the individual judgment by Christ of each human being at the moment Church Militant: the members of the Church in heaven.

Transcription

1 Level 6, Lesson Plan 22, Chapters 29 and 30: "Passage Into Eternity" and "Heaven-Purgatory-Hell" Dinner with Father (5:30-6:30) Primary Aim: Are you ready to be dead? Materials: Bibles, evaluations, pencils, rosaries, Prayer handout, YOUTUBE videos and projection system Key Words (Vocabulary): Particular Judgment: after death. the individual judgment by Christ of each human being at the moment Church Triumphant: the saints in heaven. Church Suffering: the souls in purgatory. Church Militant: the members of the Church in heaven. Explanation 1. Opening Prayer and Scripture (6:30-6:35 PM) Opening Prayer: The Lord bless us and keep us! The Lord let his face shine upon us, and be gracious to us? The Lord look upon us kindly and give us peace? Amen. (Numbers 6:24-26) or Return, my soul, to your rest; the Lord has been good to you. For my soul has been freed from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling. I shall walk before the Lord in the land of the living. (Psalm 116:7-9) Catholic Prayer: "Hail Mary" (with emphasis on "...and at the hour of our death. Amen") Scripture Reading: Matthew 25:1-13 (maiden and lamps) 2. Activity (6:35-6:55 PM) View YOUTUBE videos from Audio Adrenaline - "My Father's House", and Kris Allen- "Live Like You Were Dying" 3. "Death" (6:55-6:57 PM) Man is a body-soul unity created by God. (Review) o Body is material. It enables us to move around, to feel, to see, to taste, to hear, etc.

2 Matter is limiting (e.g., if you continue to put things in a box, eventually the box will be full). o Soul is spiritual. It enables us to think/know/learn, to love, to communicate, etc. The human soul is immortal and without physical limits (e.g., you can always love more). The effects of original sin are: o Suffering and death. o Disharmony of the flesh. Concupiscence. Disharmony between male and female. Disharmony between man and animals. o Loss of grace and separation from God. o Labor needed to learn things, etc. Death is the separation of the body and the soul. o This separation leaves the body without any life (it is limited), and it returns to dust. o The souls, however, is immortal since it is spiritual; it lives forever in our eternal reward. 4. "Happy Death" (6:57-7:00 PM) We know that to go to heaven, we must have Jesus' life of grace in our soul. o Grace is something that we have, or do not have. o If we are in mortal sin, we do not have grace because our sinful actions have killed that grace in our souls. o If we have confessed our sins, God restores that grace and we must nurture it. How do we get grace necessary for salvation? o Baptism. o Penance. o Anointing of the Sick. How do we grow in grace and strength? (Have students give examples.) o Sacraments. o Prayer. o Good works. 5. "Particular Judgment" (7:00-7:05 PM) What is the Particular Judgment? o It is the moment of truth at the end of lives when we will be judged by Jesus (the highest authority). o On what will be judged? Our: Thoughts. Words. Actions. Omissions. o God knows all of these.

3 The Particular Judgment is immediate upon our death. We will know with certain clarity three things: o (1) The exact balance of good and bad in our life and what we truly are. Often we deceive ourselves because we do not want to know the truth. We think that our sins are not as bad as others, or we rationalize them (I had to do this because...). When we commit venial sin, it disposes us to commit mortal sins; the change may be so gradual that we might not realize how bad we have become. Our actions determine our being. * A person who steals things is a thief. * A person who lies is a liar. * A person who commits adultery is an adulterer. * A person who sins is a sinner. o (2) The perfect justice of our future lot (heaven or hell). We merit either heaven or hell by how we live our lives. When we see our lives in the fullness of the truth we will understand God's justice and accept our eternal reward. o (3) The presence of the Divine Judge, Jesus. Jesus is the judge, and we will know this and the certainty of the truths he revealed while on earth. We should rejoice at being in the presence of God! 6. "Readiness" (7:05-7:07 PM) We should be aware that we will die, and we do not know when. o Often, when we are young, we think that we will live until a very old age. o Some people die young. o It is important that we accept this and are ready---for we do not know the day or the hour. To be ready for death we must: o Be in and stay in the state of grace: We should seek confession as soon as we commit a grave sin. Do not wait out of pride. We should be sorry for our sins and seek reconciliation with God as soon as we can. Know our faith. o Pope Benedict XIV said: "A great number of those who are condemned to eternal punishment suffer that everlasting calamity because of ignorance of those mysteries of Faith which must be known and believed in order to be numbered among the elect. o We have a grave responsibility to know our Faith, so we can live in relationship with God. We should live in a way pleasing to God. We should: o Follow God's will. o Live a sacramental life. o Keep his commandments. o Pray.

