Eschatology

• Paschal Candle


  An artefact of the Resurrection
• Paschal Candle


  1. First lit at the Easter Vigil

  2. Lit during the rest of Eastertide (50 days between Easter Sunday and Pentecost)
• Paschal Candle


  • Reminds Christians of the light of Christ coming into the world, overcoming the darkness of sin and death and that all believers share in the risen glory of Christ
  • Lit at baptisms to show the person has been filled with the light of Christ
  • Lit at funerals to show the deceased person has joined Christ in the resurrected life
• The Last Judgement


  • Christ is the central figure emphasising his importance as the judge
  • The wounds of his crucifixion are visible showing the suffering Jesus endured so we could have eternal life
  • Mary is not praying/pleading on behalf of the sins of humanity which shows her acceptance of Christ's judgment
  • All of the saints are shown as having perfect bodies reflecting the belief that in the resurrection all will be renewed
  • All those who stand by Jesus will be saved
• The Last Judgement painting

  Reflects the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats
• Jesus promises in the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats


  • The good will be on his right and those on the right will go to Heaven
  • The wicked will be on his left
• Those on the left side of Jesus in the painting

  Are moving downwards 'towards Hell' which is shown as a gaping hole
• Originally everyone in the painting, except Jesus and Mary, was naked showing that everyone is equal before God
• Tombstones


  • A large covered stone placed over a grave
  • Often inscribed with R.I.P (Rest In Peace) expressing hope the person is enjoying the peace of heaven
  • Often shaped like a cross expressing the hope they will be resurrected with Jesus to eternal life
  • Sometimes have an angel carved on them reflecting belief that all have a guardian angel who is present when God judges
• Monuments


  • A structure built to remember an important person or event
  • In the past, people were buried in sarcophagi decorated with the Chi-Rho symbol as a reminder of the belief that Jesus died so everyone would experience eternal life
  • In the Middle Ages, monuments were decorated with skeletons/symbols of decay reflecting belief that wealth/power is not important after death as we are all equal when judged
• Remembrance gardens


  • An outside area where the ashes of people have been cremated are kept
  • Designed to be peaceful and beautiful reflecting the peace and beauty of heaven
  • Quiet, reflective spaces help people to mourn their loved ones and feel close to them
• Eschatology


  The study of what will happen at the end of time
• The Bible suggests that the end of time will be signalled by cosmic disasters (large, frightening events)
• The Son of Man (Jesus) will come again to judge the whole of creation
• The end of the current world order will lead to the restoration of the creation
• The Kingdom of God will be established
• Resurrection of the Body

  • What is sown is perishable, what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonour, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power.
  • It is sown a physical body, it is raised a spiritual body.
  • The earthly body will die and decay but the resurrected body will not die and it will be perfect and without sin.
  • The heavenly body is not limited by physical barriers but is present and touchable like Jesus' resurrected body.
• Death


  • Death is a transition to a new phase of life
  • Not something to fear because it is the start of eternal life
  • The body decays, while the soul goes to meet God
• Judgement


  • After we die we are judged by God based on our decisions during our lives
  • Moment of truth where we cannot hide anything from God. Have to accept responsibility
  • God's judgement is merciful
• Heaven


  • If people are judged favourably, they will go to heaven
  • Heaven is a state of eternal happiness in the presence of God
  • God's love removes all cares and worries
  • God wants all people to join him in heaven but also respects people's free will
• Hell


  • If people are judged unfavourably, they will enter hell
  • Hell is the state of eternal separation from God
  • God doesn't send them to hell; people send themselves to hell
• Particular Judgement


  • Happens immediately after death
  • Judged on a personal basis
  • Results in heaven, hell or purgatory
• Final Judgement


  • Happens at the end of time
  • Christ will return in glory and judge the whole of creation
  • Kingdom of God will be established
  • Those judged favourably will stay with God for eternity
• Some Christians believe that judgement doesn't happen immediately after death. They believe that all people wait in their graves for the second coming of Christ when all will be judged.
• Purgatory


  • Catholics believe that in the presence and overwhelming love of God, people feel ashamed of their sins
  • They still want to make up for the things that they have done wrong
  • This is a cleansing process which removes the effects of sin
  • This process allows a person to be purified/cleansed so they can enter heaven
  • The process can be quickened by the prayers of the living
• Many Christians do not believe in purgatory. They believe that after judgement, people will either go to heaven or go to hell.
• Symbols


