Christ Will Judge the Living and the Dead

At death, we must give an account for our lives.  We will be destined for heaven or hell.  For many people, entry into heaven will happen after purification in purgatory.

At Christ’s return, everyone will be judged in public on their practice of charity.  Then they will enter into eternal joy or eternal misery.

(Plain Text Version)

Christ Will Judge the Living and the Dead

Will There Be a Judgement?

Because God is all-just, we are subject to judgment.  Justice is a principle which all of us understand.  From early childhood, we learn to respect the rights of others with simple things like taking turns with toys.  Throughout our lives, we look at situations and say: “This is fair” or “This is unfair.”  If we look deeper, we can see that justice is not a human invention.  It is one of God’s perfections.  Out of His generosity, God shares this perfection with us to guide our lives.

Many people say that we no longer exist after death or that everyone will go to heaven.  These ideas are an attempt to escape the account which we will have to make for our lives.  It would be unjust for good works to go unrewarded and bad works to go unpunished.

The Particular (or Individual) Judgement

Throughout our life, we are shaped by our thoughts, words, actions, and inactions.  At the moment of death, we go before God exactly as we are.  Those who are perfect in their love of God and neighbor will be welcomed into the joy of heaven.  There will be many more who failed to love God and neighbor wholeheartedly.  They will go to purgatory where they will be perfected.  Those who have seriously offended God and neighbor without repenting will go to hell. 

The General (or Last) Judgement

At the end of time, our bodies and souls will be reunited forever.  Everyone who ever lived will be gathered before Christ for judgement.  Our faithfulness to Christ is demonstrated by the way we care for the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick and the imprisoned.  This will be revealed before all.  Those who practiced charity will be gathered into heaven.  Those who didn’t practice charity will be taken from God’s presence and be cast into hell.  (See Matthew: 25: 31-46)

Everlasting Life

The General Judgement marks the end of life as we knew it and the beginning of a life which will never end.  Since our bodies will be alive again, our experience of heaven or hell will not be merely spiritual, but bodily as well.    

Let’s Keep Praying the Rosary for Ukraine!