The Last Things

Christopher B. PerrottiTheology ll

Chapter 5- Conclusion

Our Life Time

• Through Christ’s Paschal Mystery, Jesus gives our lifetime to embrace him.

• At the point of death the soul is judged by God and rewarded by God;– Immediately and sent to heaven– Following additional purification in Purgatory– Or condemned to eternal separation from God in

Hell.

The Second Coming of the Lord and the Last Judgment

• As Catholics, we are mindful and profess in our Creed that Christ will come again to judge the living and the dead.

• Our Lord in the Gospel spoke of His second coming.• Scripture tell us that there would be various signs

that will mark His second coming:– Famine– World War– The Church may endure persecution– People may lose their faith

Results of Second Coming

• Death will be no more• The dead shall rise and those souls who have

died will be united again to their bodies.• Saint Paul states “All will have a glorious,

transformed, spiritualized body”• At this time, the final, or general judgment will

occur– Jesus said, "Those who have done right shall rise

to life; the evildoers shall rise to be damned“

Rooted in Scripture

• Our Lord described this judgment as follows:– "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, escorted

by all the angels of heaven, He will sit upon His royal throne and all the nations will be assembled before Him.

– Then He will separate them into two groups, as a shepherd separated sheep from goats“

Here each person will have to account for his conduct and the deepest secrets of his soul will come to light.

State of Grace

• You cannot enter the kingdom of heaven unless you are in a state of Grace!

• In last section, we discussed how we earn Grace and how we can keep it!

• Reconciliation – Conversation, Confession, Celebration – We are back in state of Grace, prepared to enter in Heaven!

• WE MUST RECONCILE OUR SINS!

Final Judgment

• Our Lord will judge us accordingly. – For those who have died and already have faced

the particular judgment, their judgment will stand. – Those living at the time of the Second Coming will

receive judgment. – Those who have rejected the Lord in this life, who

have sinned mortally, who have no remorse for sin and do not seek forgiveness, will have condemned themselves to hell for all eternity. "

When is the Final Judgment

• We do not know when the Second Coming will occur. – Jesus said, "As to the exact day or hour, no one

knows it, neither the angels in heaven nor even the Son, but only the Father. • Be constantly on the watch! Stay awake! You do not

know when the appointed time will come" (Mk 13:32-33).

Heaven

• Heaven is often described as a "higher place", the holiest place, a Paradise.

• Heaven is were GOD is, to be with God!• In the Holy Bible the term heaven denotes, in the

first place, the blue sky, or the region of the clouds that pass along the sky.

• Heaven is spoken of as the dwelling of God– although God is omnipresent, He manifests Himself in a

special manner in the light and grandeur of the heavens.

Heaven

• Heaven also is the abode of the angels;– for they are constantly with God and see His face. – With God in heaven are likewise the souls of the

just, those who have accepted Jesus as their savior!

The term heaven has come to designate both true happiness – and the abode of God’s chosen in the next

life

The location of Heaven

• The dwelling of God and the blessed• Most theologians deem more appropriate that

Heaven is a special and glorious abode• The blessed have their peculiar home and

where they usually abide, even though God allows them to be free to go about in His world

Existence of Heaven

• There is a heaven!– God will bestow happiness and the richest gifts on all

those who depart this life– Free from original sin and personal mortal sin, – Who are, consequently, in the state of Grace and

friendship with God.– Remember the bliss of heaven is eternal and consists

primarily in the possession of God– Heaven takes as fact a state of perfect happiness,– In which every wish of the heart finds sufficient

satisfaction.

God’s Gifts in Heaven

• In Heaven there is not the least pain or sadness• We will of the blessed is in perfect harmony with the Divine

will• We delight greatly in the company of Christ, the angels

– The saints – We will rejoice in the reunion with so many who were are dear

to us on earth. – After the Second Coming the union of the soul with the glorified

body will be a special source of joy for the blessed. – The blessed rejoice over sanctifying grace and the supernatural

virtues that adorn their soul– The emotion we receive from God is “BLISS”

Our Soul

• The Spirit of God with all of us• Allows us to have a connection with God• The Divine Spirit given to us by God a conception as the

driving force of his love and our faith.• After Baptism (receiving Sanctifying Grace) our Soul is

prepared to receive all of the love and Graces that God has to offer.

• Our Souls are immortal and upon our physical death will be judged and reunited with God.

