The four last things
Ben Franklin is said to have quipped: Nothing is certain but death and taxes. And if you are not sure what a tax is, a fine is a tax for doing wrong; and a tax is a fine for doing well.
Catholic tradition has it that the four last things are death, judgment, heaven, and hell. These are ultimate realities we all face. Contemplating them will essentially guide us toward what truly matters. A grasp of these will lead us to a meaningful and virtuous existence.
Victor Frankl, a holocaust survivor said that meaning is the central human motivational force in life. Sigmund Freud believed it to be pleasure. In Man’s Search for Meaning Frankl proposes that we should not ask about the meaning of life but recognize that life is asking us about the meaning of our lives. We will answer for our lives. That is what we will face when we meet God.
In facing these four last things we realize quickly enough that we need to live life with intensity, with the enthusiasm that befits our calling as Christians. Death is inevitable. We must simply make the most of our time.
If I die tomorrow, I’ll be with the Lord.
If I live tomorrow, the Lord will be with me.
Either way, I belong to the Him. And I can never
thank Him enough for staying by my side.
(Based on Romans 14:8)
Judgment involves the particular judgment at the moment of death, where the eternal destiny of the soul is decided, and the general judgment at the end of time, when Christ will return. Belief in judgment calls for a life of accountability, where one’s actions and decisions are judged not only by human standards, but also by divine justice and mercy.
Heaven is our ultimate hope. Being with God in peace, joy, and love is the fulfillment of our destiny. In Elizabeth Kubler Ross’s On Life After Death a twelve year old describes a near death experience: “...[She was] travelling to an indescribable landscape full of love and beauty …through the places and processes to universes whose center was love and where all questions were answered instantly in an explosion of light.”
Hell signifies an eternal separation from God. This is not God’s will for anyone, but our freedom to choose to reject God’s love makes hell possible. It is unfathomable to imagine someone choosing hell as a destiny. The idea of hell is indeed sobering, serving as a powerful reminder of the seriousness of our moral choices and the potential consequences of turning away from divine truth.
Pain is one aspect of life all of us face. It is as inevitable as the four last things. The Lord has a plan for our suffering. When we see Christ’s image in our suffering, then our pain and agony, united to Christ’s suffering, is working to redeem us all.
Sister Thea Bowman, dying of cancer, chose pain relievers so she could continue to work. Conflicted about whether to die or live and serve she prayed, “Lord, let me live until I die.” Asked by Father John Ford what he should say at her funeral she quoted abolitionist Sojourner Truth, “I am not going to die. I’m going home like a shooting star.”
Think of all the hints God gives us about heaven: sunshine, starlight, dancing, birdsong, clouds, landscape and love! “Nothing can ever separate us from God’s love” (Romans 8:39).
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