Christian Eschatology

 18. Christian Eschatology: essential doctrinal elements (death, judgment, purification, paradise, perdition).

Introduction:The kingdom of God, which has been begun by God Himself on earth, and which is to be further extended until it is brought to perfection by Him at the end of time(Col 3:4). The Church receives the mission to proclaim and to spread among all peoples the kingdom of Christ and to be, on earth, the initial budding forth of that kingdom (LG 5). In the word, in the works, and in the presence of Christ, this kingdom was clearly open to the view of men (Mk 1: 15, Mt 4:17) so those who hear the word with faith and become part of the little flock of Christ have received the kingdom itself.

Christian Eschatology: Eschatology is that area of theology which is directly concerned with the “study of the last thing(s)” (i.e., The Kingdom of God; the “last thing”).

The “last thing” is God or, more precisely, the final manifestation of the reconciling, renewing, and unifying love of God.

The “last things” are various moments or stages in the final manifestation process: death, particular judgment, heaven, hell, purgatory, Second Coming of Christ, resurrection of the body, general judgment, consummation of all things in the perfection of the Kingdom ofGod (the “last things”).

So comprehensive is eschatology’s scope that some theologians have argued that all theology begins and ends with eschatology (J. Moltmann) (1101). At the very least, eschatology provides a wider context for the discussion of every other theological question, for eschatology is about the Kingdom (or “reign”) of God, i.e., the redemptive presence of God actualized through the power of God’s reconciling Spirit (and all theology is literally the “study of God”). Christian Eschatology is the doctrine of the last things. What are the last things? The last things are somehow linked with the first things, the beginning, and both at the end and the beginning we find, according to Christian faith, God and the world (Gen 1:1-25; 2:1-6) and the human beings – male and female (1:26-31; 2:7-25) created by Him. It is a world where there is harmony between God, human beings and the world.

Then the Book of Genesis narrates the so-called Fall, a sort of explanation in an symbolic and allusive language of the ambiguity of human experience. Where does come evil come from? Not from God, who created everything good (Gen 1:25) and very good (1:31). Evil comes from the Enemy of human beings (3:1) and from the abuse of human freedom, because being human, created “in the image and likeness” of God (1:26), means being free.

Eschatology: (The Kingdom of God in the Catechism of the Catholic Church : God has anointed him with Holy Spirit and with power, and because God was with him, Jesus went about doing good and curing all who had fallen into the power of the devil’ (Acts. 10:38, CCC 436,453).

Jesus public life: The kingdom of God is at hand now the father’s will is to “raise” up men to share in his own life, This gathering is Church, “on earth the seed and the beginning of that kingdom, (LG 5, CCC, 541,567).

Jesus invites sinners to the table of the kingdom: I came to call not the upright but the sinners,(Mt 2:27). Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners (I Tim 1:15). He invites them to conversion ( Mt 26: 28, CCC 545). The signs of the kingdom of God (CCC 547-549). The coming of God’s kingdom means the defeat of Satan’s ( CCC 550).

The Keys of the kingdom : He gives the twelve a share in his authority and send them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal, (Lk. 9: 2, CCC 551).

A fare taste of the kingdom : The Transfiguration Christ’s transfiguration aims at strengthening the apostles faith in anticipation of his passion, (Lk 9: 45, CCC 554-556). The seed and the beginning of the kingdom are the “little flock, of those whom Jesus came to gather around him, the flock whose shepherd he is, (Mt. 12: 46-49, CCC 764).

Essential doctrinal elements ((death, judgment, purification, paradise, perdition).

What is dead? Death is one of life's greatest mysteries. Death is a fearful, often traumatic event. Sometimes it is preceded by suffering, the result of the infirmities of age, disease or injury. Often death is shocking and unexpected. Family and friends suffer the pain of loss. The Scriptures refer to death as "the last enemy" to be conquered (1 Corinthians 15:26) and note mankind's innate fear of death (Hebrews 2:15). Death remains one of life's greatest mysteries. Our lives are physical; we age and eventually die. Like Adam and Eve, we eventually return to dust. Solomon made an elegantly simple but profound observation when he wrote that there is "a time to be born, and a time to die" (Ecclesiastes 3:2). Look around the world at the example of nature. All living processes eventually break down and cease, then the physical remains begin to decay

Death is a question and mystery: Indeed, death is a grand mystery. Throughout time, every major religion, philosophy, and spiritual train of thought has sought to explain this mystery. It is a subject that touches the life of every man and woman, uniting the entire human race under a cloud of inevitable mortality. The rich and the poor alike meet the same end; the black and the white both go to the grave; the powerful and the humble all leave this planet eventually.

