We discovered the work of Father John Furniss in contemporary reviews of Mother Mary Loyola's books, in which she was favorably compared to him. A pioneer in the catechesis of children during the 1850s and 1860s, Furniss had a remarkable gift for making spiritual realities vivid and understandable to young minds. (You can read more about him in the Catholic Encyclopedia.)
When we first encountered The Sight of Hell, we thought it rather dark for today's children. But the more we considered it, the more convinced we became that children today need—perhaps more than ever—to establish the habit of contemplating the Four Last Things: death, judgment, heaven...and hell.
After all, we think little nowadays of entertaining children with ghosts, monsters, and frightening stories. But the greatest danger concealed by the apparent ease of the broad path is the lie that hell and the devil don’t exist, or that they are just fanciful inventions. Christ Himself warned us plainly of the reality of hell:
“And if thy hand scandalize thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life, maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into unquenchable fire: Where the worm dieth not, and the fire is not extinguished.” (Mark 9:42–43)
What better encouragement can we have to remain on the narrow path, despite its hardships and sorrows, than a vivid picture of what awaits at the end of the broad path? Drawing upon Scripture and the accounts of the saints, Father Furniss takes his readers on a remarkably vivid journey through the torments of hell. His purpose is not simply to frighten, but to impress upon young minds the terrible consequences of mortal sin—and the consolation available to us in its remedy: contrition, confession and a firm purpose of amendment.
This newly typeset edition preserves the original text and includes striking illustrations that make Furniss's already vivid descriptions all the more memorable.
5.5" x 8.5" paperback 64 pages