MR 5.F Last Things Analysis

These are my notes for the lecture video on Last Things. Before I watched it, I did not know much about the Catholic after-death beliefs. This video gave me a clear understanding of the four last things after death: judgement, heaven, hell, and purgatory. Definitions, deeper meanings, and impacts of these are outlined in my notes.

MR 5.E Teaching and Sanctifying Church

For section 5.E we made an idea sketch over the role of the apostles. We broke it into 2 sections named Apostolic Succession and Apostolic Chronology. Apostolic Succession- The line succession from the Apostles all the way to the Bishops today. Apostolic Chronology- After Christ's death the Apostles took over the church. 

MR 5.F Last Things

5.F was about the Final Things. These final things are judgment, heaven, purgatory, and hell. Each one of these has a distinct meaning but comes back to one central topic; communion with God. You must be in communion with God to gain entrance to heaven.

The Final Things

-Judgment

-Heaven

-Purgatory

-Hell

Last Judgment

-When Christ will come again.

-When the world will end

The time to cooperate with grace so as to achieve salvation is NOW, during our life on earth.

-after death it is too late.

-you must be in communion with God when you die to get into heaven, and since only God knows when we are going to die we must always be in communion with him

Particular Judgment

-judgment God makes upon each soul immediately at death of either eternal communion with God (Heaven), temporary purification (purgatory), or eternal seperation (Hell).

-God decides which of these is the right place for each and every human being

Are we turning towards the light or darkness?

-even though we may turn towards the darkness at some points in life, at death we must be on the side of the light

Beatific Vision

-Face-to-face contemplation of the glory of God. 

-Heaven is Bliss.

Heaven

-God, the angels, and those human beings in Heaven are in communion.

Purgatory

-To free the soul of every attachment of sin as to be fit for heaven.

Purgatory is Temporary

-Every soul in purgatory is assured of the eventual attainment of heaven.

Purgatory is a State Not a Place

-souls, being immaterial spirits, do not occupy space

-the state they experience is seperation from God

Hell

-the state of eternal self-exclusion from communion with God and the blessed

How Does a Person End Up in Hell?

-By dying in the state of mortal sin without repentance

Why is there No Happiness in Hell?

-The sould is sperated from God in whome alonecan possess the life and happiness for which he was created and for which he longs.

MR 5.F Analysis on Last Things

Stephen and I chose the Analysis Topic: Problem Solving

The Problem Solving Analysis states: A man was nearing the end of his life.  He bragged about how he rejected God was never baptized and became an athiest.  He got cancer and had a change of heart.  You heard he met with a priest a few times before he died.  What are his redemptive options upon his death? 

The Man has two choices: 1)Accept God and Everything that He does for us, and 2)opt to reject or ignore his gift of salvation.

If the man were to choose the first choice, he would enter into the state of Purgatory(if he was in complete holiness with God, he'd go straight to heaven.) Purgatory is not a place, rather a state. Because our body does not enter it, our soul does. 

What is Soul? The soul is the spiritual or immaterial part of a human-- regarded as immortal. This is one of the God given aspects as humans.

If we go back into the section about Last Things, we come across the topic of Particular Judgment. Particular Judgment is the Judgement at the moment of death, the soul is judged by God and rewarded with eternal communion with God in Heaven-- Either Immidiately or following purification in Purgatory

Now we have the second Redemptive Option: Rejection of God

To reject God is a spiritual death sentence. By choosing to reject God, you are damned to live a life a suffering after death. At the Time of Particular Judgment and/ or Final judgment, you must commit to God, otherwise you will not find eternal hapiness in heaven. Furthurmore, if the man chose to reject God, his soul would forever remain in Hell. (remember it's a state! not a place!)

How did we recieve this redemptive choice? 

First off, God always had a plan for salvation, however it wasn't untill he sent Jesus Christ, his son to save us all.

Through his Passion, Death, and Resurrection, Jesus Christ opened the gates of Heaven, which is an essential part of redemption. 

MR 5.E Analysis on Forgiveness of Sins

MR 5.E Analysis Teaching and Sanctifying Church

MR 5.E Analysis Early Church

Conclude what the early Church’s view of Church leadership and Apostolic succession was:

The Letter I chose was from Smyrneans: 

One reocurring theme in this passage are Bishops. Bishops play a huge role in the Catholic Church. The word 'Bishop' itself means, Offic Holder or Caretaker. You see, when Christ ascended into Heaven to be with the Father, he needed to leave someone here on Earth to guide and lead us down the right path. 

Here are a few quotes from Letters to the Smyrneans:  

*"You should all follow the bishop as Jesus Christ did the Father." 

*"It is a fine thing to acknowledge God and the bishop." 

*"He who pays the bishop honor has been honored by God."

*"But he who acts without the bishop’s knowledge is in the devil’s service."

The Church Concludes: 

-Leadership comes in a many forms, in the Catholic Church, the Bishop is our Leader

-He who follows the Bishop, will follow the path of righteousness. Therefore, those who do not follow the Bishop, will be "in the devil's service."

-If they fail to believe in Christ’s blood, they too are doomed.

-The Bishop, who in the chain of succession, is the successor to JC.

-The Bishops of the world are good.

Stephen's Letter:  Philidelphians

Conclude what the early Church’s view of Church leadership and Apostolic succession was:

"Sheep will follow the sheperd" -- whoever leads the doctrine of the church down a derogative path, they will lead everyone down a bad and/ or sinful path

Priests are "good"-- God said his creations were "good"

Key Ideas: 

"Keep away from bad pasturage. Christ did not cultivate it because the Father did not plan it."

"Observe a single Eucharist For there is one flesh our Lord, JC, and one cup of blood that makes us one, and one altar, just as there is one boshop along with the presbytery..."

-here We have the reoccurring mark of the Church: One

Ex: One Church, One Body, One Bishop, One Lord

As Long as the Bishop is good, then those who follows will be good. They will be pleased by God.