What happens to the dead according to Old Testament? Old Testament.Because of the ancient Hebrew concept of the human person as an animated body rather than as an incarnated spirit, death was perceived as a state in which the spirit had departed from the body. The deceased continued to exist in Sheol, but completely shorn of their human powers (Ps 6:6; 30:10; 88:11; 115:17; Isa 38:11,18). Death is the natural end of the human person, but it is consequence of sin (Gen 2-3). On occasion, there is an expression of hope that death is not terminal (cf. Ps 16:10; 49:16; 73:23-28). Only gradually, however, did this subordinate line of thought emerge as a more dominant force in the Israelite theology  of death. Thus, there is no trace of a clear belief in the resurrection of the dead before the second century B.C, in Daniel (12:2) (1135).The Hebrew Scriptures, commonly called the Old Testament, teach that, upon death, the soul ceases to exist. It does not live on in some other condition. It does not transmigrate into another form. It is not reincarnated into another creature. It simply dies. Superstitions and assumptions, all kinds of beliefs, abound about the state of the dead. Of course, many religious groups teach that at death one goes immediately to his reward or punishment. But the reality of what happens after death is quite different. The Bible simply does not speak of the dead going to and living forever in a place or condition of "heaven" or "hell."

What does the New Testament say? New Testament.The New Testament is explicit and unequivocal about the origin of death:it is consequence of sin and a punishment for it (Rom 5:12-14). Likewise in 1 Cor 15:22, Paul asserts that we all die in Adam, but rise to life in Christ. Indeed, Jesus overcame death by his own death (15:25-26). The Christian experiences Jesus’ victory over death by sharing in his death (Rom 6:2-11). To die with Christ is to live with him (6:8). We overcome death by being baptized into Christ (6:4) and by partaking of the Eucharist (Jo 6:50-51). The apostle James understood the temporary nature of life. He compared life with a mist: You do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away" (James 4:14). Another epistle also discusses this subject, stating that "it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment" (Hebrews 9:27).

 

 

 

Death about Catechism of the Catholic Church

1006 "It is in regard to death that man's condition is most shrouded in doubt."⁵⁶⁵ In a sensebodilydeath is natural, but for faith it is in fact "the wages of sin."⁵⁶⁶ For those who die in Christ's grace it is a participation in the death of the Lord, so that they can also share his Resurrection.⁵⁶⁷

1007Death is the end of earthlylife. Our lives are measured by time, in the course of which we change, growold and, as with all livingbeings on earth, death seems like the normal end of life. That aspect of deathlendsurgency to our lives: remembering our mortalityhelps us realize that we have only a limitedtime in which to bring our lives to fulfillment: Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, . . . before the dustreturns to the earth as it was, and the spiritreturns to God who gave it.⁵⁶⁸

1008Death is a consequence of sin. the Church's Magisterium, as authenticinterpreter of the affirmations of Scripture and Tradition, teaches that deathentered the world on account of man's sin.⁵⁶⁹

1009Death is transformed by Christ. Jesus, the Son of God, also himself suffered the death that is part of the humancondition. Yet, despite his anguish as he faceddeath, he accepted it in an act of complete and freesubmission to his Father's will.⁵⁷² The obedience of Jesus has transformed the curse of death into a blessing.⁵⁷³

The meaning of Christiandeath

1010Because of Christ, Christiandeath has a positivemeaning: "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain."⁵⁷⁴ "

1011In death, Godcallsman to himself. Therefore the Christian can experience a desire for death like St. Paul's: "My desire is to depart and be with Christ. "⁵⁷⁷ He can transform his own death into an act of obedience and love towards the Father, after the example of Christ:⁵⁷⁸

1012The Christianvision of deathreceivesprivilegedexpression in the liturgy of the Church:⁵⁸²

1013Death is the end of man's earthlypilgrimage, of the time of grace and mercy which Godoffers him so as to work out his earthlylife in keeping with the divineplan, and to decide his ultimatedestiny. When "the singlecourse of our earthlylife" is completed,⁵⁸⁴

1014 The Churchencourages us to prepare ourselves for the hour of our death. In the litany of the saints, for instance, she has us pray: "From a sudden and unforeseendeath, deliver us, OLord";⁵⁸⁶

Second Vatican Council (1965): “It is in the face of death that the riddle of human existence becomes most acute” (GS, n. 18). We have been “created by God for a blissful purpose beyond the reach of earthly misery.” We are all called to an “endless sharing of the divine life beyond all corruption,” and this was won for us by the death and resurrection of Christ. “Through Christ and in Christ, the riddles of sorrow and death grow meaningful. Apart from his gospel, they overwelm us” (n. 22).

