JESUS CHRIST SHALL COME TO JUDGE THE LIVING AND THE DEAD

 133. How does the Lord Jesus now reign?

 668-674
680
 As the Lord of the cosmos and of history, the Head of his Church, the glorified Christ
mysteriously remains on earth where his kingdom is already present in seed and in its
beginning in the Church. One day he will return in glory but we do not know the time.
Because of this we live in watchful anticipation, praying “Come, Lord” (Revelation
22:20).

 When Christ “comes in His glory, escorted by all the angels, all nations will be
assembled before Him and He will separate people one from another as the shepherd
separates sheep from goats. He will place the sheep on His right hand and the goats on
His left;… these will go away to eternal punishment, and the upright to eternal life.”
(Mathew 25, 31.32.46).

- Main ideas

1. Particular judgment and final judgment

 Besides the particular judgment, which takes places immediately after death, the faith
of the Church tells us that the whole of mankind will be judged when Christ comes again.
 This second judgment will take place in the presence of all men, at the end of time; that
is why it is called final or universal judgment.

2. Meaning of the final judgment

 The final judgment will not change the verdict given in the particular judgment; Divine
Wisdom and Justice will be seen because the upright will be rewarded and the wicked
condemned. This reward or condemnation will affect their souls as well as their bodies.
 The final judgment will reveal the definitive consequences of each one’s deeds and
omissions –good or bad— during their life on earth.

3. The second coming of our Lord

 Jesus Christ, as He told the Apostles, will come with great power and majesty,
surrounded by all His angels, as the supreme judge.
 Then we will know the final meaning of the whole work of Creation and Redemption.
 Final judgment will show that Divine justice triumphs over all injustices committed by
His creatures, and that God’s love is stronger than death.

4. The hope of “the new heavens and the new earth”

 At the end of time the Kingdom of God will come in all its fullness. The upright, glorified
in body and soul, will triumph forever with Christ. And the material universe –the whole
cosmos— will be transformed.
 This mysterious transformation of humanity and the world is called by Sacred Scripture
“new heavens and new earth”.
 God will have His dwelling among men.

5. To prepare ourselves for the definite encounter with God

 Reflecting on these tremendous truths, the Second Vatican Council affirms: “Since
however we know not the day nor the hour, on Our Lord's advice we must be
constantly vigilant so that, having finished the course of our earthly life, we may merit
to enter into the marriage feast with Him and to be numbered among the blessed and
that we may not be ordered to go into eternal fire like the wicked and slothful servant,
into the exterior darkness where "there will be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth"
(cfr. Lumen Gentium, 48).

Resolutions for Christian life

 Resolutions to move forward

 Consider that all our actions will eventually be known to all men. Try to do everything
with a right intention.
 Always be prepared to welcome Christ with an upright disposition.

I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY SPIRIT

 Compendium of the Catechism

 136. What does the Church mean when she confesses: “I believe in the Holy Spirit”?
 683-686
 To believe in the Holy Spirit is to profess faith in the Third Person of the Most Holy
Trinity who proceeds from the Father and the Son and “is worshipped and glorified with
the Father and the Son”. The Spirit is “sent into our hearts” (Galatians 4:6) so that we
might receive new life as sons of God.

 Christians are temples of the Holy Spirit. From the moment of baptism the Holy Spirit is
in our souls, sanctifying them and enriching them with His gifts. If we don’t expel Him
by committing a mortal sin, the Holy Spirit inspires and guides us, leading us to Heaven.
 The Holy Spirit is Jesus Christ’s great gift, after He ascended into Heaven: “It is for your
own good that I am going, because unless I go, the Paraclete will not come to you, but if
I go, I will send Him to you.” (John 16: 7).

Main ideas

1. The Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Holy Trinity

 The Holy Spirit is the third Person whose divinity we profess in the Creed when we pray:
“I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of life, who proceeds from the Father
and the Son, and with the Father and the Son He is worshipped and glorified”.
 Therefore we have to believe in the Holy Spirit.

