Published in the bulletin of Holy Ghost Catholic Church in Knoxville, TN, on Holy Trinity Sunday.
My dear Parishioners,
Peace! The twelfth article of the Apostle’s Creed is “I believe in everlasting life.” There are ten (10) In Brief passages in the Catechism of the Catholic Church regarding this article of the Creed. The following is a reflection on article 1051.
The last article of the Creed calls to mind the ‘Four Last Things’ which are: Death, Judgment, Heaven and Hell. Unless Jesus Christ returns in glory before we die to judge the living and the dead, each of us will die a human death, when our body and soul will be separated. Here the Catechism focuses our attention on death and judgment. Heaven (Purgatory) and Hell are considered specifically in other articles.
Physical, bodily death entered into the world as a consequence of Original Sin (cf. Romans 5:12). Spiritual death occurs via mortal sin (cf. 1 John 5:17). Jesus Christ who is the resurrection and the life is the remedy to both sorts of death (cf. John 11:25).
Christ Jesus, victor over sin and death, the Cross and the grave, will judge each and every human being because this has been given Him by the eternal Father (cf. John 5:22; Acts 10:42; Romans 2:16). In our immortal (undying) soul we receive immediately upon death eternal retribution. The glory of Heaven awaits those who die in friendship with God and free from mortal sin. The pains of Hell await those who spurn God and His holy will and die in their sins. The Good News is that we need not die in our sins. The time for our repentance is now while we still have life and breath (cf. 1 Corinthians 5:13; 1 Peter 4:5).
The ‘Particular Judgment’ is different from the ‘General Judgment.’ When each of us dies, we receive immediately in our souls recompense from Christ the judge, this is the particular judgment. At the end of time, when the sentence passed upon each is ‘made public’ for all to know and for which God is glorified for His mercy (for those who go to Heaven) and His justice (for those who go to Hell), this is the general judgment. The verdict is the same in both the particular and the general or last judgments, the difference, besides the timing (in this life or at the end of time) is who knows what. All will know the fate of each at the end of time. Now in this present life we are certain only of the Saints who have been canonized, that they are in Heaven.
When Jesus Christ came among us as the Babe of Bethlehem, His first coming, it was as Savior not judge (cf. John 3:17; 12:47). When He comes again in glory at the end of time every eye shall behold Him and each will be judged by Christ the just judge who was Himself judged unjustly in this world (cf. John 5:30; 8:16; 12:48; Acts 17:31; 1 Corinthians 4:5; 2 Timothy 4:1).
God bless you!
Father John Arthur Orr