Judgment

Introduction: God is judge of all men is found throughout Scripture. Judgment is sometimes manifested in this life, but when the belief in an afterlife appears, God is seen primarily as final judge. This called the last Judgment" Jesus will come in glory on judgment day at the end of the world. He comes at the end of the time to judge the living and the dead. "The glorious Christ will reveal the secret disposition of hears and will render to each man according to his acceptance or refusal of grace.

The Eschatological Judgment: God will distinguish between the just and the sinful during His judgment."God's judgments will not be directed solely toward Israel; all peoples are subject to them, as is seen in Amos' strictly judicial style (Am 1:3-2:3). " Jeremiahdepicts the broad outlines of this judgment of the nations (Jr 25:30-38). "God is going to judge the world by fire (Is 66:6). He will assemble thenations in the valley of Jehoshaphat ("God-Judge"); this will be the time of theeschatological harvest and vintage (Jl 4: 12ff). This judgment which will put aclose to time and open the eternal reign of the Son of Man (Dn 7:9-I2:26)

The concept of the Last Judgment: In general we can say that the last judgment has referred to that time in the future when God or some divinely authorized agent would intervene in history, condemning the Unrighteous and vindicating the faithful and obedient.

The Meaning of the Last Judgment:Sopet is the Hebrew word which means ‘Judge’. Sopet is used with reference to both God and human beings. Yahweh has the authority to appoint and depose a sopet "judge" (Ps. 82:l-8). God is a judge, He is called a judge because He is the supreme arbiter pronouncing sentence on man (Gen 18:25). He is the judge of all the earth (Ps 94:2). Jesus judges the whole world (2 Tim 4:1). At the end of the world, He will come to judge the dead and the living persons. The last judgment is a non biblical term commonly meaning the future trial of nations or individuals before God or the Son of Man that is Christ, e.g. Matt. 25:31-46. Actually it is found mainly in the NT referring to the time when God or His Messiah, is to punish the wicked and redeem the righteous. It is also called "the day of judgment". Jesus remarks “He who rejects.... Has a judge on the last day" (Jn. 12:48). The Church believed in God's final judgment of all men, living and dead (Heb. 9:27; 1Jn. 4:17; Jude 6).

New Testament Usages: In the NT, the last judgment is generally associated with the future comingor Parousia of the Son of Man, the resurrection of the dead, and entrance intothe kingdom of God.

Scholastic Theology and St. Thomas Aquinas: St. Thomas Aquinas says that there is a twofold judgment. One judgmentis regarding the soul, in which, separately and one by one, punishment or rewardis determined. The other is common. And it will be regarding the soul and body.It will be determined for all at the same time. So, he says a judgment of courseought to be proportional to the matters judged. And because the last judgmentwill be about the reward or punishment of visible bodies, it is suitable that it becarried on visibly. Hence, also, Christ will carry out that judgment in the form all humanity which all may be able to see, both the good and the wicked . . . The judgment of the soul of course, since it is about invisible things, is carried oninvisibly. He also says that Christ has the authoritative act of judging in that lastjudgment, nonetheless at the same time those who adhered to Him more thanothers will judge with Him - sitting with the judge, as it were.”

Catechism of the Catholic Church

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches, "The resurrection of all thedead, 'of both the just and unjust' will precede the Last Judgment. This will bethe hour when all who are in the tombs will hear the Son of man's voice andcome forth, those who have good, to the resurrection of life and those who havedone evil, to the resurrection of judgment. Then Christ will come 'in his glory'and all the angels with him... Before him will be gathered all the nations' and hewill separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from thegoats, and he will place the sheep at his righthand, but the goats at the left.

