ESCHATOLOGY

• the rich man and lazarus

  • by being selfish to Lazarus, the rich man ends up in hell: you are judged by how you treat others

  • a person cannot move between heaven or hell- they are eternal: judgement based on lifetime actions is final

  • to get into heaven, you must listen to the scriptures- there to instruct and warn you

  • story shows that hell is a place of torment

  • shows that people in hell are aware of heaven's happiness, increasing their suffering
• cosmic reconciliation

  1. god created the universe through son: in harmony; humans have free will in their relationship with god
  2. sin breaks human's relationship with god: whole creation is out of balance
  3. jesus destroys the power of sin and death through his resurrection: restores harmony of world and reconciles humans and creation to God
  4. at the end of time, the whole of creation will be fully restored: everything is perfect and the cosmos is fully reconciled with god
• how to prepare for end of time?

  • live life of christ's values

  • live in the hope that christ will come in glory as judge and saviour at end of time

  • freely choose to accept god with your free will (no one is predestined to go to heaven/hell; people determine for themselves what happens after death by their choices made in their lifetimes.)

  • follow jesus' teachings

  • perform good deeds
• what does the catechism 1037 teach?

  • people make choices within the actions made in their lifetime (including the commitment of moral sins); if they refuse to admit and apologise for these types of actions that they committed, the person themselves rejects god's love

  • god loves each person, giving them free will. God honors these wishes and, therefore cannot force people to accept him (so they can experience eternal happiness in heaven). So, he also respects the wishes of those who reject him.
• three parts of the church

  church glorious: faithful in Heaven- they enjoy eternal happiness

  church suffering: souls of the faithful in purgatory- they are being purified

  church militant: people on Earth- they struggle against temptations of sin and evil

  these are all dependent on each other:

  • church suffering is dependent on church militant for help in their purification; church suffering prays for the needs of the living in church militant

  • church militant prays for souls being purified in purgatory (church suffering). They pray to God with assistance of faithful in church glorious.
• last rites

  • person holds crucifix: reminder of sharing in christ's death

  • repetition of promises made at baptism: reminder of faith in god; gives confidence in hope to experience god's love in heaven

  • bible readings and prayers said (incl Litany of the Saints): reading assures god is with them; litany of the saints asks saints for prayers as dying faces judgement

  • receive last communion: shows christ is with person on their journey from death to new life

  • "may you live in peace this day.": expresses hope that person gets eternal peace and happiness with god in heaven
• anointing of the sick

  • priest sprinkles holy water: reminder of baptism

  • laying of hands, call down power and strength of HS: holy spirit fills them with sense of peace and strength to resist temptation to sin; gives courage to overcome despair of illness

  • anointing with oil of the sick: asks god to help them; gives hope of new life (restoration to full health or promise of eternal happiness with god)

  • confess sins: gives clear conscience for future; helps feel positive

  • communion is given: shows christ is present, supporting them through illness
• funeral rite, p1, reception of body

  • body taken to church in coffin: represents deceased taken back to god

  • coffin is sprinkled with holy water: reminder of baptism; represents how person was baptised into christ's death, now joining in christ's resurrection

  • coffin placed beside paschal candle: shows light of risen christ is shining; symbol of resurrection

  • coffin brought in front of altar: symbol of christ's sacrifice- we unite person with christ's death to participate in his resurrection.

  • vigil: time to pray in presence of coffin- prayers for soul to be in heaven with god
• funeral rite, p2, funeral mass

  • requiem mass is held: centered around praying for deceased to rest in peace in presence of god in heaven, with sins forgiven

  • readings are based on resurrection: reflects belief that christ's death and resurrection made life after death possible, opening up heaven to those who accept god
• funeral rite, p3, commital and burial/cremation

  • coffin is sprinkled with holy water: reminder of baptism

  • priest blesses coffin with incense: rising smoke represents soul and prayers of deceased being offered up to god

  • prayer 'in paradise' is said: expresses hope that deceased spends eternity in heaven

  • prayer is said for mourners: reflects hope that they meet deceased again in heaven

  • lord's prayer is said at burial and cremation: reflects belief that deceased was a child of god, now returned to his loving care.
• end of time