• Our Soul must be in the state of divine grace to enter the Kingdom of God!

How can we purify our Soul on Earth!

• Baptism – Receiving Sanctifying Grace• Receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation on a

regular basis – remember the three C’s• Following the example that Christ gave for us in the

Gospels and Holy Scriptures– “Honor the Lord thy God and have no other God but me!”– “Love thy neighbor as thy self!”– Remember – we cannot enter the Kingdom of God in the

state of sin – Mortal Sin separates us from God until we Reconcile that sin!

Purgatory

• The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines purgatory as a "purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven," which is experienced by those "who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified" (CCC 1030)

• This purification is necessary because, as Scripture teaches, nothing unclean will enter the presence of God in heaven

Purgatory

• While we may die with our mortal sins forgiven, there can still be many impurities in us, specifically venial sins and the sequential punishment due to sins already forgiven. (Penance)

• Catholic theology takes seriously the notion that "nothing unclean shall enter heaven."

• Sanctification must occur!

Purgatory/Sanctification after Death

• The cleansing occurs in purgatory. – The necessity of the purging is taught in other passages of

Scripture, such as 2 Thessalonians 2:13, which declares that God chose us "to be saved through sanctification by the Spirit."

– Sanctification is thus not an option, something that may or may not happen before one gets into heaven.

– It is an absolute requirement, as Hebrews 12:14 states that we must strive "for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord."

– Dying in the state of mortal sin does not allow us this option!

HELL

• To be without God!• Dying in a state of Mortal Sin (discussed in last unit)• “True unhappiness” as True Happiness is only found

with God!• The Devil –Fallen Angels –are allowed to reside

there• The “Fires of Hell” describes the pain our soul will

experience for eternity – as we are not in the presence of God!

Hell – Satan’s Home

• Hell in the strict sense, or the place of punishment for the damned, be they demons or men

• There is a hell, for all those who die in personal mortal sin, as enemies of God, and unworthy of eternal life, will be severely punished by God after death

• The Holy Bible is quite explicit in teaching the eternity of the pains of hell. The torments of the damned shall last forever and ever (Revelation 14:11; 19:3; 20:10).

Impenitence of the damned

• Impenitence - having or showing no regret or sorrow for sin or misbehavior

• The damned are confirmed in evil; – every act of their will is evil and inspired by hatred

of God. – This is the common teaching of theology– People who end up in Hell, belong in Hell!

The Fullness of The Kingdom of God

• What is the fullness of Christ?• The purpose of our existence, the reason God created us is

stated in three similar ways:

• fullness of God (Eph 3:14),

• fullness of Christ (Eph 4:13),

• perfect in Christ (Col 1:28)

Fullness of Christ

• The Elements of Fullness in Christ include:maturity – (perfection, completeness, wholeness of our soul)

• unity – (in faith and knowledge with the Church)

• intimacy – (Having a relationship with God's power and love)

Ultimate Goal of Christ

• This is why Jesus Christ died and rose from the dead!– not just to save us from our sins, – but also so that we would become fully mature, – one with God and other believers, intimately

sharing his love and power. – We were created to become like Jesus. – The Fullness of the Kingdom of God is for us to

"glorify God and enjoy him forever".

Christ The King!

• Pope Pius XI instituted the Feast of Christ the King in his 1925 – Last Sunday In October!– In his Encyclical (Official Letter from Pope) he referred to

“Our Lord Jesus Christ the King”– Term Christ the King is a title of Jesus based on many

passages of Scripture.– "'Christ,' he says, 'has dominion over all creatures, a

dominion not seized by violence nor usurped, but his by essence and by nature.'" Pope Pius XI

– Theme is underlying in all the Gospels especially Matthew.

Feast of Christ the King Today

• In 1969 Pope Paul VI changed the liturgical Calendar and placed the feast day at the end of the Liturgical Calendar.

• This title for Jesus in known as his reward from his Father for his great sacrifice.

• Jesus inherited the “Kingdom of God” thus he is seen as the King of that Kingdom!

• Starting with Advent, Christmas, Lent then Easter season everything Christ did for us makes him deserving of “His Kingdom” and Title “Christ the King”

Savior Christ the King

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dp99fhHzz4M.com

“For this reason Christ came to earth”“To show us all the way to his Kingdom to those

of us who want it”To those of us who want it!!!