I have a hypothesis about the late atheist, the dear and cantankerous "Hitch". I think the luckiest thing he ever did, was to launch a vile attack on Mother T.
"Lucky" --- I hardly can say "Providential" --- because it would have identified himself as Mother T's enemy, and Mother T would surely have a huge love in her burning heart, for her enemies. She would love him for the love of God!
I think she prayed for him in this life, and continued praying for him in the life to come, where she nestles at the feet of Christ our Savior. All of which means dear ol' Hitch had some of the best intercession possible, Mother T joined with Jesus Christ Our Lord!
A deathbed conversion, by all outward appearances didn't happen (although this is disputed by some). However, Hitch lived in fear that it would. I find this so poignant: Hitch kept saying repeatedly, in his dying days, that he would NEVER believe in God and that if it were ever reported that he did, it must be either that he had lost his mind, or that the reporter had fabricated a complete falsehood.
At any rate, Scripture says that to God a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like a day. I daresay that works out to Hitch having, in his final seconds, a couple of months to think about what he most feared: not hell, but heaven. Not final imbecility, but final coherence. Not "nothingness," but the One Who Is.
So I personally hold the hope that he made it. With Christ --- the all-powerful and all-sufficient--- pulling on one hand, and Mother T, for friendship's sake, on the other.
Thank-you so much for this. It is the finest article I have seen on this site in at least a year. This is all about the love of Christ for His Creation and how we are called to join His work as His laborers. What we read here is the distilled, true teaching of Christ and His Holy Church. So, so much of what we read here on FR is angry and hate filled, especially for the last six months or so. And then I come from the Liturgy and read this. Thank-you again!