What Happens When You Die? The Four Last Things JUDGMENT Fr. Richard Gill June 2018 Michael m

Certainty of Judgment

1. The Creed: “…from whence he shall come to judge the living and the dead” 2. Parable of Lazarus and Dives (Lk. 16: 19-31) 3. “Every one of us will render an account of himself before God.” (Rom. 14: 12) 4. “It is appointed to men to die once, but after this comes judgment.” (Heb. 9:27) The Particular Judgment

1. Jesus is the Judge: “Neither does the Father judge anyone, but all

judgment has been given to the Son.” (Jn. 5: 22) 2. Immediately after death. 3. Judgment is final On What Shall We Be Judged?

● Mt. 25 The least of my brothers… Charity

● Mt. 5: 21 Hate one’s brother

● Mt. 7: 1-5 Judging one’s neighbor

● Matt. 12: 36 “Of every slanderous word men speak, they shall give account on the day of judgment.”

● Mk. 12: 40 Hypocrisy of the scribes

● Mt. 12: 39-42 An unbelieving generation How to Prepare for Judgment

● Obey the Commandments ● Detachment from possessions ● Prayer, fasting, almsgiving

● Voluntary works of /sacrifices for love of God

● Examine your conscience daily “All who die in God’s grace, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their salvation, but after death they undergo purification, So as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven.”

(Catechism of the #1030) Purgatory: how to understand it

● Purgatory as God’s hospital for the sick: purification ● Atonement for the evil of our sin that has been forgiven. ● Temporary: all are bound for heaven, at least at the General Judgement

● Purgatory is for those who die in the state of grace, but with unrepented venial sin or temporal punishment due to already forgiven . Purgatory in Sacred Scripture

● 2 Macc. 43-46 ● Rev. 21: 27 “Nothing unclean shall enter heaven.” ● Matt. 5: 25-26 “...you will never get out till you have paid the last penny.” ● 1 Cor. 3: 11-15 “…the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.” What Purgatory is Like

● Deprivation of the “As the deer longs for running waters, so my soul longs for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, the living God. When shall I go and behold the face of God?” (Ps. 41: 2-3).

● Tradition: suffer in other ways too. Augustine Aquinas.

● They cannot merit or do anything to satisfy for their sins.

● They intercede for us. Helping the souls in Purgatory

● “Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.”

● Offer Masses for the dead

● Alms giving: better than flowers at a funeral.

● Acts of charity

● offered for poor souls. The Resurrection of the Body ● Jn. 5: 28-29 “For the hour is coming when all in the tombs will hear the voice of the Son of God. And they that have done good shall come forth unto resurrection of life; but they who have done evil unto resurrection of judgement.” ● Jn. 6: 55 “He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has life everlasting and I will raise him up.” ● 2 Cor. 4: 14 “He who raised up Jesus will raise up us also with Jesus.”

● 1 Cor. 15: 53 “For this corruptible body must put on incorruption, and this mortal body must put on immortality.” What is the Resurrected Body Like?

• Same body as on earth. • Like the risen body of the Lord: • Impassibility • Brightness • Agility • Spirituality • Bodies of the damned also rise. The General Judgment ● The Second Coming of Jesus: - Acts 1: 11 “This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will come in the same way, as you have seen him going up to heaven.” - Matt 24: 30 “And they will see the Son of Man coming upon the clouds of heaven with great power and majesty.” ● Signs of the Second Coming - Gospel preached in the whole world - Great apostasy - Antichrist will appear Reasons for the General Judgement

● Justice, Wisdom and Mercy of God manifest to all ● A public repetition of the Particular Judgment: Rev. 20:12 “I saw the dead, the great and the small standing before the throne, and the scrolls were opened. And another scroll was opened, the book of life; and the dead were judged out of those things written in the scrolls.” ● All men and angels will be present: Lk 8: 17 “For there is nothing hidden that will not be made manifest, nor anything concealed that will not be known.” June 8 Judgement (and Purgatory)

Next session:

June 16