RCIA 8: The Kingdom of God, the Last Things, Purgatory, - - PDF document

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RCIA 8: The Kingdom of God, the Last Things, Purgatory, - - PDF document

Sep 14, 2023 558 likes •676 views

9/2/2019 RCIA 8: The Kingdom of God, the Last Things, Purgatory, Resurrection, Second Coming 8: Kingdom of God, Last Things, Resurrection, Second Coming The Kingdom of God Thy Kingdom come (Mt 6:10) The Kingdom must reign in

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RCIA

8: The Kingdom of God, the Last Things, Purgatory, Resurrection, Second Coming

8: Kingdom of God, Last Things, Resurrection, Second Coming

The Kingdom of God

  • “Thy Kingdom come” (Mt 6:10)

– The Kingdom must reign in Heaven and on earth

  • The Kingdom of God in Heaven existed from

all eternity

  • Prepared for

those who love Him

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The Kingdom of God

  • The Church is “on earth the seed and

beginning of that kingdom” (CCC 541)

– In the world but not of the world

  • Every person called:

“Make disciples of all nations” (Mt 28:19)

  • Condition to enter:

conversion of heart and behavior – follow God’s will

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The Catholic Funeral

  • Christ’s Paschal Mystery is proclaimed
  • Taught to remember the dead
  • Express hope of being together in God’s

kingdom

  • Encouraged to give witness by our lives
  • Look for fulfillment of God’s promises

– “He will wipe away every tear,” no pain, mourning death (Rev 21:4)

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8: Kingdom of God, Last Things, Resurrection, Second Coming

The Catholic Funeral

  • Parts

– Vigil for the Deceased

  • Turn to God’s Word as source of faith and

hope

  • Keep watch and find strength in

communal prayer

  • Ask God's mercy for the deceased
  • Receive consolation from God’s presence
  • Express belief in eternal life &

resurrection of the body

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8: Kingdom of God, Last Things, Resurrection, Second Coming

The Catholic Funeral

  • Parts (cont.)

– Funeral Mass

  • Theme: Christ’s Resurrection
  • Commending the deceased to God’s mercy
  • Seeking strength in the Paschal Mystery
  • Recall sharing in Paschal Mystery through Baptism
  • Look forward to our own resurrection
  • Express hope in being reunited in God’s Kingdom
  • Not intended to showcase the deceased’s life

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The Catholic Funeral

  • Parts (cont.)

– Commendation

  • Body reverenced – interment preferred
  • Cremation permitted, but no scattering
  • “Eternal rest grain unto him/her,

O Lord…”

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The Four Last Things: Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell

Death: An Event Shrouded in Mystery

  • Death entered the world through Adam & Eve
  • Jesus transformed death into a blessing

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8: Kingdom of God, Last Things, Resurrection, Second Coming

The Four Last Things: Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell

Death: An Event Shrouded in Mystery (cont.)

  • Those who die in grace share in Christ’s

Resurrection (see CCC 1006, 1 Cor 15:21)

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The Four Last Things: Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell

Death: An Event Shrouded in Mystery (cont.)

  • Teaching of Christ gives us firm hope and

assurance in preparing for our own death and in coping with the death of those we love

  • “O death, where is

thy victory? O death, where is thy sting?” (1 Cor 15:54-55)

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8: Kingdom of God, Last Things, Resurrection, Second Coming

The Four Last Things: Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell

Death: What We Learn from the Funeral Liturgy

  • Bonds of love continue to remain strong
  • Pilgrims on earth, true homeland in Heaven
  • Glorified body to come on the last day

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The Four Last Things: Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell

The Particular Judgment and the Last Judgment

  • Particular Judgment

– Immediately follows death – Judged on our love – Given individually to each person

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The Four Last Things: Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell

The Particular Judgment & Last Judgment (cont.)

