For a blasphemy, for a bad thought, for a bottle of wine, for two minutes of pleasure!... For two minutes of pleasure to lose God, one's soul, Heaven… forever! My children, if you saw a man prepare a great pile of wood, heaping up fagots one upon another, and when you asked him what he was doing, he were to answer you, "I am preparing the fire that is to burn me, " what would you think? And if you saw this same man set fire to the pile, and when it was lighted throw himself upon it, what would you say? This is what we do when we commit sin. It is not God who casts us into Hell; we cast ourselves into it by our sins. The lost souls will say, "I have lost God, my soul, and Heaven; it is through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault!" Pray, make your spiritual meditation, frequent the Sacraments daily, have good friends, flee from occasion of sin, read spiritual books... Lead a holy life in the eyes of God.
From the homilies of Saint John Mary Vianney
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