On Hell....do you believe it exists ?

Catholic Catechism - The Sacraments - Confession - Part 7

IX. THE EFFECTS OF THIS SACRAMENT


1468 "The whole power of the sacrament of Penance consists in restoring us to God's grace and joining us with him in an intimate friendship."⁷³ Reconciliation with God is thus the purpose and effect of this sacrament. For those who receive the sacrament of Penance with contrite heart and religious disposition, reconciliation "is usually followed by peace and serenity of conscience with strong spiritual consolation."⁷⁴Indeed the sacrament of Reconciliation with God brings about a true "spiritual resurrection," restoration of the dignity and blessings of the life of the children of God, of which the most precious is friendship with God.⁷⁵

1469 This sacrament reconciles us with the Church. Sin damages or even breaks fraternal communion. The sacrament of Penance repairs or restores it. In this sense it does not simply heal the one restored to ecclesial communion, but has also a revitalizing effect on the life of the Church which suffered from the sin of one of her members.⁷⁶ Re-established or strengthened in the communion of saints, the sinner is made stronger by the exchange of spiritual goods among all the living members of the Body of Christ, whether still on pilgrimage or already in the heavenly homeland:⁷⁷

It must be recalled that . . . this reconciliation with God leads, as it were, to other reconciliations, which repair the other breaches caused by sin. The forgiven penitent is reconciled with himself in his inmost being, where he regains his innermost truth. He is reconciled with his brethren whom he has in some way offended and wounded. He is reconciled with the Church. He is reconciled with all creation.⁷⁸

1470 In this sacrament, the sinner, placing himself before the merciful judgment of God, anticipates in a certain way the judgment to which he will be subjected at the end of his earthly life. For it is now, in this life, that we are offered the choice between life and death, and it is only by the road of conversion that we can enter the Kingdom, from which one is excluded by grave sin.⁷⁹ In converting to Christ through penance and faith, the sinner passes from death to life and "does not come into judgment."⁸⁰


X. INDULGENCES


1471 The doctrine and practice of indulgences in the Church are closely linked to the effects of the sacrament of Penance.

What is an indulgence?
"An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains under certain prescribed conditions through the action of the Church which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints."⁸¹
"An indulgence is partial or plenary according as it removes either part or all of the temporal punishment due to sin."⁸² The faithful can gain indulgences for themselves or apply them to the dead.⁸³


The punishments of sin
1472 To understand this doctrine and practice of the Church, it is necessary to understand that sin has a double consequence. Grave sin deprives us of communion with God and therefore makes us incapable of eternal life, the privation of which is called the "eternal punishment" of sin. On the other hand every sin, even venial, entails an unhealthy attachment to creatures, which must be purified either here on earth, or after death in the state called Purgatory. This purification frees one from what is called the "temporal punishment" of sin. These two punishments must not be conceived of as a kind of vengeance inflicted by God from without, but as following from the very nature of sin. A conversion which proceeds from a fervent charity can attain the complete purification of the sinner in such a way that no punishment would remain.⁸⁴
1473 The forgiveness of sin and restoration of communion with God entail the remission of the eternal punishment of sin, but temporal punishment of sin remains. While patiently bearing sufferings and trials of all kinds and, when the day comes, serenely facing death, the Christian must strive to accept this temporal punishment of sin as a grace. He should strive by works of mercy and charity, as well as by prayer and the various practices of penance, to put off completely the "old man" and to put on the "new man."⁸⁵

Attachment to Christ

We can all be very attached to some thing or someone.  As Christians we are called to attachment to Christ.  Jesus wants for a soul to love Him first above all things and others.  I know myself in my own life that I have not always put Jesus first in my heart.  In our weakness we can develop an inordinate attachment to another person or persons, a movement, an apostolate or some thing or even feelings that blinds us to what Christ truly wants of us.  If any of these attachments take over our hearts where we no longer depend on Jesus but on a person or something else, we lose our perspective and we can more easily fall into sin.  Disordered attachments to creatures torment a soul because they enslave the will and limit its freedom

Jesus is very gentle with us and will show us these things perhaps even through other people's advice, their words or through circumstances.   It is not easy to detach sometimes from a person or from things that we like because they are in a sense in our comfort zone and can make us 'feel good' or 'feel loved'.   We have to ask Jesus for help and to help us to know His love in our own hearts.  It helps of course to bring these attachments to Jesus in a humble and sincere Confession where He will forgive us and give us the grace to detach more and perhaps to depend on Him more and more.  Fasting with prayer is also a good means to detach as it strikes at our sensual nature and is in fact a great way towards healing. It can also bring to the surface those sins that lurk deep in our own hearts that we perhaps cannot see otherwise. When we put Jesus first in our hearts He helps us to love others properly and we can love with the love of Christ.

From St. John of the Cross, Inordinate desires "are the source of unruly appetites, affections, and operations, and the basis for failure to preserve one's strength for God."  The will must thus be purified of these inordinate desires.  Turning to the emptying of the memory, St. John gives us the principal that, "As often has distinct ideas, forms, and images occur to...[individuals], they should immediately, without resting in them, turn to God with loving affection, in emptiness of everything rememberable
Inordinate attachments to other people can cause alot of damage to the life of religious and consecrated people.  Jesus asks especially for a Religious or Consecrated person that they must put Him first in their hearts.  If they are over attached to a person in their community or parish,  it is dangerous and can lead them into error and sin.  In our hearts we can justify ourselves very cleverly to avoid letting go of these attachments.  The heart indeed can be devious.  

These are all very subtle things that can take place in the heart where the greatest battles are fought.  We fight also with the attachments to sins; to unforgiveness, inordinate grief, pride, arrogance, dishonesty, bitterness and anger, gluttony, greed, power, envy, lust and an inordinate attachment to material things, such as money, food, entertainment, clothes, cars, houses, land, mobile phones, the internet etc etc.  In the Gospel of  Mark, Jesus refers to the things that come out of the heart ....Mark 7:20-23  He went on: "What comes out of a man is what makes him 'unclean.'  For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man 'unclean.'

Sometimes we don't want to let go of these unhealthy attachments but we must if we are to become what Jesus wants for us and for our true happiness.  Jesus understands all these things and His Mercy knows no bounds.  But it is up to us to bring these things to Him in honesty in Confession otherwise they cannot be healed properly.  Psalm 34:1 18  The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.

The Sacred Heart devotion reminds us of the great love Jesus has for us and perhaps through this devotion and also through the Divine Mercy, our hearts can be healed of these things when we entrust them to Christ and completely put our trust in Him alone. 

Sacred Heart of Jesus I place all my trust in You.  Jesus I Trust in You.  Lord have mercy on us and have pity on us, we need You and we ask You to help us in our weakness......Jesus meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto thine.