  • The light of the candle represents the Risen Christ
  • The year is a reminder that God is present here and now
  • The five pins/grains of incense represents the wounds Jesus received while on the cross
  • The cross is a reminder of Jesus' sacrifice to save us from sin
  • The Alpha and Omega shows the Son of God is eternal
• Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus

  • The parable tells the story of a rich man who had everything he wanted in life and was very wealthy. But he never gave any food, money or assistance to the poor, homeless man called Lazarus who lay at the gates to his house. When both men died, the rich man went to hell and Lazarus went to heaven. In hell, the rich man calls out to Abraham and Lazarus in heaven asking Abraham to send someone to earth to warn his brothers.
  • Wealth can make it easier for us to forget the needs of others
  • People in hell are conscious and aware of those in heaven, making their suffering worse
  • It is not possible to move between heaven and hell
  • Having faith in God and following the teachings of Jesus will lead people to heaven
• Cosmic Reconciliation


  • The belief that at the end of time the whole creation will be brought together in harmony with God
  • God created all things to be perfect and in harmony
  • Disobedience of humans brought sin and evil in to the world. Sin broke the harmony of God's creation
  • The Son of God, as Jesus, was able to destroy the power of sin and death. Jesus' death and resurrection helped restore harmony to the world
  • The whole creation will be fully restored at the end of time when the cosmic order is restored
  • Sin is a necessary consequence of free will and hell is a necessary consequence of sin. But sin will be defeated and all things made perfect at the end of time
• Julian of Norwich


  "It was necessary that there should be sin; but all shall be well"
• Second Vatican Council Teachings on Eschatology


  • Christ will come as the judge and saviour at the end of time so Catholics should live in hope and preparation for judgement
  • People should be constantly preparing for the end of time/be ready as we do not know when this will happen
  • Catholics believe they should stay faithful and allow themselves to be empowered by the Holy Spirit to live by the same standards and values as Christ did
  • Perform good deeds sharing the love of God with others through evangelism and mission
  • Do not commit mortal sins as these are the most serious sins which totally destroy a person's relationship with God
  • Confess sins when we do commit them and be truly sorry seeking the Sacrament of Reconciliation puts a person in a state of grace allowing them to be judged favourable and go to purgatory and ultimately Heaven after death
• The Last Rites


  • Prayers and actions that prepare a dying person for death
  • Anointing of the sick - Sick person is sprinkled with water (reminder of baptism), priest lays on hands and calls down Holy Spirit, sick person is anointed with blessed oil on head and hands (gives hope of new life), sick person confesses their sins (can face future with a clear conscience), sick person receives the Eucharist (Christ is present with the person, supporting them and giving them strength)
  • Commendation of the Dying - Dying person holds a crucifix (reminder they are sharing in Christ's death), dying person repeats promises made at baptism (reminder of faith in God), Bible readings/prayers including a litany (assures them God is with them), dying person receives the Viaticum (final Communion) (shows Christ is with the person on their journey from death to new life), at the moment of death, a prayer might be said (expresses hope that the person will experience eternal peace and happiness in heaven)
• The Funeral Rite


  • Reception of the Body - Body in the coffin taken to church (represents deceased person being taken back to God), coffin sprinkled with water (reminder of baptism), coffin placed beside lit Paschal candle (shows the light of the Risen Christ is shining on the person)
  • Funeral Mass - Mass is said (the mass is centred around the deceased person now resting in heaven with God), readings of Mass focus on Christ's resurrection (reflects the belief that the resurrection made life after death possible)
  • Committal and Burial/Cremation - Holy water sprinkled on coffin (reminder of baptism), smoke from incense waved over coffin (reminder that the person is returning to God), coffin blessed (expresses hope that they will spend eternity in heaven), prayer said for mourners (expresses hope they will meet the deceased person in heaven), Lord's prayer is said at burial/cremation and more prayers said for the person's eternal happiness with God (reflects the deceased person is a child of God and hopefully now in his loving care)
• Euthanasia


  • Ending someone's life painlessly, with compassion, because they are suffering
  • The Catholic Church is against euthanasia because all life is holy/sacred and has been created by God so should be respected/valued, all life belongs to God so only God has the right to take life away, it lowers the value and dignity of life/makes people feel like a burden, suffering is a way to share in the suffering of Christ and part of being human, it is considered to be murder and goes against the 10 Commandments
  • However, the Church does not believe a person's life should be deliberately prolonged by treatments that have no real benefit to the dying person
  • Catholics support hospices and palliative care (end of life care which keeps a patient comfortable at the end of their life)