November 09, 2018

Episode 14: Episode 14: The Four Last Things

46 minutes

We discuss the Four Last Things- death, judgment, Heaven and Hell- and clarify a bunch of myths and misunderstandings, especially as it touches upon Catholic funerals. A funeral is neither a sacrament nor a sacramental, but a sacred liturgy whereby we pray for the repose of the soul of the dead and worship God together.

It is not a canonization Mass, though it is right and proper to remember and celebrate the good that our loved ones who have passed on did in his/her life. That said, funeral Masses are offered for their sins and attachments to sin.

Also, we are all afraid of death, but our fear of death should be obliterated by the Paschal Mystery of Jesus Christ. Check out Hebrews 2:14-15:

14 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same nature, that through death he might destroy him who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong bondage.

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Christian Funerals in the Catechism — 1683 The Church who, as Mother, has borne the Christian sacramentally in her womb during his earthly pilgrimage, accompanies him at his journey's end, in order to surrender him "into the Father's hands." She offers to the Father, in Christ, the child of his grace, and she commits to the earth, in hope, the seed of the body that will rise in glory.184 This offering is fully celebrated in the Eucharistic sacrifice; the blessings before and after Mass are sacramentals.

Hebrews 9: First comes death, then judgment — 27 And just as it is appointed for men to die once, and after that comes judgment, 28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

Jesus and the New Testament on Hell — Search terms from Biblegateway.com and the Revised Standard Version 2nd Catholic Edition. "But I say to you that every one who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother shall be liable to the council, and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be liable to the hell of fire."

Jeremiah 7 and the origin of accursed Gehenna — 31 And they have built the high place of To′pheth, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, which I did not command, nor did it come into my mind.

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