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  • This week: the four last things

    • The teachings of the Catholic Church on the four last things might be summarized in the following points:

      • Every person receives his eternal recompense in his immortal soul from the moment of his death in a particular judgment by Christ, the judge of the living and the dead (CCC 1051).
      • Those who die in God's grace and friendship imperfectly purified, although they are assured of their eternal salvation, undergo a purification after death, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of God (1054).
      • Following the example of Christ, the Church warns the faithful of the "sad and lamentable reality of eternal death", also called "hell" (1056).
      • At the end of time, the Kingdom of God will come in its fullness. Then the just will reign with Christ for ever, glorified in body and soul, and the material universe itself will be transformed. God will then be "all in all" (1 Cor 15:28), in eternal life (1060).
    • Recommended Reading

      • Read the Catechism of the Catholic Church, #988-1060 (Webpage)
      • Dominican theologian Herbert McCabe's "The Four Last Things" is just about the most lucid account of this topic that you can find. (PDF)
      • Philosopher Peter Kreeft offers his thoughts on eternity. Chatty read, but it goes deep quickly: "35 Frequently Asked Questions About Eternity (Webpage)."
      • Popular theologian Frank Sheed has a readable but thought provoking treatment on the last things in Theology and Sanity. (PDF)
      • For a slightly more dense take, see Monika Hellwig's  "The Kingdom of Heaven and the World to Come" in Understanding Catholicism (PDF)
      • The Church tends to emphasize the four last things in at the end of the church year, especially with the celebration of the solemnity of All Saints and the memorial of All Souls. This website gives a nice overview of All Saints and All Souls, including many different Catholic traditions. 
    • Weekly Meditation: Think About Heaven.

      At some point, we all encounter the mystery of death, and we find ourselves asking, "What happens after we die?" Some ask as young children, others as inquisitive teenagers, and still others as adults blindsided by tragedy. Many of us, especially those raised in some church environment, are given a word to sum up the mystery of the afterlife: Heaven. We go to heaven after we die.

      • Take a minute to think about heaven. Can you remember where you first encountered the idea of heaven? Who told you about it? How did you learn to think about this "next place"? Does it have a location? A certain feeling? 

      The Church prays that all the world might be saved, that we all might share the life of God and live always in the presence of God's infinite beauty. But whatever this next life is, we recognize that it begins here. If we have not somehow encountered and accepted God's friendship in this life, how will we be prepared to encounter and accept it in the next?
       
      • Take another minute and think about the happiest or most fulfilling experiences you've had. What made them so amazing? What conditions allowed you to be so happy? 


      Whatever heaven is, it is the fulfillment of who and what we are in this life. The resurrection of the Lord Jesus shows us that this life and the next are connected, that one flows into the other (Jesus' hands still bear the marks of his crucifixion.) Our personal histories are not erased in the next life -- rather, our life stories find their ultimate meanings in the life of God, a life that we have already begun to experience here. 

      • Take a final minute and make a connection between heaven and your experiences of happiness. If your temporary experience of fulfillment and happiness is anything like the blessedness of the life to come, if earthly happiness is in any way a foretaste of eternal bliss, what must be true about heaven? What must heaven be like for you to be happy there? Gather your thoughts into a short prayer expressing your longing for heaven, and share this prayer with the One whose presence is Heaven.
    • Past RCIA Formation Topics

      • Scripture and Revelation
      • Tradition and Authority
      • The Missions of the Son and Spirit
      • The Holy Trinity
      • Beginning Lent
      • The Church
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