can learn from chastisements, is that while they are happening, God is able to show His power more clearly and openly. After all, He only allows bad things to happen, so that a greater good will come out of them. In the six minute video below, you will hear about a miracle that highlights God’s mercy and loving protection that happened THIS YEAR, 2025.
After hearing this remarkable story, our family made sure to renew the Three Kings Blessing for our home pronto! We also began saying a prayer before our rosary each night, which asks Our Blessed Mother to bless and protect our home from earthly and spiritual maladies and disasters. Below is our daily prayer:
Another miracle from the same Los Angeles fires is below in this short video reported by Fox News:
God sometimes allows tragedies to occur in our lives so that He can show us His presence, and that His mother and the saints will always be with us no matter what tragic things occur in our lives.