The End

What do we believe about the end of the world and the final judgment of mankind?

Just as the world had a beginning in time, so it will have an end. As Jesus explains in today’s gospel, there will come a day when the sun and moon will no longer shine and the stars will fall from the sky. There will come a point when history will have run its course and the earth will be no more.

God has not revealed to us when this end will come. As Jesus tells us, “But of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” Therefore, if anyone claims to know when the end of the world will take place they are liars and deceivers. Throughout history there have been those claiming to have secret knowledge of the day and hour of Christ’s coming, but they have been wrong. Only God knows when that day will come, and there will be no doubt when it does come.

As we profess in our creed, at the end of the world, Christ will come in glory to judge the living and the dead. Jesus tells us, “And then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.” When Jesus came among us the first time at His birth, it was in a quiet way. He was born in a humble manger. It was witnessed to only by Our Blessed Mother, Saint Joseph and some meek shepherds. However, when Jesus comes again it will be in great glory. He will reveal His victory over evil for all the world to see. There will be no doubt that He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Saint Paul tells us that every knee will bend before Him. Even the greatest sinner will be forced to acknowledge along with the greatest saint that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Scripture teaches us that when Jesus comes it will be to judge the living and dead. God has left us His word in the Bible and has guided humanity through the centuries by the teaching of the Church. At His Second Coming, Jesus will call each of us to account as to how we have lived up to our faith. The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us:

                        Then will the conduct of each one and the secrets of hearts

                        be brought to light... Our attitude about our neighbor will

                        disclose acceptance or refusal of grace and divine love.

                        On the Last Day Jesus will say: “Truly I say to you, as

                        you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you

                        did it to me.”

The words of Jesus should give us pause. Each of us will have to give an account of the choices we have made in this life. Each of us will stand before Jesus to answer for how we have put to use the blessings He has given us. Every day of our lives we should keep this in mind. As Saint James tells us, “Always speak and act as people destined for judgement under the law of love.” It is true that God is exceedingly merciful and we can trust that He will treat us with love and tenderness. But it is also true that He is a just judge who will bring to light all that is hidden in our hearts both the good and the evil. If we do not want to stand in shame before Him, we must work today to amend our lives and accept the grace to make choices that will be pleasing to our Heavenly Father.

Finally, the Church teaches us that the end of the world will come after a time of great upheaval. It will be a time when people everywhere will be rejecting the word of God to put a false optimism in human achievement in its place. When this happens, the Church will be persecuted as “backwards” and as an obstacle to progress. Then all believers will have to decide whether they will be swept up in the tide or whether they will stand up for the eternal truths of the Gospel. Will we abandon our faith for the fashion of the day or will we persevere in the teaching handed down to us from Jesus who tells us that “Heaven and earth will pass away but my words will not pass away”? How we decide will determine how it will go for us on Judgment Day.

It has been the unwavering teaching of the Church that the world will end and Christ will come to judge the living and the dead. As followers of Jesus, we should stay sober and alert. At every moment of our lives we have the opportunity to accept or reject the grace that God is offering us. By accepting His offer of love and friendship we can be assured that we will spend eternity in Heaven with Him. So we should not fear the end of the world and our final judgment but prepare for it through prayer and good works. We should also await it with confidence because Jesus took on the punishment we deserve by dying on the cross for us. If He has loved us so much, then we can be assured that He will treat us with mercy if we have lived a life of faith. Let us give our hearts over to him without reserve so that we can have the grace to persevere to the end and be examples of hope to a world that has fallen into despair.