And they will go away into eternal punishment' but the righteous into eternallife'. In the presence of Christ, who is Truth itself, the truth of each man's relationship with God will be laid bare. The last Judgment will reveal even to itsfurthest consequences the good each person has done or failed do during his earthly life. . . The last Judgment will come when Christ returns in glory' onlytheFatherknowsthedayandthehour,onlyhedeterminesthemoment tofitscoming. Then through his son Jesus Christ he will pronounce the final word on all history. We shall know the ultimate meaning of the whole work of creationand of the entire economy of salvation, and understand the marvelous ways bywhich his Providence led everything towards it final end. The Last Judgmentwill reveal that God’s justice triumph over all the injustices committed by hiscreatures and that God's love is stronger than death. The message of the last Judgment calls men to conversion while God is stilt giving them ‘the acceptabletime,...thedayof salvation.’ It inspiresaholyfearofGodandcommitsthemtothe justice of Kingdom of God. It proclaims the 'blessed hope' of the Lord'sreturn, when he will come 'to be glorified in his saints' and to be marveled at in all who have believed.

Theological Reflection

We must distinguish between the general judgment and the particular judgment" The general judgment is connected with the second coming of Jesus or Parousia. We call it the general judgment or the last judgment. "The particular judgment at the time of a person's death underscores the uniqueness and particularity of every human person before God."58 It is the activity of God's intellect and will whereby He accomplishes His purposes in the created world according to the free responses His creatures make to His prior loving initiative in the order of nature and grace" It is an act of the divine intellect, since God hereby knows the free response ofthe creature, the goodness or badness ofthat response, the consequences that follow from it, and the way it can be fitted into the divine plan. It is an act of the divine will because in judgment God effectively determines to order the free act of the creature and its consequences to His own purposes, judgment is thus the essential act of government, the effective execution of the plan of divine providence".

Paradise/Heaven

Paradise/Heaven: The Scriptures frequently speak of eternal life as the reward and the happiness for which man must strive. This happiness will consist in the vision enjoyment of God in all His perfection. It is the normal fulfillment of the life of I grace on earth.

 

According to the Old Testament: The word "heaven" is used as the dwelling place of God. In the Old Testament the word "heaven" is used in two senses: cosmological and religious.

In Cosmologically the Hebrew word for ‘Heaven’ is Samayim which has a general meaning and indicates the solid vault which holds back the waters above the firmament. According to Israel's belief heaven is an unshakeable solid thing (Ps 148.6; Is 4A.22; 44.24). Another dimension is expressed by the Hebrew word ‘raqia' which means all that is above the earth. The word heaven' or firmament' was used to indicate something broader, for example it could include rain, snow, hail and thunder (Ex. 9: 23-35; Is. 55: 10; Josh. 10: 11), is also seen as store house of snow and wind, (Jb. 37, 9; 12/ 38, 22). In another sense heaven also referred to the place of signs, the rainbow as a symbol of Covenant to Noah (Gen. 9: 12-171.

In theology and religion, the term designates the dwelling place of God, of the angels and the blessed; or the condition of final and perfect bliss itself.

According to the New Testament: In the New Testament the word “heaven" is used only in one, sense - that is the place from where Jesus carne and where he returned, it is "the ultimate dwelling place of the good men, who die in the Lord. In the letters to the Ephesians and to the Romans and in St. John's Gospel it is said that man could not enter heaven, so Jesus came to help man to do it (Eph. 3. 9; Rom. 10.6; Jn. 1. 18; 3. 13). Jesus Christ's teaching about heaven is briefly described by these two statements; "the glory that you have given me, I have given to them, that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me” (Jn. 17.22). "Father, I will that where I am, they also will be with me, that you have given me, that they may behold my glory, that you have given me” (Jn. 17.24). Jesus explains the happiness of heaven under the picture of a wedding feast (Mt. 25:10; Lk. 14:15ff) and calls it eternal life (Mt. 18:8ff; Jn. 3:15ff). He contrasts the reward of the good works with treasures in heaven which cannot be lost (Mt. 6:20).

HEAVEN or paradiseCatechism of the Catholic Church

1023Those who die in God's grace and friendship and are perfectly purified live for ever with Christ. They are like God for ever, for they "see him as he is," face to face:598

1024 This perfect life with the Most Holy Trinity - this communion of life and love with the Trinity, with the Virgin Mary, the angels and all the blessed - is called "heaven." Heaven is the ultimate end and fulfillment of the deepest human longings, the state of supreme, definitive happiness.

