Afterlife All SaintsAll Souls Opening Prayer What happens

Afterlife: All Saints/All Souls

Opening Prayer:

What happens to us when we die? • A question pondered since the beginning of time – WE ALL WONDER • Only religion dares to answer it. • How? Scripture, doctrines, theological ponderings for centuries • We love ghost stories, speculating on if there is more than the material world • We like to think there is a time when all will be right – God will make right the wrongs we have experienced here Afterlife hints at social justice – the ultimate answer to the injustices of the world

What Does the Church Teach? • GOOD NEWS – THERE IS ONE! Immediately after death: Soul in Front of God: Called the • Particular Judgment • If we die in the State of Grace – Heaven • If we die outside of Friendship/Grace – Hell • If we die In Friendship, but maybe not in state of Grace, nonetheless a believer, good person – Purgatory

Heaven • Goal of Catholic Faith: our destination – God wants to share his Trinitarian life with us; • Heaven is love brought to fulfillment and completion: “Greatest of these is love. ” • Many images in Scripture – eternal rest, banquet feast, etc. , all fall short but “Eye has not seen or heard. . . ”

What the Church Teaches About Heaven • If we die in friendship with God and are perfectly purified, we will see God face-to-face • Heave is “Perfect Communion, ” or Union with God • We cannot conceive of it – not really a place, as in someplace physical that we know • Scripture says we will be like God for we will see AND EXPERIENCE GOD as – PURE LOVE • We will be entirely filled with joy, beauty, truth, goodness • Also called “the Beatific Vision” – the fulfillment of every human desire – all happiness, finally whole

What the Church Teaches About Hell • Hell is a lack of God • God doesn’t force us to do anything we don’t want to do; If we don’t want God now, don’t want God when we die, God respects our choice • No one is in hell who doesn’t want to be there • God does everything in his mercy to keep us from hell! • But we are free to choose to love God • Separated from God forever is definition of hell

Images of Hell • Dante’s Inferno: Satan frozen in ice – stuck in place • A place of fire; eternal burning; no escape from sin • Sin is self-absorption –stuck into thinking that universe revolves around us; ultimate selfishness • Self-absorption is depressing, soul-shrinking, rendering us paralyzed and powerless – that’s hell! • Can be anticipated now – we taste it now • Satan is in hell is because he wants to be there • Sometimes we cannot tolerate the light • We can say yes or no – terrible truth of humanity: saying no habitually makes us stuck – we can move but we don’t choose to

What about Other Spiritual Beings? • Creed: “All that is seen and unseen. ” • Bible interested in the invisible creation – talks a lot about spiritual beings at a higher level of awareness and intelligence than human beings • They are NOT, nor were they EVER, human • Isn’t this a little much? Believing in a variety? • Given what we know about variety of physical creations, wouldn’t it seem as though God would have variety in spiritual creatures?

More About Angels. . . • Thomas Aquinas defined them as separated, higher intelligence; every angel is his own species; angels not tied to matter; • Angels offer praise to God (seraphim – the burnt ones – on fire for God); they “sing” a harmony of mind and will toward God; we seek to join our voices with theirs • Angelos” means Messenger – from their mission – sent to us; Gabriel to Mary; army of angels in sky at Christmas; • Angels can/do interface with our world just as adults can enter into conversations with children • Our human nature sometimes blocks us from believing

What about Satan, Devils, Demons? • Satan and other devils/demons are a fallen angels • Not God’s rival – Satan has free will so is allowed to act • Devils interface with our world – exorcisms • Most often, insinuate selves into our worlds, darkness • Medieval? Not really – Bible says there is another level of dysfunction of the fallen spirits • Christ has already done battle with them and conquered evil; they only have power over us if we give it to them freely • So amidst the spiritual struggle, we are still free of it – can be “happy warriors”