2. God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit accomplishes the work of salvation

 The second Person of the Blessed Trinity, became man and died for us. Through His
passion, death and resurrection we men have been saved.
 But the three Divine Persons take part in our salvation: God the Father sending His Son;
the Son dying for us; the Holy Spirit coming on the day of Pentecost to be the soul of
the Church and to inhabit in each one of us.

3. The Holy Spirit sanctifies us

 Since there is only one God, everything that God does is done by the three Divine
Persons. However, we attribute some actions to the Father, some to the Son, some to
the Holy Spirit.
 The sanctification of men is attributed to the Holy Spirit, who proceeds from the love of
the Father and the Son, though this task is done by the whole Trinity.

4. The Holy Spirit and the Church

 On the day of Pentecost –ten days after His Ascension and fifty days after His
resurrection— the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles and disciples who were
together with the Blessed Virgin.
 With the coming of the Holy Spirit, the Church opened up to all nations. The Holy Spirit
builds, vivifies and sanctifies His Church.

5. The Holy Spirit sanctifies mainly through the sacraments

 The sanctification performed in us by the Holy Spirit consists in uniting ourselves more
and more with God; but in order that the Holy Spirit may accomplish it, we have to let
Him do His job in our soul:

 By being always in the state of God´s grace.

 Receiving the sacraments, especially of Penance and the Eucharist.
 We have to listen to what the Holy Spirit tells us; the Holy Spirit teaches through the
pastors of the Church, and interiorly inspires what God wants and expects from us.

6. To get acquainted with the Holy Spirit

 We know that the Holy Spirit is the “sweet host of the soul” who is within us when are
in God’s grace.
 In a special way we have to ask the Holy Spirit His seven gifts, which are necessary to
live as truly Christians:

 The gift of wisdom.

 The gift of intellect.
 The gift of counsel.
 The gift of fortitude.
 The gift of science.
 The gift of piety.
 The gift of fear.

7. Some prayers addressed to the Holy Spirit

 «Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit».
 «In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit».
 «Come oh Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithfull and enkindle in them the fire of your
love».
 «Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created».
Resolutions for Christian life

 Resolutions to move forward

 Consider that, when we are in God’s grace, the Holy Spirit lives within us as in a temple.
Make the resolution to be always in God’s grace.
 Repeat some of the prayers addressed to the Holy Spirit, especially around the feast of
Pentecost.

09. THE COMMUNION OF THE SAINTS

Compendium of the Catechism

 194. What is the meaning of the “communion of saints”?

 946-953
960
 This expression indicates first of all the common sharing of all the members of the
Church in holy things (sancta): the faith, the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, the
charisms, and the other spiritual gifts. At the root of this communion is love which
“does not seek its own interests” (1 Corinthians 13:5) but leads the faithful to “hold
everything in common” (Acts 4:32), even to put one’s own material goods at the service
of the most poor.

 The Church is the body of Christ, to which all the faithful here on earth, those in
purgatory and the saints in heaven belong.
 And among these three groups there is a vital interrelation, similar to that of the
members of a family, who make the family and help each other.
 This communion of life and supernatural goods between the members of the Church
with her Head, and among members themselves, is what we call the Communion of the
saints.
Main ideas

1. Through Baptism we are incorporated within the body of the Church

 With baptism we enter the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ.

 When we receive baptism we unite ourselves with Christ, who is the Head of this body,
and we begin to become living members.
 If we lose God’s grace, we detach ourselves from the Head and become dead members.

2. Each member is united to the other members

 In the mystical body of Christ, grace is similar to the blood in the human body.
 Grace and other God’s gifts set up a communion of supernatural grace between the
members and the Head, and among the members themselves.

3. The union among the saints in heaven, the souls in purgatory and the faithful here on
earth

 The Church is made up of:

 those who having being baptized live here on earth (militant Church),
 the saints in heaven (triumphant Church),
 and those who are purifying their souls before entering heaven (suffering Church).