1025To live in heaven is "to be with Christ." The elect live "in Christ,"600 but they retain, or rather find, their true identity, their own name.601

For life is to be with Christ; where Christ is, there is life, there is the kingdom.602

1026 By his death and Resurrection, Jesus Christ has "opened" heaven to us. The life of the blessed consists in the full and perfect possession of the fruits of the redemption accomplished by Christ. He makes partners in his heavenly glorification those who have believed in him and remained faithful to his will. Heaven is the blessed community of all who are perfectly incorporated into Christ.

1027 This mystery of blessed communion with God and all who are in Christ is beyond all understanding and description. Scripture speaks of it in images: life, light, peace, wedding feast, wine of the kingdom, the Father's house, the heavenly Jerusalem, paradise: "no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him."603

1028 Because of his transcendence, God cannot be seen as he is, unless he himself opens up his mystery to man's immediate contemplation and gives him the capacity for it. The Church calls this contemplation of God in his heavenly glory "the beatific vision":

How great will your glory and happiness be, to be allowed to see God, to be honored with sharing the joy of salvation and eternal light with Christ your Lord and God, . . . to delight in the joy of immortality in the Kingdom of heaven with the righteous and God's friends.604

1029 In the glory of heaven the blessed continue joyfully to fulfill God's will in relation to other men and to all creation. Already they reign with Christ; with him "they shall reign for ever and ever."605

According to St. Paul and John say that we shall see God and the vision will transform us into God's likeness (2Cor. 3. 12-18; 1 Jn. 3.2). In another occasion St. Paul also says that the faithful will receive eternal life (Rom 2.7; 6. 23). St. Paul brings out a profound idea about heaven. For him heaven is an incorruptible crown (1 Cor. 9: 25), eternal life (Rm. 2:7). Paul says that heaven is a mysterious (hidden) wisdom (1 Cor. 2:9). According to St. John we begin our eternal life on earth but it remains forever and ever, (Jn. 5:24). According to him, in heaven we will be like him (1 Jn. 3:2).

According to the Early Church Fathers: The earliest Christians thought that they were living in the last times.

According toSt. Justin,According to St. Augustine in his book 'On Faith and the Creed', says that in eternal life we will have spiritual bodies. He speaks about the immortality of the soul which includes the resurrection of the body. St Augustine was aware of social joy also. St. Augustine’s spiritual heaven is the continuation of an ascetic retired life. It is a world of immaterial, fleshless souls finding rest and pleasure in God.

 

The Official Teaching of the Church

According to the second council of Lyons that "the souls of those who have not committed any sin at all after they received holy baptism, and the souls of those who have committed sin but have been cleansed... are promptly taken up into heaven."

According to the Council of Florence: states that “the souls of those who have not committed any sin at all after they received baptism, and the souls of those who have committed sin, but have been cleansed either while in the body or afterwards... are promptly taken up into heaven and see clearly the Triune God Himself, just as He is, some more perfectly than others according to their respective merits (DS 13O5).

Pope John Paul II emphasizes the same teaching regarding heavenly glory. He says, the glory of the Trinity will be made manifest in the heavenly Jerusalem, where God will wipe away tears and mourning; and make ail things new: when we reach that final destination of history as St. Paul tells us, we will no longer see in a mirror dimly, but face to face... (1 Cor. 13: 12).

Theological Reflections or Encyclical

According toPope Benedict XVI (Ratzinger) also agrees with the point mentioned above. In heaven, he writes, 'it will be a single act in which, forgetful of self, the individual will break through the limits of being into the whole, and the whole take up its dwelling in the individual. It will be joy in which all questioning is resolved and satisfied.

According to Pope John Paul II, on the occasion of the World Day of Social Communications, the day on which the Ascension of the lord is celebrated, says to all of us ,that our true, definitive homeland is not here below but ‘in the heavens', that is in God'.

 

Purification/Purgatory

Purification/Purgatory: First of all we will see the definition of it. “Purgatory is a middle state where souls destined for heaven are detained and purified. Souls in purgatory cannot help themselves, for their time for meriting is past. But they can be helped by the faithful on earth, by prayers and other good works. Purgatory is a place of temporary punishment for those who have died in venial sin, or who have not fully satisfied God’s justice for mortal sins already forgiven.

The existence of purgatory: Is their existence of Purgatory?Belief in the utility of praying for the dead automatically includes belief in the existence of purgatory. If there were no purgatory, it would be useless to pray for the dead, because saints in heaven need no help, and those in hell are beyond aid.

Who are punished in purgatory?