Back to Afterlife: Purgatory! • “Purgation” means purification; a type of “burning off” of what is holding us bound • If we die in friendship, but aren’t up to handling the Beatific Vision (for we will see ourselves clearly), • If we aren’t ready to enter heaven, we need to be purified from our attachments • The fire of God’s love “burns off” the residue from sin • Works tested as by fire so we will be saved • Even after we have been forgiven, there remains a “temporal punishment” for what we have done • Even after death, in purgatory, God wants to build us back up and prepare us for perfect love relationship for all eternity: heaven • Purgatory is a waiting place – about longing – but we know we will eventually end up Heaven – what we long for

Souls in Waiting, in Purgatory need us • We can add to the fires of God’s love by praying, remembering them • Our united love can aid work of our purgation, both theirs and ours here • Is Scriptural - In OT times, they prayed for the dead; many references in the NT too • These souls are part of the church, just like we are; we can help them and should do so • Purgatory is the “great equalizer” and is a very beautiful and positive doctrine about God’s love and justice for all

ALL SOULS DAY: NOVEMBER 2 • Church sets aside a special day every year to remember the dead who need our prayers • People go to mass, or have masses said, for their dead relatives, light candles, remember • We never forget that we will be united with them someday in this great Love

Memorial for the Dead Outside grotto dedicated to all who have died in our parish, and to remember to pray for all souls who are waiting. “It is a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead. ” Maccabbees 12: 46

Is Prayer on earth the only way out of purgatory? • We really don’t know but we pray as though it is • We act virtuously, make sacrifices, all offered for the benefit of those waiting • Some acts and prayers have what is called “indulgences” attached to them • YIKES!!! WHAT ARE INDULGENCES? ?

Indulgences An opportunity the church provides for us to offer our prayers, acts of love for those being purified in purgatory • Small act of love for themselves and for others in purgatory – God wants to “indulge” us with more love • With acts of love, a greater weight of love will be supplied through merits of Jesus and the saints • Not buying your way to heaven; not a magic trick to get to heaven – Some people abused this idea; Church got in trouble back in the 16 th century for it (more later) • These acts of love and conversion also bring about our purification here and now so we don’t need them later • Reading the bible, pilgrimage, sacrifices, doing service, giving alms, going to extra masses, offering prayers and rosaries, etc. , are ways to grow closer to Christ and be purified of our sins • Not a get out of jail free card!!

General Judgment at the End of Time • We will be judged again, at the end of time • Summary of the whole of the story – a vision God gives us that will show us how threads of history are brought together • We will see how love has worked throughout time • We will be judged by love – how we fit in the plan of love • Our bodies will be resurrected and there will be a “new heaven and new earth. ” • Everyone in heaven and purgatory will be SAINTS • Yay! • More. .

What is the Communion of Saints?

All Saints Day • Halloween is shortened from “All-hallow evening” the eve of All Hallows Day, which is now known as All Saints Day. • All Saints Day, Nov. 1 st became placed by Pope Gregory IV in 835 CE • All Souls day Nov. 2 nd, in 998 CE

What or Who Is a Saint? • https: //youtu. be/1 -e. Zj. We. RUnw

Remember. . . • Saints are people in heaven or on their way to heaven. All Christians dead and alive are saints. • The Catholic Church selects some of the most extraordinary examples, does in-depth research, and canonizes them. • At least two documented miracles have had to occur in their life.

How do you become a canonized saint? ? • https: //youtu. be/l. UGRdp. RJWYA

Misconceptions about the Saints • Isn't there only one mediator between God and man? • "I don't pray to dead people" • Why do Catholics have patron saints for all different kinds of causes, such as traveling, musicians, lawyers, etc? • What about Catholics who “pray” to the Saints?

Apostles Creed and Nicene Creed say:

Attributes of Saints • Friend of God • Heroic in Virtue • Has allowed Christ to live His life in them • Pope John Paul II: “Duc in altum! “Put out into the deep. ” Luke 5: 4 • Has allowed Jesus to “get into his/her boat”, then is an apprentice to Him , learns from Him and falls in love with Him. • “Invasion of Grace”

Hebrews 12: 1 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. ”