 These three states are united, since Christ, the only Head, is the life that vivifies
everybody.

4. The communication of the fruits in the Church

 In the Church takes place something similar to blood transfusions.

 Christ’s grace, the merits of the Blessed Virgin and of the saints keep our soul alive like a
blood transfusion keeps the body alive.
 Our prayers and our good actions are like good blood that we give to others: our
parents, brothers, friends, … and also to the souls in purgatory.
 And the good actions of other members of the Church help our souls.

5. How to live the communion of saints

 The best way to live the communion of saints is to receive the sacraments. Another way
is to invoke the Blessed Virgin and the saints asking them to obtain for us many graces
from God.
 We could help the souls in purgatory offering mass, work and prayers because they are
longing to enter God’s glory.
 We could also help the militant Church –Christians who are still in pilgrimage here on
earth—offering different things to God for their sake.

Resolutions for Christian life

 Resolutions to move forward

 One way to live the communion of saints is to pray during the mass for the souls in
purgatory.
 When a Christian behaves properly, he or she helps the other members of the Church.
This responsibility should help us to lead a better Christian life every day.

10. I BELIEVE IN THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS

Compendium of the Catechism

 201. Why does the Church have the power to forgive sins?
 981-983
986-987
 The Church has the mission and the power to forgive sins because Christ himself has
conferred it upon her: “Receive the Holy Spirit, if you forgive the sins of any, they are
forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained” (John 20:22-23).

 The forgiveness of sins underpins the mission of Christ in the world, because as Saint
Paul says, “He was put to death for our trespasses and raised for our justification”
(Romans 4:25).
 in His appearance on the afternoon of the resurrection He said to the Apostles:
“Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone's sins, they are forgiven" (Juan 20:23).
 In the Church, therefore, the forgiveness of sins exists by virtue of an infinite
condescension of God to man..

Main ideas

1. We are sinners

 Man is born with original sin, inherited from our first parents, Adam and Eve. Moreover,
throughout our life all of us sin:

 we offend God because we do not do what He asks of us;

 we also offend our fellow men, and in this way we offend God too. Man has a great
need of God´s forgiveness.

 Man has a great need of God´s forgiveness.

2. Christ forgave sins

 While Jesus Christ was on earth he forgave the sins of those who repented. In the
Gospel this power of Christ is emphasized; he could do so because, in addition to being
true man, he was also true God.
 " Take heart, my son, your sins are forgiven " (Matthew 9:2) He says to the paralytic.
 Y And to the sinful woman, who was present in Simon´s house, He says: “Your sins are
forgiven” (Luke 7:48).

3. Christ gives to the Church the power of forgiving sins

 When on the afternoon of the resurrection Christ gave the Holy Spirit to his Apostles, it
was precisely the power of forgiving sins that he gave them:

 ”Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone's sins, they are forgiven; if you retain
anyone's sins, they are retained” (John 20:22-23).

 The Church exercises this power mainly in the sacraments of baptism and penance.

4. There is only one baptism for the forgiveness of sins

 When Jesus was about to ascend into Heaven, he said to his Apostles: “Go out to the
whole world; proclaim the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will
be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:15-16).
 Baptism is the first sacrament that pardons sins and removes them all completely,
although this does not eliminate the weakness of man’s nature nor free him of his
disordered desires.

5. The sacrament of penance

 The effect of baptism is so radical that it would be possible to think of a consequent

state of innocence. Nevertheless, man’s freedom is fragile, and he finds himself time
after time in need of forgiveness.
 Christ knew our condition, so He established another means of reconciliation for those
who have fallen after baptism: the sacrament of penance, which reconciles us with God
and the Church.

6. The Church can forgive all sins

 There is no sin, no matter how serious it is, that the Church cannot forgive.
 Christ redeemed us from sin. He wished that in the Church the doors of forgiveness
would always be open to those who repent of their sins.
 In the Church, the power of forgiving sins by means of the sacrament of penance has
been given only to those who have received the sacrament of holy orders, that is to say,
the bishops and priests.

