“At the moment of our particular judgment, we will stand before God, one-on-one, and give a complete account of all the gifts and blessings that we have received from Him and how we have made use of them in our lives.”
Jesus was informed of the unjust and tragic slaughter of His Galilean folks at the hands of Pilate, “Some people told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices.” (Lk 13:1-19) You would expect Jesus to be irked by such wickedness on Pilate’s part.
But Jesus did not lament or comment on this tragedy. He also did not apportion blame to anyone for it, to Pilate or to His countrymen. On the contrary, He used this moment to emphasize the most important issue – the issue of personal salvation, “But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did.” Rather than focus on the unjust murder of His folks, He invites his audience to focus on what happens to their immortal souls after death.
For us to pay due attention to the salvation of our souls amidst all the concerns of our daily lives, we must keep in our minds and hearts what is traditionally called the Four Last Things i.e. Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell. These are the most certain and unavoidable things that we tend to ignore today but which hold the key to our fidelity to our commitment as disciples of Jesus Christ here on earth.
At the moment of death, there is a cessation of our earthly life as the immortal soul leaves the body. From this moment on, there is no more time for repentance from our sins or reconciliation with God and with others. We can no longer pray, perform good works, receive the sacraments, grow in holiness and union with God, or merit anything supernatural.
At the moment of our particular judgment, we will stand before God, one-on-one, and give a complete account of all the gifts and blessings that we have received from Him and how we have made use of them in our lives. We will give account for every single second of our lives and every grace we have received from God. We will account for God’s gifts of truth and love poured into our hearts and the relationships that we have had with others. We will account for our every thought, word, or deed. There will be no room for excuses or blaming others at that moment, “I tell you, on the day of judgment men will render account for every careless word they utter.” (Mt 12:36)
Based on the outcome of this judgment, we will either enter into the perfect life of complete happiness with God and the saints in heaven or we will enter into the eternal punishment and separation from God for all eternity in hell. There is no other ultimate destiny for our souls.
Where will we spend eternity after death – heaven or hell? This is the most important question for the Church and all her individual members. However, it appears that other issues seem to be prioritized in our Church today. There seems to be more emphasis on mutual listening, synodality, inclusivity, tolerance, climate change, and immigration.
We seem to have ignored the fact that the Church is first and foremost the universal sacrament of salvation. This means that, while experiencing the fruits of salvation won by Jesus Christ, the Church labors for the salvation of all humanity through her prayers, witnessing, evangelizing, and suffering.
The infamous 2023 Vatican declaration Fiducia Supplicans is a good example of how warped secular ideologies have eclipsed the saving mission of the Church. This controversial declaration calls for the blessing of people in “same-sex” unions without a strong call to conversion and repentance for the sake of salvation. Talk about an utter disregard for the Four Last Things on the part of the Church. Sadly, the Church becomes a spiritually useless organism when it places any purpose above or before the eternal salvation of souls redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus.
On a personal level, many today tend to give emphasis to feeling good and being accepted in society. Winning political victories, attaining financial success, unhindered sensuality, and being famous seem to be the most important thing for the majority of people today, even within the Church. Even those who are serious about eternity give up because of their sins and sufferings. We are no longer “working out our salvation with fear and trembling,” (Phil 2:12) because we have ignored the dire warning of our Lord Jesus Christ, “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?” (Mk 8:36)
We must not be naïve to ignore the Four Last Things as if they will suddenly go away if we do not think about them. Whether we think of death or not, it will still come our way accompanied by the other three realities. In short, every single day brings us closer to facing these Last Things. We are walking into these four realities every second with every choice that we make.
We should also not be afraid to keep these Last Things in our minds and hearts and allow them to influence our choices today. God told Moses that He saw the suffering of His people in their bondage in Egypt, “I have witnessed the affliction of my people in Egypt and have heard their cry of complaint against their slave drivers, so I know well what they are suffering. Therefore, I have come down to rescue them from the hands of the Egyptians.” (Ex 3:8) God desires the salvation of His people more than anything else.
Ultimately, God fulfilled His promise to come down and save His people in the Incarnation of the Eternal Word, Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself tasted death for us on the cross so that we too can face death and judgment with a good conscience and trust in God as our loving Father. In and through Jesus Christ, we are destined for eternal life in heaven, and not for hell, “For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we wake or sleep we might live with Him.” (1Thes 3:9-10)
Even in heavenly glory, our salvation continues to matter most for Him. He is the gardener in Lk 13:6-9 and we are the fig tree that failed to bear fruit and who faced imminent death. He pleads for us and obtains for us both time and a season of grace. He labors for us, “cultivating” and “fertilizing” our souls with His grace so that we can bear fruit worthy of eternal life with Him.
Let us value our personal salvation above all things too so that we pray, sacrifice, and labor for it without ceasing. If death comes and meets us so intent on our salvation and the Four Last Things, we will face death with trust in God and a good conscience, survive the personal judgment, avoid damnation of hell, and enter heavenly glory to be with God forever and ever.
Glory to Jesus!!! Honor to Mary!!!
Ex 3:1-8, 13-15; 1Cor 10:1-6, 10-12; Lk 13:1-9
Image credit: “Last Judgment” (detail) | Michelangelo, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
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About the author:
Fr. Nnamdi Moneme, OMV, is a Roman Catholic priest and religious of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary currently serving in the Philippines. He teaches theology and is a seminary formator for candidates to the priesthood and religious life. Father also gives Ignatian retreats and serves as spiritual director to many of the lay, religious, and clergy in the area.
He earned his first degree in Physics from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria. Ordained in 2009, he studied at St. John’s seminary, in Brighton, Massachusetts. Father has an STL/MA in Moral Theology from the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, Philippines.
Father Moneme blogs at https://toquenchhisthirst.wordpress.com/.
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