The Last Things

One of man’s fundamental Questions is the question about the

future...Where we are going to?What is our ultimte destiny?What are the ends that affect our

every beginning?Where will these all end?

And every time we enter into a new beginning, we always love to have a happy ending.

We hope that every «once upon a time» will end with «happily ever after»

But life is not a fairy tale, that we are assured of happy ending no matter we read or listen well. In life endings are always depenent on the quality of actions and decisions we take..

In man there is also an assurance of happy ending. Not in the form of magical land. But a matter of faith...salvation.

An end that must affect our every beginning, an end that we live here and now.

Eschatolology

This refers to the the ultimate destiny of humandkind and the world, as plan by God.

It includes questions on death, judgment, heaven, hell, purgatory and Christ’s Second Coming.

The Teaching of the Church about the end of mankind and of the whole created things.

Not Christian Concept

Re-incarnation (Karma)Pantheism Nihilism

«I believe...in the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting.»

The Christian end centers on Christ promise of new life, a sharing in his resurrection, and a promise of eternal life with the divine Trinity.

Death Death as natural. «a time to be born, and a time to die» (Eccl 3:2).

In one sense death is th natural end of human life: Our lives are measured by time and pass throguh a natural cycle of birth, growth and final decline. The shortness of life calls us to live it meaningfully. Death here gives meaning to every birth, and makes time a gift for us.. «I will never pass this way again.»

Death as a Consequence of Sin. Death experienced precisely as a violent rupture, a painful loss of life filled with anxiety about the future, is the result of sin, human kind’s alienation from God, the source of all life. «God did not make death, nor does he rejoice in the destruction of the living. He fashioned all things that they might have being...It was the wicked who with hands and words invited death,...and made a covenant with it.» (Wis 1:13, 16)

Christian Death Christ transforms Christian death into a path to

Resurrection. «If we have died with him, we shall also live with him; if we perserve we shall also reign with him» (2 Tim 2:11)

Christian funeral is a celebration of life, its songs, prayers and symbols point out to life after death.

Christians do feel sad and do cry in the face of death but always hopefully...

From death to...

HEAVEN

«This day you will be with me in paradise» (Lk 23:43

Heaven is a state of being with the Lord. Living with him in whom the blessed find perfection of their identity.

Heaven is often described as th «beatific vision», the vision that makes happy...

Heaven is where man lives in God’s embrace

Therefore, heaven is alreay with us, when we live in God’s presence...we touch heaven already...

«You are made not for the comfort of the world...you are made for greatness...»- Benedict XVI

HELL

The bible speaks of a place of eternal damnation (gehenna) «out of my sight, you condemned, into that everlasting fire» (Mt. 25:41; Mt 5:22, 29, 13;42, 50; Nk 9:43-48)

The point of this teaching on hell, then, is to underline the ultimate accountability of what we do with our earthly lives, as well as the finality of death. Put briefly, God odes not force His love to anyone.

Hell is the absence of God.

Private revelation of Fatima "She opened Her hands once more, as She had done

the two previous months. The rays [of light] appeared to penetrate the earth, and we saw, as it were, a vast sea of fire. Plunged in this fire, we saw the demons and the souls [of the damned]. The latter were like transparent burning embers, all blackened or burnished bronze, having human forms. They were floating about in that conflagration, now raised into the air by the flames which issued from within themselves, together with great clouds of smoke. Now they fell back on every side like sparks in huge fires, without weight or equilibrium, amid shrieks and groans of pain and despair, which horrified us and made us tremble with fright (it must have been this sight which caused me to cry out, as people say they heard me). The demons were distinguished [from the souls of the damned] by their terrifying and repellent likeness to frightful and unknown animals, black and transparent like burning coals. That vision only lasted for a moment, thanks to our good Heavenly Mother, Who at the first apparition had promised to take us to Heaven. Without that, I think that we would have died of terror and fear."

Prayer of Fatima...a prayer for salvation from hell...

PARDON PRAYER. My God, I believe, I adore, I hope and I love Thee! I ask pardon for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope and do not love Thee.”

From The Angel. “Most Holy Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit- I adore Thee profoundly. I offer Thee the most precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges, and indifferences whereby He is offended. And through the infinite merits of His Most Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of Thee the conversion of poor sinners.

From Mary. Oh my Jesus, I offer this for love of Thee, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation for the sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

We create our our hell…

Purgatory

Purgatory is the state of final purification.

This teaching is based mainly on Church ancient liturgical practice of offering prayers for the dead.

Thus he (Judas Maccabaeus) mad atoement for the dead that they might be freed from sin.» (2Mc 12:46)

The Bible also speaks of purifying fire. «He himslef will be saved, but only...through fire.» (1 Cor 3:15; cf. 1 Pt 1:7)

Salvation is not about having a minimum passing mark. To gain eternal life, one must be totally pure no trace even of a small remaining sinfulness. The blessed can be permeated completely by the light and love of the Lord.

It Calls us to live in a constant process of purification and to live in the hope of God’s abiding help

Live in the grace of the Sacrament

Always choose the way to holiness

Be charitable and patient

Enduring the pains and difficulties of the world as a saving experience

To engage always in a honest examination of conscience.

It calls us to be charitable to those who suffering souls...

Prayer for the dead is an expression of the communion of saints.

Its also an act of charity

It help us grow in our own spiritual life.

The BeatitudesBlessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land.

Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the clea of heart, for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. (Mt 5:3-11)

THE PAROUSIAThe General Resurrection and Last Judgment

Christian hope: The New Heaven and the New Earth

The Old Testament speaks of awaiting for the coming of the Lord. (cf. Am 5:18)

In the New Testament this becomes the Parousia, the Second Coming of Christ (Phil 1:6)

In the Creed we say: «He will come again to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end.»

The Parousia

«The Hour is coming in which all those in their tombs shall hear his voice nd come forth. Those who have done right shall rise to live; the evildoers shall rise to be damned.» (Jn 5: 28-29)

«The lives of all of us are to be revealed before the tribunl pf Christ so that each one may receive his recompense, good or bad, according to his life in the body.» (1 Cor 5:10)

Salvation as a Communitarian Event

The Trinitarian God forms a people to share in God’s divine life.

The People of God lives in a pilgrimage as a community towards the Kingdom of God.

Christian Challenge: To live with our eyes fixed towards heaven

Evaluating our relationship. Every relationship must be a partnership for heaven.

Judging our proirities.

Ever confident of God’s saving presence.

Trusting always in God’s providence

Living while leaving a footprints of heaven