Those are punished for a time in purgatory who die in the state of grace, but are guilty of venial sin, or have not fully satisfied for the temporal punishment due to their sins.”

Purgatory in the Bible: In the Old Testaments: We have the concept of purgatory from the Old Testament in II Maccabees 12:39-46, where we see Judas and his companions pray beseeching that the sin which had been committed by their people might be wholly blotted out and so that they might be delivered from their sin.” There are more biblical passages in Old Testaments that at last allude to the destiny of those souls who are waiting for God. In Isa.66:15; Joel 2:3; where we find that God will judge and purify themwith fire. We get from rabbinic literature that some will remain only for a time in Gehenna, where they would be purified. Some rabbis interpreted the words of Za 13:9 in this sens: I will bring the one third through fire, and I will refine them as silver is refined, and I will test them as gold is tested.

The concept of purgatory in the New Testaments: In the New Testaments we get a clearer concept of purgatory. In Matthew 5:24-25, Jesus is even more explicit about Purgatory. “Make friends quickly with your accuser, while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge guard, and you be put in prison; truly I say to you, you will never get out till you have paid the last penny (Matthew 5:25-26).I Corinth 3:11-15 may well be the most straightforward text in all of Sacred Scripture when it comes to Purgatory:If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.I Cor. 3:11-15 describes that judgment for Christians. Notice, this is for those who will be finally "saved." The good is rewarded and the imperfections are burned away and this occurs after death. Sounds like Purgatory because it is Purgatory. Purgatory is a clean-up station on the way to heaven where the merits of Christ and his saints serve to cleanse members of Christ who are in need so that they may "walk with [Christ] in white" (Rev. 3:4; cf. 19:8). Purgatory is one of the many ways Jesus Christ has chosen to save us. St. Paul in II Cor. 5:10 says, "We all must stand before the Judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive good or evil, according to what he has done in the body. Paul says in 1 Cor 3:15 Sanctification involves suffering (Rom. 5:3–5), and purgatory is the final stage of sanctification that some of us need to undergo before we enter heaven. 2 Thessalonians 2:13, which declares that God chose us "to be saved through sanctification by the Spirit." Hebrews 12:14 states that we must strive "for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord."

The Doctrine of Purgatory: “The doctrine of purgatory was given solemn definition by the Council of Trent as follows: “There is a purgatory, and the souls there detained are assisted by the suffrages of the faithful, but especially by the most acceptable sacrifice of the altar.” This dogmatic definition contains three points of faith that all Catholics are compelled to believe; a) that there is a purgatory; b) that after death souls suffer there for their sins; c) that the living can extend assistance to such souls. The doctrine of purgatory is eminently consoling to the human heart. It consoles us when our loved ones die. Purgatory is a bond of union making us realize that death is not an eternal separation for the just, but only a loss of their bodily presence.

Will all the souls in purgatory go to heaven?

All the souls in purgatory will go to heaven some day; they will stay in purgatory as long as they have not atoned for their sins. The poor souls cannot help themselves, for their time for meriting was ended at their death. They cannot therefore merit anything to satisfy for their sins. This is why we who can still merit by our good works should give some of them as suffrage for the poor souls. So that they may soon be delivered from their prison. We have the special obligation of helping with our prayers and sacrifices the souls of our dead relatives, friends, and benefactors. Although they cannot merit anything for themselves, the poor souls intercede for us with their prayers to God. Thus if we help them they repay us by their intercession.

In what ways we help the poor souls in purgatory?

We can help the poor souls in purgatory by masses, by prayers, and by other good works.

1. Masses. The Holy Sacrifice is the greatest help we can offer, because its effect depends on itself, and not on the piety of the priest who offers it. If we cannot have a Mass said, we can at least attend Mass and receive Holy Communion for our dear departed. A mass has infinite merit, for it is the sacrifice of Our Lord Himself. It will surely avail our dead to offer for them For the Son Himself in Holy Mass.

2. Prayers. We should pray with devotion for the poor souls. God does not regard the length of the payer or the words so much as the love in the heart of the one who prays. There are special prayers enriched with indulgences, applicable to the souls in purgatory.

3. Alms giving. No pompous funeral or profusion of flowers is of any avail for the poor souls in purgatory. As St. John Chrysostom says, “Not by weeping, but by prayer and alms-giving are the dead relived.” It is better to give charity the money spent on idle and worldly show which cannot help poor souls. Instead of sending costly wreaths to the family of a dead friend, it is an excellent custom instead to have masses offered for his soul.

