The Last Things
Eschatology in the Catholic Church is the branch of theology dedicated to the study of the "Four Last Things": Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell. It seeks to understand the ultimate destiny of human beings and the culmination of salvation history. Eschatology is generally divided into two main categories: Individual Eschatology and Universal Eschatology. Individual Eschatology focuses on what happens to each person individually at the end of earthly life. Universal Eschatology deals with the end of the world and the final destiny of the cosmos.
We were not made ultimately for temporal life on earth, but for eternal life in heaven. Every human person will come to the end of life and face judgment for the conduct of that life. Everyone inevitably will experience death, judgment, and resurrection of the body; once judged, each soul will enter heaven or hell, or perhaps Purgatory in route to heaven. These realities collectively are known as the “last things.”
The Bible does describe hell in several passages: Matthew 25:41, 46: Jesus warns of "eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels" and describes the unrighteous going away into "eternal punishment." Matthew 13:42: Jesus describes a "furnace of fire" where there will be "weeping and gnashing of teeth." Revelation 20:10, 15: The Book of Revelation explicitly mentions the "lake of fire" where those whose names are not in the book of life are "tormented day and night for ever and ever."
Even after the Resurrection of Christ, death remains a reality for humanity because it is a consequence of sin. The redemption does not free us entirely from the concupiscence, sickness, and death that became part of human condition as a result of Original Sin. What the redemption does, if we will only accept it, is grant a final victory over death and the power of Satan. In Christ, the redemption gives death an entirely new meaning: It represents hope for rebirth into a new and infinity better life.
CCC 1010: “Because of Christ, Christian death has a positive meaning: "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” "The saying is sure: if we have died with him, we will also live with him. What is essentially new about Christian death is this: through Baptism, the Christian has already "died with Christ" sacramentally, in order to live a new life; and if we die in Christ's grace, physical death completes this "dying with Christ" and so completes our incorporation into him in his redeeming act.”
Redemption makes of death something positive, because it is only through death that we are able to enter eternal life. This understanding of death and redemption is central to the faith. Through the Paschal Mystery—the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ—the nature of physical death was fundamentally transformed. In Philippians 1:21: Saint Paul captures this perspective perfectly, writing, "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain."
The four last things, Death, Judgment, Hell, and Heaven, are the things that our souls are progressing toward daily, as our earthly life moves closer to an end. These are the things of the eschaton, the end of the world. The early Christians were aware of the four last things. They believed that Christ was going to return in their lifetime; and so, the preaching of the early Church included, often centered, around the eschaton.
When Christ returns in glory to judge the living and dead, the final act of the redemption will have been completed. Sin and evil will be forever vanquished, and the faithful will arrive at the perfect and holiness that God so desires for us all.
“First of all, then, I ask that supplications, prayers, petitions, and thanksgivings be offered for everyone, for kings and for all in authority, that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all devotion and dignity. This is good and pleasing to God our savior, who wills everyone to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth. For there is one God. There is also one mediator between God and the human race, Christ Jesus, himself human, who gave himself as ransom for all.” (1Tim 2: 1-6)
—Deacon Gerry Flamm
Texts for Meditation
Jesus said to his disciples: "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled." Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures. And he said to them: "thus it is written that the Messiah would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold I am sending the promise of my Father upon you; but stay in the city until you are clothed with the power from on high." (Lk 24,44-49)
"Dear children! Today I thank you for living and witnessing my messages with your life. Little children, be strong and pray so that prayer may give you strength and joy. Only in this way will each of you be mine and I will lead you on the way of salvation. Little children, pray and with your life bear witness to my presence here. May each day be a joyful witness for you of God's love. Thank you for having responded to my call." (Mary’s message at Medjugorje, June 25, 1999)
“Prayer is the raising of one's mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God." But when we pray, do we speak from the height of our pride and will, or "out of the depths" of a humble and contrite heart? He who humbles himself will be exalted; humility is the foundation of prayer, only when we humbly acknowledge that "we do not know how to pray as we ought," are we ready to receive freely the gift of prayer. "Man is a beggar before God." (CCC 2559)