  • Last Judgment

– “He will come again to judge the living & the dead” – The dead will be raised – Bodies returned

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8: Kingdom of God, Last Things, Resurrection, Second Coming

The Four Last Things: Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell

Heaven: Life in Pure Love

  • Entering into perfect love
  • True happiness: natural desire fulfilled
  • Must be in God’s grace (having not rejected

God)

  • Must be perfect to enter

– Sacrifice and sacraments needed

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8: Kingdom of God, Last Things, Resurrection, Second Coming

The Four Last Things: Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell

Hell: Eternal Separation from the Trinity

  • God does not force us to love Him
  • Death in a state of mortal sin
  • A place of unimaginable pain and suffering
  • Satan, fallen angels, all who have rebelled
  • Greatest suffering:

eternal separation from God

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The Four Last Things: Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell

Jesus Christ: Our Just and Merciful Judge

  • Throw ourselves on

the mercy of Jesus

  • Sins forgiven if

repented of

  • Always calling us

back to intimate and loving relationship

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Purgatory

  • One of the Lord’s greatest mercies
  • Must be transformed completely by love

before we can feel “at home” in heaven

  • Must be perfect in purity and

holiness

– Purification can happen through suffering

  • Repented sins may still require

reparation

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Purgatory

  • See Wisdom 3:1-6
  • See 1 Corinthians 2:12-15
  • Blessed assurance of Heaven
  • Church in Heaven and
  • n earth can help

– Prayer, fasting, works of penance

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Resurrection of the Body

  • Physical body reunited with soul in eternity

– In glorified form – Incorruptible

  • Happens

at Second Coming

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Resurrection of the Body

  • Jesus raised Himself, can resurrect us
  • Share in

Resurrection already when part of His Body, the Church

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Resurrection of the Body

  • Mary, Mother of God,

already glorified in body and soul

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Coronation of Mary (1360s) by Catarino

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The New Heavens and the New Earth: The Real Rapture

The New Heavens and the New Earth

  • “God is preparing a new dwelling and a new earth

in which righteousness dwells, in which happiness will fill and surpass all the desires of peace arising in the hearts of men” (CCC 1048)

  • Intimate communion with God lost with Adam
  • Visible universe will be transformed and returned

to its original state

  • All over OT and NT
  • Read Rev 21:1-6

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The New Heavens and the New Earth: The Real Rapture

The New Heavens and the New Earth (cont.)

  • Those who have been saved will experience

the unity of humanity that God had willed from the beginning of creation, and the vision

  • f God will be “the ever-flowing well-spring of

happiness, peace, and mutual communion” (CCC 1045)

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The New Heavens and the New Earth: The Real Rapture

What, Then, of Tribulation & Earthly “Rapture”?

  • End times will be violent & horrifying (cf. 2 Pt 3:7)

– Warfare, famines, natural calamities – Loss of faith, internal betrayals & hatreds, false prophets, false Messiahs – But many will be saved (Rev 7:9, 14)

  • Speculation on

timing discouraged by Church

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8: Kingdom of God, Last Things, Resurrection, Second Coming

The New Heavens and the New Earth: The Real Rapture

What, Then, of Tribulation & Earthly “Rapture”? (c.)

  • Rapture

– Focus on

  • Fear
  • Hope of escape from suffering

– Following the Resurrection of the dead, those who are left alive “shall be caught up together with [the dead in Christ] in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so we shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thess 4:17)

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8: Kingdom of God, Last Things, Resurrection, Second Coming

The New Heavens and the New Earth: The Real Rapture

What, Then, of Tribulation & Earthly “Rapture”? (c.)

  • Rapture (cont.)

– Jesus never promised to spare us suffering – Not a “secret” coming -- all will know (cf. Mt 24:27) – Thousand-year reign of Christ before Last Judgment?

  • May be symbolic of these last times between Jesus’ comings

– Do not assume a “Heaven on earth” before Jesus comes

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The Second Coming of Christ

  • Christ is coming back to subject

all things to Himself

  • Return will mark the end of time
  • Not to be anxious but to be

prepared

– Be vigilant and have ongoing conversion

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Second Coming (contemporary) by Brent S. Borup

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