Is the Doctrine of the existence of purgatory reasonable?

The doctrine of the existence of purgatory is not only reasonable, but its negation is eminently contrary to reason; it is taught in Holy Scripture, and has been taught by the Church from the very beginning. The doctrine of a middle state of purgatory is taught in the Old Testament, and was firmly believed in by the Hebrews. Reason demands belief in the existence of purgatory. If a man dies with some slight stain on his soul, a sin of impatience, or an idle word, is he fit to enter heaven? God’s sanctity forbids it: “There shall not enter into it anything defiled”. But must such a soul be consigned to hell? God’s mercy and justice forbid it.Therefore reason concludes the existence of middle and temporary state of expiation, where the soul is cleansed from all stain of sin before it can be admitted into the perfect holiness and bliss of heaven. “Amen, I say to thee, thou wilt not come out from it until thou hast paid the last penny” (Matt. 5:26f).Among nearly all peoples there has persisted a belief that souls must undergo some sort of purification after death. This would point to the doctrine of purgatory.

The FinalPurification, or Purgatory(Catechism of the Catholic Church)

1030All who die in God's grace and friendship, but still imperfectlypurified, are indeed assured of their eternalsalvation; but after death they undergopurification, so as to achieve the holinessnecessary to enter the joy of heaven.

1031 The Churchgives the namePurgatory to this finalpurification of the elect, which is entirelydifferent from the punishment of the damned.⁶⁰⁴ The Churchformulated her doctrine of faith on Purgatoryespecially at the Councils of Florence and Trent. the tradition of the Church, by reference to certaintexts of Scripture, speaks of a cleansingfire:⁶⁰⁵

As for certainlesserfaults, we must believe that, before the FinalJudgment, there is a purifyingfire. He who is truthsays that whoever uttersblasphemy against the HolySpirit will be pardoned neither in this age nor in the age to come. From this sentence we understand that certainoffenses can be forgiven in this age, but certain others in the age to come.⁶⁰⁶

1032 This teaching is also based on the practice of prayer for the dead, already mentioned in SacredScripture: "Therefore JudasMaccabeus] made atonement for the dead, that they might be delivered from their sin."⁶⁰⁷ From the beginning the Church has honored the memory of the dead and offeredprayers in suffrage for them, above all the Eucharisticsacrifice, so that, thus purified, they mayattain the beatificvision of God.⁶⁰⁸ The Church also commendsalmsgiving, indulgences, and works of penanceundertaken on behalf of the dead:

Let us help and commemorate them. If Job's sons were purified by their father's sacrifice, why would we doubt that our offerings for the deadbring them some consolation? Let us not hesitate to help those who have died and to offer our prayers for them.⁶

Teaching of the Church Fathers

According to Origen: The idea of purification first uttered by Origen (2^nd-3^rd centuries). According to him, all punishments were medicine, and all of Hades, Gehennah included, a place of purification. Sins were specifically consumed and people cleansed by purifying fire.

St. Augustine believes that the sufferings of poor souls are greater than anything that man can suffer in this life. St. Thomas believes the least pain there is greater than the greatest on earth.

Perdiction/Hell

Perdiction/Hell: Hell is one of the Catholic Doctrines. Nobody can tell something about the experience of hell but many people have an idea about it. “Hell is a place or a state of everlasting punishment for those who die in sin is called hell. It is a place of a fire of punishment, a dwelling place of Lucifer and his followers, the ugly cruel devils’ kingdom, the unquenchable fire flaming eternally, a place for punishment created by God for those who are disobedient to Him and live a sinful life this world.

Hell in the Old Testament:  As we know that ‘Sheol’ is a Hebrew word used for nether world, the abode of the dead. Seeing parallelism with the pagan myths of the Canaanites and the Mesopotamians, many think that the Hebrew borrowed the idea. It is the meeting place of all the living after death. Ancient Israel would believe that it is situated under the earth (Dt. 32:22). Their belief is that life after death is like a shadow, without value and without joy in ‘Sheol’. It is pictured as a ‘tomb’a hole, a ‘pit’ a ditch (Ps. 30:10, Ez 28:8). It is the place where ‘deep obscurity’ reigns (Ps. 88:7, 13) where brightness itself resembles dark nights (Job. 10:21f). Right after death all the living descends there (Is. 38:18, Ez. 31:14). Life in ‘Sheol’ is totally helpless and hopeless. Those who are in Sheol cannot praise God (Ps. 6:6). They will never rise again (Ps. 88:10). ‘Sheol’ never satisfied (Ps.27:20), 30:16), it is waiting always for its prey and carries it away in full vigor (54:16). This ‘Sheol’ is described as a tragedy and a scandal. This ancient concept of life after death persisted among the Hebrews until in the time of Christ. By the by, life after death was gradually seen in a different way as the Old Testament was taking its ending shape. The living descendent to Sheol is judged according to their merits in earth.

