“will not be strong enough”

In 1896 there was a religious tract published called The Roads to Heaven and Hell by R.J. Stock, Cincinnati, Ohio. This tract was a reminder to the people at the time as well as to us that there are two ways. This lesson is Part 3 of 4 in which the tract will be explained in the light of today’s Gospel.
 
Detailed pictures from the tract will be in this lesson. To see the tract in its entirety please go to the packet page and click on The Roads to Heaven and Hell link.
 
Discussion Questions: Look at pictures E-H. What do you see with the pictures?
What is the main theme of all four pictures?
 
The Christian life is a life of loving God and neighbor. The man and woman at table (A) love God by thanking Him, the mother and daughter (E and F) show love to their neighbor by sharing their food. There is a running theme in The Roads to Heaven and Hell that children learn from adults. The older set the example for the younger and are held responsible for teaching them the “narrow way” as this mother is doing for her daughter.
 

 
What is the effect that we have on others? 
What is the effect that our actions have especially on the young?
 
In (E) a young girl is encouraged by her mother and father to give to a person in need and in (F) a mother and daughter give food to the poor. In (G) a young girl sees her father getting drunk and in (H) two children witness their father beating his wife, their mother.
 
What effect do parents have upon their children? Children learn everything from their parents. Children are like sponges; they will absorb everything their parent’s do. Many times children can be like parrots, echoing everything the parent’s say both good and bad. Parents have an enormous effect on their children. If parents are not willing to teach their children how to pray, and practice good virtues, how will the children know? Even worse, what if the parents teach their children only sin? Parents are responsible and will be held responsible for their own souls, but also the souls of their children. The young are appreciable and it is our duty to care for them and protect their souls, this is why Jesus warns us. “It would be better for him if a millstone were hung round his neck and he were cast into the sea, than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin.” [i]
 
What effect do we have in the altering of another person’s path?
Discussion Question: Look at pictures G – J. What is happening between the pictures? 
   
There are two examples given in the tract dealing with conversion. In the first (G) a young woman dress immodestly, at least to the standards of the late 1800’s, is leading a young man to temptation, the broad path to hell. In the second picture higher up (H) a woman is bring a man to the “light”, the narrow path. Both men have their foot on the wall, and it appears that the decision for each has been made, but not made alone; they had help. We, through our thoughts, actions, and deeds, help others make decision for or against Christ. It appears from the picture that the first choice (good to bad) is an easy decision the wall and ground are level, and the choice makes him go down both physically to a lower ground and spiritually to hell. The second picture (bad to good) shows that a person can convert even towards the end; this is the mercy of God, but that it will be difficult. This man is going from low to high ground and the hill to conversion is steep.
 
The stark reality of the affect one person can have upon another is seen in the two pictures of mothers. One mother (I) is taking the life of her child, while the other mother (J) is walking the good walk taking her three children with her, two hand in hand and a third she carries in her arm. These two pictures show us that sin in no joking matter, it is a matter of life and death.  What sins of our time are matters of physical life or death? How can it happen that a woman can take the very life of her child?
 
Women play a vital role in salvation. Many people will say that the Catholic Church does not like women or even worse that we hate women. This could not be further from the truth. First of all, the Church is the “Bride” and our “Mother”. She is female. The most honored and revered person in the Catholic Church (who is not divine) is Mary, Mother of God; again a woman. In the four pictures above we see how women can play a huge role in the salvation to everyone. Women can help bring about conversion to men, and help become great Catholic husbands and fathers. Women have the amazing gift to bear and birth life! Both men and women have unique and powerful roles in leading others to heaven.
 
Why do so many continue to sin?
Discussion Questions: Look at pictures K and L. Discuss what is happening in the pictures? Where are the people in picture K going?
   
Pope Paul VI said that the greatest sin of the century is the loss of the sense of sin. Satan the father of lies will tell us sin is good. The world will tell us there is no such thing as sin. Our flesh and senses will tell us that as long as it feels good it must be okay. We can very easily ignore sin and even forget that it is a reality. The two couples (K) happily walk in sin and into more sin. The man on the bike (K) happily rides but is not looking where he is going. Sin is portrayed as a river, a current that takes us away from Jesus, away from good, it is shallow at first, but gets deeper, and eventually turns into a waterfall to hell from which the force is so strong one cannot turn back. Sin enslaves us and deceives us, we think we are freely choosing, that we are free, but in fact we are slaves and have become slaves through the misuse of our free will.
 

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[i] Luke 17:2