Afterlife All Saints All Opening Prayer What happens to us when we die A question pondered since thebeginning of time WE ALL. Only religion dares to answer it How Scripture doctrines theological ponderings for centuries We love ghost stories speculatingon if there is more than the material. We like to think there is a timewhen all will be right God willmake right the wrongs we haveexperienced here Afterlife hints atsocial justice the ultimate answer.to the injustices of the world What Does the Church GOOD NEWS THERE ISONE Immediately afterdeath 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 butmaybe not in state of Grace nonetheless a believer goodperson Purgatory. Goal of Catholic Faith our destination God wantsto share his Trinitarian life with us Heaven is love brought to fulfillment andcompletion Greatest of these is love Many images in Scripture eternal rest banquet.feast etc all fall short but Eye has not seen orheard What the Church TeachesAbout 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 insomeplace 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 everyhuman desire all happiness finally whole What the Church Teaches. Hell is a lack of God Hell God doesn t force us to do anything we don t want todo If we don t want God now don t want God whenwe 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 universerevolves around us ultimate selfishness Self absorption is depressing soul shrinking renderingus 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 andintelligence than human beings They are NOT nor were they EVER Isn t this a little much Believing in a Given what we know about variety of.physical creations wouldn t it seem asthough God would have variety inspiritual creatures More About Angels Thomas Aquinas defined them as.separated higher intelligence everyangel is his own species angels not tiedto matter Angels offer praise to God seraphim theburnt 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 theirmission sent to us Gabriel to Mary army of angels in sky at Christmas . Angels can do interface with our worldjust as adults can enter into conversationswith children Our human nature sometimes blocks usfrom believing. What about Satan Devils Satan and other devils demons are a fallen Not God s rival Satan has free will so isallowed to act Devils interface with our world exorcisms. Most often insinuate selves into our worlds Medieval Not really Bible says there isanother level of dysfunction of the fallen spirits Christ has already done battle with them andconquered evil they only have power over us if.we give it to them freely So amidst the spiritual struggle we are stillfree 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 BeatificVision for we will see ourselves clearly If we aren t ready to enter heaven we need to be purified fromour 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 temporalpunishment 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 wewill eventually end up Heaven what we long for Souls in Waiting in Purgatoryneed us We can add to the fires of God s love.by praying remembering them Our united love can aid work of ourpurgation both theirs and ours here Is Scriptural In OT times they prayedfor the dead many references in the. These souls are part of the church justlike we are we can help them andshould do so Purgatory is the great equalizer andis a very beautiful and positive doctrine.about God s love and justice for all ALL SOULS DAY Church setsNOVEMBER 2aside a special day every year toremember the dead who need our prayers. People go to mass or have masses said for theirdead relatives light candles remember We never forget that we will be united with themsomeday in this great Love Memorial for the Dead.Outside grotto dedicated to all whohave died in our parish and to remember to pray forall souls who are waiting It is a holy and wholesome thoughtto pray for the dead .Maccabbees 12 46 Is Prayer on earth the only way outof 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 Indulgence.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 toheaven Some people abused this idea Church got introuble back in the 16th 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 givingalms 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 We will be judged again at the end of time Summary of the whole of the story a vision God gives usthat will show us how threads of history are brought 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 newheaven and new earth Everyone in heaven and purgatory will be SAINTS More . What is theCommunion of Saints All Saints Day Halloween is shortened from All hallow evening the eve of AllHallows Day which is now known as All Saints Day . All Saints Day Nov 1st became placed by Pope Gregory IV in 835 CE All Souls day Nov 2nd in 998 CE What or Who Is a Saint https youtu be 1 eZjWeRUnw Remember . Saints are people in heaven or on their way toheaven All Christians dead and alive are saints The Catholic Church selects some of the mostextraordinary examples does in depth research andcanonizes them . At least two documented miracles have had to occurin their life How do you become a canonized https youtu be lUGRdpRJWYA 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 Creedand 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 thedeep Luke 5 4 Has allowed Jesus to get into his her boat then is.an apprentice to Him learns from Him and falls inlove with Him Invasion of Grace Hebrews 12 1 Therefore since we are surrounded by such a.great cloud of witnesses let us throw offeverything that hinders and the sin that soeasily entangles And let us run withperseverance the race marked out for us .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.