Hell in the Gospel of Saint Matthew: “Jesus spoke in his eternal eschatological menaces of hell as the eternal place of punishment, prepared not only for the devil and his angels (Mt 25: 41) but for all who have rejected the salvation offered by God. It is the punishment of their unbelief and refusal to repent (Mt 5:29; 13:42, 50; 22:13). He speaks of hell as a place where eternal unquenchable fire burns (Mt 5:22; 13:42, 50; 18:9), where there is darkness howling and gnashing of teeth (Mt 8:12; 22:13; 25:30).”

Hell in the Gospel of Saint Mark: We see the “temptations to Sin, Warnings of Hell” in the Gospel of Mark (Mark 9:42-50).  And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. Better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna, Mark 9:47

Hell in the Gospel of Saint Luke: The gospel of Luke mentions hell (a.k.a. Gehenna) only once, in Luke 12:5. Three times if you also count references to Hades (Luke 10:15; 16:23). John the Baptist warns of an unquenchable fire in Luke 3. We get some Idea on hell the story of “The rich man and Lazarus” (Luke 16:19-3).

Hell in the Gospel of Saint John: Saint John speaks about the punishment in his Gospel. “It terms of judgment and darkness. But above all punishment is exclusion from the fullness of life communicated by the Son (Jn 2:19; 8:24; 10:28).

Pauline Writings: We get a small view on hell in Paul’s writings such as (2Thess 1: 9; Rom 9:22; Phil 3:19; 2Thess 2: 10). “Paul attests “They shall suffer eternal punishment in destruction, from the face of the Lord and from the glory of His power” (2 Thess. 1:9). Paul encourages people to work for salvation regarding the terrible reality of hell (2 Co.6:2, Ep. 5:5).

 

HELL or perdition Catechism of the Catholic Church

1033We cannot be united with God unless we freely choose to love him. But we cannot love God if we sin gravely against him, against our neighbor or against ourselves: "He who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him."612 To die in mortal sin without repenting and accepting God's merciful love means remaining separated from him for ever by our own free choice. This state of definitive self-exclusion from communion with God and the blessed is called "hell."

1034 Jesus often speaks of "Gehenna" of "the unquenchable fire" reserved for those who to the end of their lives refuse to believe and be converted, where both soul and body can be lost.614 Jesus solemnly proclaims that he "will send his angels, and they will gather . . . all evil doers, and throw them into the furnace of fire,"615 and that he will pronounce the condemnation: "Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire!"616

1035The teaching of the Church affirms the existence of hell and its eternity. Immediately after death the souls of those who die in a state of mortal sin descend into hell, where they suffer the punishments of hell, "eternal fire."617 The chief punishment of hell is eternal separation from God, in whom alone man can possess the life and happiness for which he was created and for which he longs.

1036 The affirmations of Sacred Scripture and the teachings of the Church on the subject of hell are a call to the responsibility incumbent upon man to make use of his freedom in view of his eternal destiny. They are at the same time an urgent call to conversion: "Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few."618

1037 God predestines no one to go to hell;620 for this, a willful turning away from God (a mortal sin) is necessary, and persistence in it until the end. In the Eucharistic liturgy and in the daily prayers of her faithful, the Church implores the mercy of God, who does not want "any to perish, but all to come to repentance":621

 

Teaching of Church Fathers

Saint Thomas Aquinas: Saint Thomas Aquinas said that “Men go to hell in punishment for committing sins. Saint Thomas sees no escape from hell for unrepentant sinners, whether they be demons or human beings, whether they were Christians or performed certain works of mercy in their lifetime.

Conclusion: It is true that there is hell according Christian faith and doctrine. Since it is a mystery therefore we are not able to understand by knowledge. As we know that our Lord Jesus Christ will come to judge all men. The pious or good men will go in to heaven for their good deeds and sinners or wicked will go into hell as a punishment. Finally that we can say that hell is a mystery.