7. We have to be thankful for this gift of Christ to his Church

 Saint John Chrysostom said: “Priests have received a power that God has given neither
to angels, nor to archangels… God approves in heaven everything that the priests do
here on earth”.
 And Saint Augustine says: “If in the Church there were no remission of sins, there would
be no hope, no expectation of an eternal life and of an eternal liberation. Let us thank
God, who has given this gift to the Church”.

Resolutions for Christian life

 Resolutions to move forward

 Go frequently and truly contrite to the sacrament of penance.

 Give thanks to God for the immense gift of Christ to his Church: the mission and the
power to truly forgive sins.

I BELIEVE IN THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY

Compendium of the Catechism

 203. What is meant by the “resurrection of the body”?

 990
 This means that the definitive state of man will not be one in which his spiritual soul is
separated from his body. Even our mortal bodies will one day come to life again.

 Christians firmly believe and hope that, in the same way as Christ rose and lives forever,
so the just —after death— shall live forever with Christ, and Christ shall raise them up
on the last day.
 “(…) how can some among you say there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no
resurrection of the dead, then neither has Christ been raised. And if Christ has not been
raised, then empty (too) is our preaching; empty, too, your faith.(…) But now Christ has
been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.” (1 Cor
15:12-14,20)

Main ideas

1. All men have to die

 Everybody knows he has to die some day, and the experience of death supports this
belief.
 We have to bear in mind that we only live and die once. Reincarnation after death is a
fantasy and an error.
 Death is the separation of soul and body: the end of life on earth. A few hours after
death the body begins to decompose.

2. Death, a consequence of sin

 Death entered the world because of sin. By nature man is mortal, but God bestowed on
him the privilege of escaping from death, provided that man was faithful to God.
 Therefore, death was contrary to God’s designs, it entered the world as a consequence
of the original sin committed by Adam and Eve.

3. Death was transformed by Christ

 Christian death has a positive meaning. Christ’s obedience transformed the curse of
death into a blessing. By His death Jesus conquered death, opening to all men the
possibility of salvation:

 “Lord, for Your faithful people life is changed, not ended. When the body of our earthly
dwelling lies in death we gain an everlasting dwelling place in heaven.”

4. After death

 The soul, being immortal, cannot die. At the moment of death, the soul separates from
the body and appears before God to be judged.
 Accordingly, the soul goes to heaven to enter the glory of God —or to purgatory for
purification— or goes to hell if man has died in mortal sin, that is, without God’s grace.
After death, the final destination cannot be rectified, and new merits cannot be
acquired.
 The judgment that takes place right after death is called particular judgment. Jesus
Christ is the judge.

5. The dead shall rise at the end of time.

 Christians firmly believe that, in the same way as Christ rose, we likewise will rise for
the final judgment. Our body, transformed, will rise to be united with the soul and
never die again.
 All men shall rise, but not all will have the same destiny: good men will rise to eternal
glory, and bad men to eternal condemnation.

6. Preparing for the moment of death.

 In the Gospel, our Lord tells us about these tremendous truths of life and death, to alert
us to be ready when He comes to call us to give account before the judgment. And since
death comes like a thief –without warning—we’d better be ready. But, how?

 Begging often for forgiveness from Our Lord.

 Making a daily examination of conscience.
 Confessing our sins often.

Resolutions for Christian life

 Resolutions to move forward

 Try to make an examination of conscience before going to bed, reviewing what we have
done well and what we have done wrong during the day; make an act of contrition and
propose resolutions for the next day.
 Think that God is going to judge us at the end of our life, and that He is merciful but also
just.

I BELIEVE IN EVERLASTING LIFE

Compendium of the Catechism


207. What is life everlasting?
 1020
1051
 Eternal life is that life which begins immediately after death. It will have no end. It will
be preceded for each person by a particular judgment at the hands of Christ who is the
 Judge of the living and the dead. This particular judgement will be confirmed in the final
judgment.