  • signaled by cosmic disasters (e.g. sun darkening, stars falling)

  • son of man judges whole of creation in the 2nd coming of christ

  • end of current world order to lead to creation of new one

  • reign of god is established
• resurrection

  • teaches that life continues after death, in the presence of god: gives hope for future, shows god can defeat death

  • early Christians thought the world would end shortly- all were resurrected, all would be taken up in presence of god

  • current Christians live in the life of the resurrection- following teachings, resisting temptation to sin, allowing the holy spirit to guide them into the living values and standards of jesus (to prepare for final judgement)
• 1 corinthians 15

  st paul compares the relationship between the earthly body and the resurrected body to one of a seed and the plant that grows from it

  • in the future, we will gain a resurrection body
• john 14: 2-3

  jesus promises that he will take the faithful to heaven
• the four last things, death

  • transition to a new phase of life- the start of eternal life, without limitations of the earthly body

  • death of body, not soul (passes beyond veil of death to meet god to wait for the end of time): it continues to live on; at final judgment, the body and soul is reunited in a perfect form
• the four last things, judgement

  • judged by god, who considers all that is done during the person's lifetime

  • moment of truth to accept responsibility for actions (in answering to an omniscient god); person also judges themselves in light of his love

  • merciful- jesus died so all could be saved
• the four last things, heaven

  • in favourable judgement

  • state of eternal happiness, in the presence of god

  • god's love removes all worries

  • up to person to choose to accept god to enter heaven (according to free will)

  • images of clouds and angels playing harps captures heaven's beauty and absorption in the love and praise of god

  • a reward for those who lived by god's love and guidance
• the four last things, hell

  • in unfavourable judgement

  • state of eternal separation from god

  • people send themselves by not accepting god

  • people exist in a state of frustration and anger at themselves (represented by an image of eternal burning)- they chose to live for all eternity without god in their lives
• purgatory

  • state of cleansing to remove effects of sin: helps person accept full presence of god; feel happy

  • gives sense of hope- all souls there eventually reach heaven

  • is painful

  • considered as sign of god's love: when people are judged before god's love, they become overwhelmed and ashamed by their poor response to his love throughout their lives (conscious of committed sins). Purgatory is a chance to make things better

  • the support in prayers of people on earth makes the painful process quicker

  • protestants don't believe there is enough evidence of purgatory in the bible
• particular judgement

  • judgement, by god, on a personal basis

  • response from person determines if they go to heaven, hell or purgatory

  • happen immediately
• final judgement

  • judgement, at the end of time, of the whole creation by christ's 2nd coming in glory

  • leads to reign of god being established

  • leads to completion of new creation

  • everything is made perfect

  • all those who accepted god join him in glory forever
• different beliefs about the afterlife

  • the moment of judgement after death Is decisive; there is no belief in purgatory

  • the 2nd coming of christ will call for a once-for-all judgement (people await in their graves for this)
• "catholics should belive that all people should be saved.", agree

  • Jesus' sacrifice on cross has power to forgive to save all people, taking punishment for all sins

  • if god is all-loving, how could he condemn anyone to eternity in hell?

  • st paul: Jesus returns 'all things' to Father

  • Julian of norwich: 'all shall be well'- when jesus restores the cosmos to god, all will be saved
• "catholics should believe that all people should be saved.", disagree

  • "a great chasm has been fixed."

  • the parable of the rich man and Lazarus: a person cannot move between heaven and hell

  • the parable of the sheep and goats- the goats were sent to hell after judgement

  • all people being saved is not just; some deserve punishment
• "catholics shouldn't fear death."

  agree:

  • belief in promise of eternal life

  • resurrection of Jesus restores human beings

  disagrees:

  • death is painful (e.g jesus prays to not suffer out of fear for his death, in the garden of Gethsemane)

  • judgment is worrying
• tombstone, memorial expression

  • indicates location: so it can be treated with respect

  • inscribed with RIP: prayer expressing hope for heaven, enjoying peace and happiness of eternal life

  • shaped like cross: indicates belief in jesus; gives hope to be resurrected with Jesus in eternal life

