St. John Vianney Catholic Church

Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults

A Journey of Faith

RCIA Week 19

Life After Death - The Final Things (Heaven, Hell, Purgatory, Last Judgment)

CCC 1051: “Every man receives his eternal recompense in his immortal soul from the moment of his death in a particular judgment by Christ, the judge of the living and the dead.”

CCC 1052-1053: "We believe that the souls of all who die in Christ's grace . . . are the People of God beyond death. On the day of resurrection, death will be definitively conquered, when these souls will be reunited with their bodies…..where in eternal blessedness they see God as he is….”

CCC 1054: “Those who die in God's grace and friendship imperfectly purified, although they are assured of their eternal salvation, undergo a purification after death, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of God.”

CCC 1056-1057: “Following the example of Christ, the Church warns the faithful of the "sad and lamentable reality of eternal death" (GCD 69), also called "hell." Hell's principal punishment consists of eternal separation from God in whom alone man can have the life and happiness for which he was created and for which he longs.”

CCC 1059-1060: “The holy Roman Church firmly believes and confesses that on the Day of Judgment all men will appear in their own bodies before Christ's tribunal to render an account of their own deeds…."

MEDITATION: God wants us all to be with Him in Heaven. So why do some people not end up there?

“If the Saints were asked: “Why are you in Heaven?” they would answer: “For having listened to the Holy Spirit.”

-- St. John Vianney

NEXT WEEK: The Sacrament of Baptism