We Catholics firmly believe in the Resurrection of Jesus and His Ascension to Heaven. Similarly, we firmly believe in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ at the end of time. When that day comes, every person who has ever lived on earth, and has died, will be resurrected; the deceased physical body will be reunited to the soul. Thus, people will face God and receive His Final Judgment, in the flesh. All will be there- civilizations’ greatest and most awful people you learned about in your History classes, the most famous celebrities and the ‘nobodies,’ the holiest saints and the worst sinners, the oldest of your ancestors… every one. You and I, too, will rise from the dead (unless we are still alive in the last days and we become living witnesses to the Lord’s Second Coming).
The Resurrection of Christ, and our own resurrection, in the credo
The reality that the bodies of the dead would rise up someday may sound terrifying, exciting and touching, all at the same time. No matter how we all feel about it, the resurrection of the dead, also referred to as the “resurrection of the body,” is not simply symbolism; it’s neither a spiritual wish nor a prediction. It will definitely and absolutely happen, sooner or later, because of the Resurrection… of Christ’s Resurrection. Jesus is the principal and sole source of our own resurrection:
“Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep… for just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ shall all be brought to life.” (1 Corinthians 15:20-22; Catechism of the Catholic Church, 655).
There are evil people and things around us, and it’s usually difficult to understand what’s happening with the world given the secularism of nonbelievers and the hypocrisy of some ‘believers.’ In spite of that, for the faithful members of the Church, we are certain of this – our future resurrection. We even profess it in the Nicene Creed – “…and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.” That Christ Himself has risen from the dead “above all constitutes the confirmation of all Christ’s works and teachings. All truths, even those most inaccessible to human reason, find their justification if Christ by His Resurrection has given proof of His divine authority, which he had promised” (Catechism, 651).
Triumph of our Faith
No one has ever come back from the dead. Only Jesus Christ has, because He is God.
“When you lifted up the Son of man, then you will know that I am He.” (John 8:28)
He did raise people from the dead, including the 12 year-old daughter of Jarius, the only son of the widow of Naim, and his friend, Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha. But they did not ‘resurrect.’ They only continued their life on earth, and had to die on earth a second time. Only Our Lord did resurrect. Jesus, through His Resurrection, rose from the dead in a glorified existence, which did not end and never ever will.
Saint Paul the Apostle said,
“And if Christ has not been raised, then empty [too] is our preaching; empty, too, your faith.”
– 1 Corinthians 15:14
Everything would have been in vain if not for the Resurrection, Saint Paul the Apostle reminds us. But because of the Resurrection, our Catholic Faith has full meaning and genuine purpose. We live our Faith and strive to be just and good because we know the truth that there is God, and the truth of His promise that one day, we will share in the glory of Christ’s Resurrection. Jesus will gather His flock of sheep who truly heard His voice and followed His commands, as they lived on earth, to live for eternity in Heaven with Him.
Segregating the Sheep from the Goats
Particular judgment tells us that the souls of the people who already died are immediately sent to either Heaven, Hell or Purgatory. But their bodies are left on earth to decay. Sooner or later, at the end of the world, because of the power of the Resurrection, both the just and the wicked will be resurrected from the dead. The Fourth Lateran Council decreed, Christ “will come at the end of the world… and all will rise with their own bodies which they now have so that they may receive according to their works, whether good or bad.” (1215)
“For an hour is coming in which all those in their tombs shall hear His voice and come forth. Those who have done right shall rise to live; the evildoers shall rise to be damned.” (John 5:28-29)
The souls of the just who lived a righteous life and died in state of grace will rise and their bodies will be “glorified bodies,” like the glorified Body of Jesus Christ Who lives “in the right hand of the Father.” The just, once resurrected, will never have a second death, because God “will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Apocalypse 21:4)
However, the Church warns that not all resurrection of men would lead to glory; the souls of the wicked who lived an unrighteous life and died in state of mortal sin will also rise but not be glorified at all. Such people would burn in Hell because of their own choosing or doing. They will never see the face of God, nor live with Him. Instead, they will live with Lucifer and the rest of the demons for eternity. Those who do not live according to the teachings of the Faith; those unjust people who wrong others; those who tolerate evil, openly or secretly, despite their knowledge of what is moral and immoral; they will also be resurrected but only to die a second death.
“For the cowardly, the faithless, the polluted, the murderers, fornicators, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their lot shall be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” (Apocalypse 21:8)
Therefore, the Resurrection of Jesus is a powerful reminder to us of “the definitive triumph of good over evil” (Catechism, 681). After the resurrection of the dead, Jesus will separate the sheep from the goats for only He truly knows which. “When he comes at the end of time to judge the living and the dead, the glorious Christ will reveal the secret disposition of hearts and will render to each man according to his works, and according to his acceptance or refusal of grace” (Catechism, 682).
Glorified Bodies
It’s kind of easy to imagine how the bodies of the damned will be. So now we’ll focus on the glorified bodies of the elect.
My family and I read a superb e-book about the Apocalypse, called Rapture: The End-Times Error That Leaves the Bible Behind, which we bought from Sophia Institute Press. The author, David B. Currie, mentioned the 4 qualities that the “glorified bodies” will have, as discerned by Catholic theologians. Here they are, in the order according to St. Paul:
1. Incorruptibility. It is also known as impassability. Our new bodies will not be susceptible to the elements, as are our present bodies. Temperature, food, stress, and pain will no longer affect us. As St. John states, we “shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore, the sun shall not strike [us], nor any scorching heat” (Apocalypse 7:16).