 Death is the door which leads to life. Everlasting life –the last article of the Creed— is
man’s goal. And we know, as revealed from God, that “life is changed, not ended”.
Therefore those who believe in God can obtain an eternal dwelling place in heaven. We
shall live forever!
 “Our aim has to be to go to heaven. Otherwise nothing is worthwhile“ (St. Josemaría
Escrivá).

Main ideas

1. Those with clean souls go to heaven

 “I saw that there was a huge number, impossible for anyone to count, of people from
every nation, race, tribe and language; they were standing in front of the throne and in
front of the Lamb, dressed in white robes and holding palms in their hands” (Revelation
7:9)
 To be dressed in white robes means to be in God’s grace and free from any stain or sin.
That is why they are in heaven.

 As the Gospel says, “Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God” (Mt 5:8).

2. Heaven consists in seeing and loving God and being happy forever with Him

 “What no eye has seen nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has
prepared for those who love Him” (1 Corint. 2:9).
 Thus we shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thess 4:17).
 God is the supreme good; He is infinite beauty. And man, who yearns to see wonderful
things, will be completely fulfilled –fulfilled, but never tired of—contemplating God. We
shall see God as He is. We shall also love Him immensely and we shall be eternally loved
by God. Man’s desire to love will be completely fulfilled.
3. The final purification of Purgatory

 Those who die in the state of grace and in friendship with God, but imperfectly purified
even though they are sure of eternal salvation, will have to undergo purification after
death, so as to obtain the necessary holiness to enter the joy of heaven.
 The Church calls Purgatory this final purification of the elect, which is completely
different from the punishment of the damned.

4. We can help the souls in purgatory

 God wants the Church on earth to help the souls in purgatory, where many purify
themselves, yearning to be with God in heaven.
 We have to help them in the following ways:

 Offering the Holy Mass.

 Praying a lot for the souls in purgatory.
 Offering for them our good deeds.

5. Hell exists

 "Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels".
The Gospel text concludes: “And they will go away into eternal punishment” (Mt 25:41-
46).
 Hell exists because God is just, and in the same way as He rewards those who freely
behave well, He punishes those who freely choose to behave badly.
 In hell there are no vacations; it never ends, because hell is eternal. God Himself said it:
"Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire” (Mt 25:41). The existence of hell and
the eternity of the punishments are truths of faith that have to be firmly believed.

6. Those that die in mortal sin go to hell

 It is during the final judgment that God sends the wicked to hell.
 Who are those who go to hell? St. Paul mentions the deeds of the flesh –that is,
fornication, impurity, quarrels, murder…– and he affirms: “People who behave in these
ways will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Gal 5:19-21). In short, those who die with
their souls stained by mortal sin.

7. We should help people go to heaven and avoid hell

 Heaven is the only thing that makes man’s life meaningful. Not to go to heaven is the
utmost failure. But, as we have mentioned, only those who are in the state of God’s
grace can enter heaven.
 This fact should move us to do a lot of apostolate so that all men should be saved.
 We have to pray, to offer little mortifications, to give good example according to our
Christian vocation, to talk to others about God.
 God rewards our generosity, and we will meet in heaven those we have helped here on
earth.

8. The “Amen” at the end of the Creed

 The Creed, just like the last book of the Bible, ends with the Hebrew word Amen. It is
also the last word of many prayers.
 This word hails from the same root as to believe in Hebrew. Therefore, Amen, at the
end of the Creed, confirms the I believe at the beginning.
 To believe is to say “Amen”, so be it, to God’s words, promises, commandments. To
believe is to trust God completely.

Resolutions for Christian life

 Resolutions to move forward

 Pray and offer little sacrifices for the conversion of sinners, and for the final
perseverance of all Christians.
 Remember heaven when we encounter difficulties in our Christian life. Remember the
existence of hell when temptations come, so as to reject them and not to offend God.
 When you recite the Creed and say “Amen”, be conscious of its meaning: I firmly
believe everything I have just said.