Hello my friends! Several of you have asked me to address both personal & spiritual questions. Here are some questions and my answers to them. I invite more questions. Call me, write me or send questions to Diana for this bulletin article (d_hudock@yahoo.com). This article will also appear on our Facebook and Blog on our website.
Mike asks: What does it mean “Jesus descended into hell.”
Father Pete: We state this in both the Apostle’s Creed and in the Nicene Creed. The literal meaning is not “hell” but rather, the realm of the dead who were just in the eyes of God. They could not yet see God face to face (the beatific vision) but were in a state of spiritual waiting, a state that was called Sheol by the Jews. Therefore, when Jesus died he entered this spiritual realm where he preached to the dead the good news. After this, these just souls were enabled to enter in heaven and see God face to face. After this, Jesus rose bodily from the dead to appear to the believers preparing them for the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Love, Fr. Pete