  •has an angel carving: reflects belief in guardian angel- will present them to god, asking for a merciful judgement
• monument, memorial expression

  • wealthy are buried in sarcophagi, with a chi-rho symbol: shows belief in jesus; reminder of Jesus' death for people to experience eternal life in heaven

  • decorated with skeletons and other symbols of decay: reflects belief that no matter the importance, one faces death and judgement
• remembrance gardens, memorial expression

  • designed to be places of peace and beauty: helps mourners reflect on peace and beauty of heaven (where dead hopefully reside)

  • are quiet, reflective places: helps to mourn in peace
• features of the pascal candle

  • light: represents risen christ

  • 5 grains of incense: represents 5 wounds of Jesus, from his crucifixion

  • alpha and omega symbols: Jesus is eternal
• events of the easter vigil

  1. priest lights fire at sundown: symbolises light of Christ rising from tomb. The fire breaks the darkness, like how Jesus' resurrection destroys the power of sin and death
  2. priest traces alpha and omega symbols
  3. priest inserts incense grains
  4. priest lights pascal candle: represents light of Christ coming into the world, which will overcome the dark power of sin and death
  5. the priest lights the congregation's candles: means that all believers can share in the risen glory of Jesus
• easter vigil importance

  easter is considered the 'feast of feasts'.

  Easter celebrates the resurrection (the complete defeat of sin and death, which gives us hope for eternal life).
• when is the pascal candle lit?

  • easter vigil
  • baptism: shows the person is filled with the light of christ
  • funerals: shows the deceased person joins christ in the afterlife
• the last judgement, Michaelangelo: left side

  • represents heaven
  • people rise from graves: like how all will be raised for judgment on the last day
  • purgatory: is on heaven's side because all souls there eventually reach heaven
  • saints with tools used to kill them (e.g. St Catherine with wheel of torture): depicted with perfect bodies, reflecting belief that we get a resurrection body, made perfect. It also shows that those who stick to their faith are rewarded with this, even through persecution.
• the last judgement, Michaelangelo: middle

  • shows Jesus

  • Jesus is in the centre: emphasises his importance

  • painted with muscles: indicates strength- as victor, he has power over sin and death

  • shows wounds from crucifixion: shows how Jesus came to glory through obedience and suffering, experienced in crucifixion

  • Christ's right hand is raised: refers to Jesus promising that good is on the right and the wicked go to the left (reference to parable of the sheep and the goats)

  •  everyone, except jesus, is naked: shows that all are equal before God in the last judgement
• the last judgement, Michaelangelo: right

  • represents Hell
  • people move towards here in despair
  • painted as a dark place: reflects idea that the light of Christ won't reach them as they rejected it and God
• the last judgement, Michaelangelo: bottom

  • shows 7 angels blowing trumpets: reference to the Book of Revelation's heralding of the end of the world and Christ's judgement

  • One angel holds a big book (Hell) and a small book (Heaven), which references Jesus' teaching that no one should be complacent and assume Heaven. It's a warning for people to fix their behavior, warning that more people will be damned than saved.
• care for dying

  human life is holy and sacred- it was created by God

  therefore...

  • all life should be respected and valued
  • all life belongs to God; intentionally damaging a human life is rejecting a gift from God
  • people must give the ill all the care and support they need; to maintain their dignity until they die
• euthanasia: agree

  • fundamental right to choose when you die
  • the most loving thing to allow someone to end their suffering
  • dignified death: want to choose time of death, while still having dignity
  • euthanasia is a comfortable and safe death (it is planned, loved ones are near); suicide is psychologically dangerous
  • some say autonomy is more important than the sanctity of life
• euthanasia: disagree

  • considered murder (it is morally unacceptable)
  • goes against one of the 10 commandments- 'thou shall not kill'
  • suffering is honored as a way to share in the suffering of Jesus on the cross
  • only God has the right to take away life- he created it
  • sanctity of life: all life should be respected and valued
• julian of norwich

  'all shall be well'- reference to cosmic reconciliation. In the love of Jesus, all things will be brought back together to be perfect at the end of time