So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. // Psalm 90:12
It was an autumn afternoon in South Florida, which doesn’t mean what you think. It was still warm and the trees were still green, but as I rode home from school on the bus, I was looking forward to the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.
As I got off the school bus and started walking home, my mom’s car pulled up alongside me. I hopped in, but I knew something was wrong when I saw her face.
“Grandma had a stroke. She doesn’t have much longer.”
Shock hit me hard. I couldn’t think or speak. For a twelve-year-old, death was incomprehensible. I certainly wasn’t ready to let my grandma go, and the fact that I wouldn’t get to say goodbye was too hard to bear.
Thanksgiving came late that year. After traveling to be with relatives and attending Grandma’s funeral Mass, my aunt made a big Thanksgiving dinner for everyone, but it just wasn’t the same.
Memories Live On
Thirty-eight years later, I still think of my grandma almost every day. There is so much I never got to ask her, so much I never got to share with her. But there are things that connect us, and I hold them close to my heart, such as both of us being moms to four girls and two boys. She also taught at the school my children now attend, and her quiet prayers to Mary—a Rosary always in her pocket—were the catalyst for my own devotion to our Lady decades later.
I share this story because death is something we all experience, whether it’s the loss of a parent or grandparent, a close friend, or a baby through miscarriage. Death is a difficult part of life, but the Catholic Church teaches that it’s also not the end.
Living With Eternity in Mind
When we die, our body and soul separate, and our soul meets the Lord. At that moment, we know our particular judgment and where we will spend eternity. Our bodies buried on earth await reunion with our souls at the end of time, when the final judgment will take place.
Throughout history, the Church has taught the importance of understanding what happens when we die, or the eternal realities that await every soul: death, judgment, Heaven, and Hell. Traditionally, these are called the Four Last Things. They are not topics to avoid in fear, but rather to consider with hope, courage, and faith. We reflect on the Four Last Things not to despair, but to draw us into a deeper love of God. By keeping in mind our own eternal reality, we also remember to pray for those who have already met it, trusting always in the mercy and justice of God.
In the liturgical calendar, November is designated as the month to reflect on the reality of eternity. In addition to honoring the Church Triumphant, the Saints in Heaven, on All Saints’ Day (November 1), the Church Militant dedicates the entire month of November to the holy souls in Purgatory, or the Church Suffering, as we pray intentionally for them on All Souls’ Day (November 2).
Scriptures to Reflect on the Four Last Things
Below are Scripture verses that touch on the Four Last Things. This November, as we encounter the somber but hopeful reality of death and eternal life, let us find comfort in God’s Word, which is steeped in His everlasting love and truth.
Death //
Death calls us to live each day with intention. While death sobers us, it also fills us with hope, for Christ has conquered the grave! As we live for Him, we can die in Him, with the hope that we will rise with Him too.
But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment will ever touch them. // Wisdom 3:1
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. // Romans 6:23
Death has been swallowed up in victory [. . .] Where, O death, is your sting? // 1 Corinthians 15:54-55
Judgment //
The thought of our judgment reminds us that how we live matters. Christ will judge every choice, word, and deed with perfect truth. But as our Savior, He also judges with great mercy.
When the Son of Man comes in his glory [. . .] he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. // Matthew 25:31-46
For all of us must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ [. . .] // 2 Corinthians 5:10
And the dead were judged according to their works, as recorded in the books [. . .] all were judged according to what they had done. // Revelation 20:12–13
Heaven //
Heaven is our greatest hope in the Christian life. But Heaven is not simply a place—it is the fulfillment of every desire. In Heaven, we will see God face to face, be in perfect communion with the Trinity, and worship the Lord for all eternity with the angels and Saints.
I am the resurrection and the life [. . .] everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. // John 11:25-26
But our citizenship is in heaven [. . .] he will transform the body of our humiliation that it may be conformed to the body of his glory [. . .] // Philippians 3:20-21
God himself will be with them; he will wipe away every tear [. . .] Death will be no more. // Revelation 21:3-4
Hell //
Hell is the eternal state of separation from God, which is freely chosen by those who reject Him. While Hell is real, it is never God’s desire for us. He never forces us to love Him, but neither does He abandon anyone who turns back to Him in repentance.
[. . .] fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. // Matthew 10:28
[. . .] it is better for you to enter life maimed than [. . .] to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. // Mark 9:43-44
God did not spare angels [. . .] but cast them into hell. // 2 Peter 2:4
A Call to Live Eternally Minded
God created us to be happy with Him in Heaven. We reflect on the Four Last Things with that in mind. This month, as we remember the Saints and pray for the souls of the faithful departed, let us also examine our own hearts and prepare for our eternal reward.
Sarah Damm est une contributrice régulière du blog BIS. Elle est une épouse catholique et mère de six enfants, vivant dans le Minnesota. Elle passe ses journées à faire des courses, à aider aux devoirs et à suivre la lessive et l'emploi du temps familial. Sarah aime sa foi, le café et les bons livres. Vous pouvez en savoir plus sur elle ici . Lisez tous les messages de Sarah ici .
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