Chapter 5 Pp 139-148 The Last Things

THE LAST THINGS: ESCHATOLOGY 2 Death (separation of the immortal soul from the body) 1. everyone faces it 2. natural 3. penalty for sin (Scripture teaches this---Adam turned from God, infected humanity with death) 4. Christ conquered death---giving us hope that death is an entrance into eternal life of union with the Triune God of love.

Our hope is that we will rise on the last 3 day with Christ in His glory. This can only occur if we die in union with Him. This is the reason why Christ instructed us to always be ready, to live each day as though it were our last. Thus thinking about our own death can help us resolve to live more lovingly in the present.

THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY 4 1. The Christian belief that when Christ comes again He will reunite the bodies of every human with their souls. 2. It completes the creation and redemption of human flesh 3. Our Catholic faith holds that God will raise from the dead all people on the last day. 4. The most important quality of the resurrected body will be immortality; we will never die again.

5 5. From St. Paul (1 Cor 15: 35-38), he lists attributes of the resurrected body: a. imperishable b. glorious c. powerful d. spiritual

Interpretation by theologians: we 6 will never feel pain. The Resurrected body will shine brightly, reflecting the glory of the BEATIFIC VISION: SEE GOD ‘FACE TO FACE’ IN HEAVEN, THE SOURCE OF OUR ETERNAL HAPPINESS; FINAL UNION WITH THE TRIUNE GOD FOR ALL ETERNITY. Our spirits will control our glorified bodies.

PARTICULAR JUDGMENT 7 1. The individual’s judgment immediately after death, when Christ will rule on one’s eternal destiny to be spent in heaven (after purification in purgatory, if needed) or in hell. (SEE 2 COR 5:10) 2. Parable referring to this particular judgment: Luke 16: 19-31: The Rich Man and Lazarus 3. If we live a just and loving life, we have nothing to fear when we die. God is a God of justice and mercy. God’s judgment is based on whether we loved him and our neighbor as ourselves.

HEAVEN 8 a. Eternal life spent in union with God and all those who share in God’s life b. Those who reach Heaven, will live with Christ Jesus forever.; will enjoy the Beatific Vision, seeing God face-to-face, as He really is, contemplating His heavenly glory. c. The pleasures and happiness in store for us in heaven are beyond human imagination: St. Paul wrote, “What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and what has not entered the human heart, what God has prepared for those who love him.” (1 Cor 2:9)

PURGATORY: 9 a. name for the final purification of those who die in God’s grace and friendship, but who need purification or cleansing to achieve the holiness necessary to enter heaven. Also, referred to as the “Church Suffering”. b. Source: 2 Maccabees 12:39-46; Church Tradition has interpreted certain New Testament passages as referring to a place of ‘cleansing fire’ after death.

10 c. What it means: to be cleansed of any imperfection in our own capacity to love; dying to our attachment to sin and our selfishness is a long/painful process d. involves joyful (people here are happy that the Lord has promised them heaven) and painful (need to leave behind their selfish attachments before meeting God)

11 From the 1st century, the Church has honored the dead by offering the Eucharist for them and encouraging the faithful to pray for them Church has recommended almsgiving, indulgences and acts of penance for the ‘poor souls in purgatory’.

HELL: 12 a. to die in mortal sin without repenting and accepting God’s merciful love means remaining separated from Him forever by one’s own free choice b. God does not predestine anyone for hell; God respects our freedom. Therefore, unrepentant mortal sin sends us to hell….. God does not send anyone to hell

13 c. Source: Scripture and Church Tradition 1. Mt 25: 41-46 (sheep and goats) 2. Mt 13: 41-42 (‘throw them into the fiery furnace..’) d. existence of Hell challenges us: to love responsibly, to repent of our sins, to reform our lives in the image of Jesus; to live a good life right now because we never know when we will die.

THE LAST OR GENERAL JUDGMENT 14 1. Jesus Christ’s judgment of the living and the dead on the last day when he comes to establish God’s kingdom fully   2. Resurrection of the just and unjust will take place Christ will show each person’s relationship with God Everyone will recognize God’s saving plan in Christ The Son of Man, in the presence of all of the angels, will separate the sheep from the goats

3. Christ has already launched the kingdom of God by 15 3. Christ has already launched the kingdom of God by --His loving grace is very much alive to attract people to the Triune God --Spirit gives Catholics power and mission of cooperating with Christ’s work --Christ strengthens us with virtues to work tirelessly as peacemakers, promoting human solidarity, respecting the dignity of every human being

AMEN 16 1. means “so be it; I agree; certainly, it is firm” 2. Hebrew origin from Hebrew word for believe