“His name is Gary,” the first angel said as they crossed the Great Chasm and began their descent into the joyless depths of Hades.
“And what is holding him down here?” the second asked as his wings cast long, trembling shadows against the gloom.
“Many unrepented sins, unfortunately,” the first replied with a weary sigh.
A sound rose to meet them—a droning chorus of cries, screams, and low, rhythmic growls that made the second angel wince. “Will we rescue Gary today?” he asked as his face tightened against the terrifying noise.
The first angel looked down at the letter held in his steady hand. “We will at least bring him a small reprieve. He was a Calvinist; those souls are often anchored by a particular stubbornness.”
“What in Heaven is a Calvinist?” the second asked, his brow furrowing in genuine bewilderment.
Their feet touched the scorched earth with a feathery stillness. Before them, the cries of anguish softened into whimpers as the heavenly light that emanated from them illumined the area. They were surround by heavy iron cages, which were held fast to blackened ground by thick chains. Wart-covered imps crawled like vermin over the cages, tormenting the souls inside. The imps nearest to the angels steered clear of their heavenly radiance.
The first angel navigated the maze of thorns and jagged stone until he paused. “Ah, here we are.”
A toad-like imp was thrusting a jagged spear into the bars of a cage as the soul inside shrieked with every blow.
“That is enough,” the first angel quietly commanded.
“Who spoils my fun?” the creature growled. It turned, flinching instinctively at the brilliance of the illumined visitor before pulling its grotesque features back into a sneer. “This soul is ours. Leave!” it belched.
“The Bride has prayed for Gary,” the angel responded, his voice calm yet firm.
“Leave!” the imp cried. Its bloodshot eyes bulged and the veins in its face throbbed as it jabbed the spear toward them in a futile gesture of malice.
“The Lord rebukes you,” the first angel said. He made the sign of the Cross, and the imp winced, recoiling several steps as if struck by a physical blow.
As the angels approached the cage, a man’s face appeared behind the bars, pale and frantic. “Get me out of here!” he cried. “There has been a mistake. I never should have been brought here. This place is for filthy sinners, not elect souls like me!”
“We will do what we can,” the angel replied.
“He is ours,” the toad-imp grumbled. Yet he dared not move a step closer, still feeling the burn of the angel’s last rebuke.
The first angel began touching the letter to the chains, “The Bride of our Lord prays for your departed soul.”
As the letter met the iron shackles, it began to disintegrate, but not before melting two smaller chains. With a groan, the cage began drifting upward. Suddenly, it lurched to a stop, held by a massive, immovable chain.
“You idiot!” the man cried at the angel. “You should have started with the big one. That is the chain that brings the most pain!”
“What is the big chain?” the second angel whispered, his eyes wide.
“Pride,” the toad belched, before breaking into a shrieking laugh. “You may have pulled him from my reach, but Hell’s flies and gnats can still torment him quite easily up there!”
“Come,” the first angel said to his companion. “We have done what we can for now.”
“I have so many questions” the second angel said, his voice quivering.
“I have eternity to answer them,” the first replied. As they ascended, the floor of Hades darkened, and tormented cries of the caged souls swelled once more.
“To begin,” the second pondered, “what was that letter?”
“The letter was a decree signed with the precious and holy Blood of the Lamb,” the first explained, his gaze fixed on the rising heights. “One of Gary’s friends prayed for him with love and tears for a week. Because of that love, the Lord sent us to bring Gary relief.”
“And what are the chains?”
“Sins. Every soul in Hades is held there by its own sins.”
“And do the chains bring the souls pain?”
“Immense pain, for they simultaneously reach down into the hearts of men and the depths of hell. The heat from the abyss transfers through them to the bound soul.”
“Why did the painful cries of others soften to a whimper as we approached, but then increase again as we departed?”
“Part of the torment of Hades is every soul feeling like it’s alone in its pain, even with the nightmarish howl of cries that perpetually arises. Their pain keeps them focused on themselves, and the cries of others fade into a horrendous background noise. But when we descend, the Glory softly illuminates the area, and the souls see they are not alone.”
“So even if only one soul is prayed for, others around that one receive some temporary relief?”
“Yes, that is the mercy of our Lord, always bringing relief and salvation to as many as possible.”
Once they crossed the Great Chasm and the pure light of Heaven washed over their faces, the second angel began to weep. The first stopped and wrapped his great wings around his companion.
“It’s hard, I know,” the first said, holding him steady.
“I hate that place, and yet I want to go back,” the second cried, his voice breaking. “It tears at my heart in a way I have never felt to hear so many millions of souls cry out in such deep anguish. Can I be reassigned to assist you? I’ll endure whatever heartache is necessary; I’ll labor for a thousand years, even if it brings relief to only one soul!”
“Yes,” the first replied, a spark of warmth in his eyes. “I will put in the request immediately. That is exactly the kind of compassion we seek. And don’t worry, I won’t have you descend into any deeper levels, at least not for a while.”
“It gets worse?” asked the wide-eyed second angel.
“We were merely on the surface of Hades, my dear one,” the first explained. “There are many more levels. But we never go deeper than the surface unless accompanied by an archangel.”
“Shouldn’t we also let the Bride know there are many more souls to be prayed for?” asked the second as they approached the radiant gates of Heaven.
“It is not the place of angels to teach the Bride. She has many great teachers; the faithful must listen to them.”