The Last Judgment

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One

At the end of time, Christ will come to judge the living and the dead. This will be the Last Judgement. 

There are two judgments: Our Particular Judgment at the end of our life and the Last Judgment at the end of the world.

In our Particular Judgment at the moment of death, our life will be measured against the life of Christ.

St. John of the Cross says, “At the evening of life, we shall be judged on our love.” At that point, we shall receive, “either immediate entrance into the blessedness of heaven, or through the purification of Purgatory, or immediate and everlasting damnation.” Cf. CCC 1022; 1051

Our Particular Judgment is about the story of our life. It is the story of what we have chosen: either love of God and neighbor over love of self which results in purgatory or heaven or love of self over the love of God and neighbor which results in hell.

See, the soul goes where it wants to go. If it wanted God more than anything, then it goes to God. If it wanted itself more than anything, more than God, then it gets what it wanted, only itself, and nothing more. That is Hell. God gives us what we want. 

If the Particular Judgment reveals the story of our individual life, then the Last Judgment reveals the story of all of human history. It’s where God reveals how His Providence guided all the stories of every person who ever lived to work together for the greatest good.  

You and I will be present at the Last Judgment which, “will reveal even to its furthest consequences the good each person has done or failed to do during his earthly life.” CCC 1039

How do you want your story to be told at that moment?

Two

We firmly believe that God is master of the world and of its history. But the ways of his providence are often unknown to us.

It is impossible for us to see right now how God is working everything out for good. Only at the end, (at the Last Judgment) when our partial knowledge ceases, when we see God face to face will we fully know the ways by which, even through the dramas of evil and sin, God has guided his creation to the perfect conclusion. CCC 314

Only at the end…that is, at the Last Judgment will we come to understand this. CCC 1040. “Then…Jesus Christ will pronounce the final word on all history. We shall know the ultimate meaning of the whole work of creation and…the marvelous ways by which his Providence led everything towards its ultimate perfection. The Last Judgment will reveal that God's justice triumphs over all the injustices committed by his creatures and that God's love is stronger than death.”

There are many things you have gone through, many things you are going through right now that we cannot understand. But God saw them from all eternity, he understands them right now and he is guiding them to our greatest good right now. Even though we don’t understand, we can make a choice to trust God when we can’t see. “Jesus, I don’t understand this… and I don’t like this…, but you understand it, so I place my trust in You and I know that with You I am safe.”

What would happen to your fear if you knew with certainty God was guiding everything for the best and there was no ultimate danger? Your fear would leave and your anxiety and pain would fade. You would be at peace. 

Three

Oftentimes, atheism is a protest against the suffering and injustices of the world and of world history.

Atheists say, “Evil, suffering, and injustice are proof that God does not exist. If God did exist and He was good, then he would stop all of this suffering.”

Okay then, let’s say there is no God. Now what are you going to do? Suffering and injustice still exist. Now what? To protest against God in the name of justice is not helpful. And a world which must create its own justice without God is a world without hope. Because on our own we can’t create perfect justice and we won’t. Isn’t that obvious by looking around? Only God can create the perfect Justice we long for. And He will create it in the Last Judgment. 

At the Last Judgment, we will see just how God worked everything so that everyone received perfect justice and mercy.

Pope Benedict wrote, “The innocent sufferer has attained the certitude of hope: there is a God, and God can create justice in a way that we cannot conceive, yet we can begin to grasp it through faith. Yes, there is a resurrection of the flesh. There is justice. There is an “undoing” of past suffering, a reparation that sets things aright.” Spe Salvi 43

That is what we place our hope in! 

Four

Now, God can’t change the past, He can’t make what has happened not to have happened. That would be a denial of human freedom.

However, throughout the lives of all people, God is guiding everything to make sure we all receive what we need to be fulfilled, complete, and happy – even if we do not become aware of it until heaven.

Some people can ruin that process in themselves by sin and impenitence. In the end, however, the injustices we experienced in this life will be repaired and restored in such a way that God was guiding all things toward our supreme fulfillment in heaven. He was winning in us and for us all along.

Hope says, “It will turn out well for me, for my family, for mankind.” So, I choose to live in this reality. Despair says, “It will turn out badly,”

Both he who hopes and he who despairs makes a choice. Despair is a decision against Christ, “He will not come through for me in the end.” Hope is a decision for Christ, “I place my bet on Him, that He is winning in my life right now.”

Five

Hope is the confidence in God that says, “Everything will turn out well for me, for my family, for mankind.”

Fear comes when we think we are in danger. The Last Judgment will reveal that we had nothing to fear. The Last Judgment will definitively reveal that every danger was guided by God’s Providence, all loss restored, and every injustice repaired.  

During this life, we are like the Apostles when they were in the boat when the storm struck and they thought they were in danger and they panicked. They didn’t need to panic. Jesus was in the boat with them the whole time. He had everything under control. Then Jesus arose, calmed the storm, and brought them safely to shore. 

That is what it will be like at the Last Judgement. Then we will realize Who was in the boat with us the whole time and we will wonder why were so panicked our whole life. 

Jesus is in your boat. He ultimately controls the danger, repairs, and restores all loss. You are safe...We are safe. Relax…let go…surrender to Jesus, let His will carry you, for in His will is your peace.