* Let me add that our new bodies will be free from any physical evil, sickness and death.
2. Clarity. The second glorious aspect of our new bodies has been described as clarity. An example of this quality can be found in the Transfiguration of Christ. Jesus’ face “shone like the sun” (Matthew 17:2). It seems that the glorious joy of being with God overflows from the soul into the body. The body brims up with this joy and becomes virtually luminous! This is what awaits those who love God!*
* I believe that our new bodies will be filled with the highest possible beauty; that is, the most beautiful version of our looks now.
3. Agility. Our new bodies will have agility — that is, they will have powers that at present belong only to the mind. For example, presently we can imagine ourselves in a certain place instantaneously. After the resurrection, the body will accompany the mind at the same lightning speed. To this of being in another location will be no swifter than traveling there in our glorified bodies. The mechanics of this are hard to comprehend, but we know that Jesus moved at will through space in His glorified body. Our abilities will be similar, because our bodies will be like His.
* I have always imagined that if I go to Heaven, I would be able to see one place that I dreamed of seeing- the home at Nazareth, where the Holy Family, Jesus, Mary and Joseph, resided. Despite numerous archeological discoveries, no one knows exactly where it once stood. Meaning, pilgrimages can’t take you there. I’ve wondered ever since if in Heaven, God might allow us, with our resurrected and glorified bodies, to be able to visit sacred places that still belonged to Earth, such as the holiest home.
* If we go to Heaven, and this is just my opinion, there’s a probability that we could ‘go’ to the holiest places we only ever dreamed of seeing, whether because people don’t know where it actually is, like the Holy Family’s lovely home at Nazareth, or because we don’t have the financial means. My other dream is to go to Our Lady of Lourdes to get blessed in the water, and see the incorrupt body of one of my most beloved Saints, Saint Bernadette Soubirous. But I don’t have the means right now. It’s somehow also my wish to see Jerusalem. But because of the dangers of traveling to those places these days due to conflicts, I don’t want to travel there, and many people are discouraged for the same reason. I think though that in the New Heavenly Jerusalem at the end of time, given our resurrected bodies’ agility, as described by St. Paul, we might be able to revisit those places that once existed on earth, and they would be in their most glorious spiritual form.
* So brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, do not worry if you do not have the means at present to go on trips to sacred sites. I know many unholy people, who, technically, are living in state of grave sin, but were able to join pilgrimages. But I also know many holy people who deserve to join pilgrimages but do not have the chance or means. Those undeserving people probably needed to see them now, as they won’t be able to, at the end of time. And those deserving ones that couldn’t do so now, will go to Heaven someday, and there, God will reward them with places that surpass all imagination.
4. Subtlety. Finally, our glorified bodies will have subtlety; that is, they will be spiritual. This does not mean they will not be physical, but that the physical will be completely controlled by the spiritual. The best illustration of this can be found in the body of the resurrected Christ. His body was able to pass through walls and doors, yet at another time He could eat fish. His body was real and physical, but did exactly what He demanded of it (John 20:19, 26). It might seem like a trivialization, but in sense it boils down to “mind over matter.”
* I think this means that our bodies will no longer be bound by the desires of the human flesh because the holy desires of our spirits will prevail.
***
Conclusion
We have learned that if we go to Heaven (prayerfully, we will), whatever bodily imperfections we have, either aesthetically or something that our overall health suffers from, our glorified bodies will make up for it, in the holiest way. So let us not forfeit such grace for our souls by joining other people’s constant pursuit of vanity and pleasures.
Let us be reminded that while it takes, perhaps, a couple of hours a day to work out, to ‘lose’ weight, or to ‘look’ good and ‘feel’ beautiful, we have seen from the Saints that it takes a whole lifetime to ‘live’ moral and righteous lives and be able to actually ‘perfect the real beauty’ of our souls and ‘gain’ Heaven.
“Maranatha! Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!”
Saint Joseph, pray for us!
Blessed Virgin Mary, pray for us!
Amen.
She graduated cum laude from the University of Santo Tomas, the country's Pontifical and Catholic university, with an AB in Legal Management and minor units in Theology.
As an unmarried woman, prayer holds a central place in her daily life, with a focus on the Rosary and the Divine Office. Embodying her faith, she emphasizes the growth of her inner spiritual life, guided by the wisdom of Carmelite spirituality.
God manifested to her in a unique and radical manner, which made her know Who He truly is and led her to total surrender of her life to Him.
She has studied the Bible with her family, developing a particular fondness for the Old Testament.
Her adorable and intelligent toy poodle is a delightful companion in her daily life, bringing warmth and joy to her home.
Her hobbies include reading about everything, learning Japanese and German, listening to music and playing the flute.
In her leisure time, she enjoys gaming on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch OLED, Nintendo 3DS, iOS and OS, and collecting things related to PlayStation and Nintendo.
Email: [email protected]
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“PRAISE BE TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST”
GOOD morning,
Because I’m not able to attend MY church because of physical health issues at this time, I watch “THE EUCHARIST” on television.
I wanted to be more of a participant in the readings, I began going online to finding out WHO had the daily MASS in full view.
AND, “PRAISE BE TO GOD,” I FOUND YOU!!!!
THANK YOU EVER SO KINDLY, for having MASS online, & to help keeping meh on point with my beliefs with our “AWESOME TRIO!!!!”
You are always in my prayers, and I wish for you, all of GOD’S wonderfulness and blessings.
MAY HE CONTINUE UR site TIL the end of time.
VERY SINCERELY,
“A TRUE FAN 4 LIFE!!!!”
“JESUS!!!!!!!”