4 o Be holy. 7. "Heaven" (7:07-7:10 PM) Man is created to be in God's friendship and to live with God for all eternity. o In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve walked with God---and they would never have died. It is only because of original sin that this was lost. By the death and Resurrection of Jesus, this friendship and eternal reward were restored. (Read the following two quotes and explain to the student the glory we shall see in heaven and that the happiness we will obtain will be beyond all we can imagine.) o Saint Paul says: "What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him" (1 Cor. 2:9). o Saint John says: "We are God's children now; it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is" (1 John 3:2). 8. "Purgatory" (7:10-7:15 PM) Purgatory is a state of purification. o It cleanses the souls of those who died in the state of grace from venial sins and the temporal punishment due to sin. o It is a process which allows the souls that are saved to achieve the holiness necessary to enter heaven. Is purgatory in Scriptures? Read and discuss the following passages: o Romans 5:1-5 (Why does Saint Paul rejoice in his sufferings?) o 1 Corinthians 3: What should be the foundation of our life? If Jesus is the foundation of our life, where will we go after death? How will the deeds or words of those going to heaven be tested? o Matthew 5: What does Jesus ask us to do? What will we avoid if we do what he asks? There is an expression that refers to the "debt of sin." What does Jesus mean when he says "You will never get out until you have paid the last penny"? o 2 Maccabees 12: What is the noble deed done by Judas? Why should we pray for the dead? An indulgence is a "remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains under certain prescribed conditions through the action of the Church, which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfaction of Christ and the saints" (Paul VI, Indulgentiarum Doctrina, 1). o There are two kinds: Partial indulgences remove part of the temporal punishment due to sin.

5 Plenary indulgences completely remove all of our time in purgatory. 9. "Communion of Saints" (7:15-7:20 PM) The Mystical Body of Christ, the Church of Christ, and the Communion of Saints, all refer to the same thing---all those who are united in Christ: o The faithful of Christ on earth are called the Church Militant. These souls are striving for salvation. The following are essential for this: * Belief (Creed). * Right living (moral life). * Christian life (with others, through the Church). o The holy souls in purgatory are called the Church Suffering. These souls are saved and died in the state of grace. They are being purified of their venial sins and punishments due to sin. They are growing in holiness so they can enter heaven. o The just in heaven refers to the souls in the Church Triumphant. They are triumphant because they live in the presence of God. God's pure spirits, the angels, are in heaven. The canonized saints are in heaven---those canonized by the Church. The saints are in heaven---all those who died in God's grace and are with him forever, sharing in God's own life. The Communion of Saints interact with each other. o Those on earth can pray for each other, for those in purgatory, and can ask for the intercession of those: On earth. In heaven. In purgatory. o Those in purgatory cannot pray for themselves and need the prayers of those: On earth. In heaven. 10. "Hell" (7:20-7:25 PM) Hell is real. o It is a state of eternal suffering in which the condemned are banished from the presence of God. o We find evidence of hell in the Scriptures: o (Have the students read and discuss the following passages:) Those cast into hell: Mt 25: Enemies: Mt 5:22. Those who reject Jesus: Mt:10: Tempting to sin: Mk 9: Unfaithful servant: Lk 19: o Can the students see the evil done in each action which merits condemnation? The loss of God is the greatest pain in hell. o We are made for God and to live with him forever. o To reject God irrevocably gives the soul nothing to hope for.

6 Each soul is alone in its own condemnation. o Imagine being alone for a week: Seeing no one. Speaking to no one. Having no one with whom to share your joys and sufferings. o So it is in hell---only forever. o There are no "friends" in hell. o Since one chooses to go to hell by choosing self over God and everyone else, one is condemned to isolation. God has tremendous mercy. o He does not desire that even one soul be condemned to hell. o God offers his mercy to all who seek it during their lives. o His living mercy is so great that it can forgive all of humankind's sins. o Certainly that is greater than even our worst sins. o We must never despair. o We must turn to Christ to seek his mercy in the Sacrament of Penance. 7. Evaluation (7:25-7:30 PM) Fill in the blank and True or False answer key. 1. Death is the separation of the body and soul. 2. At death, the body dies and falls back to dust while the soul lives forever. 3. Hell is a state of eternal suffering in which the condemned are banished from the presence of God. 4. Purgatory is a state of purification. 5. The greatest pain in hell is the loss of God. 6. Heaven is being with and loving God forever. Write one or more petitions to pray during our Intercessory Prayers. For We pray to the Lord. Conclusion: prayer in the Church (7:30-8:00 pm) Exposition Hymn: Father I adore you Intercessory Prayers Divine Mercy Chaplet

7 Hymn: Sanctuary Benediction Divine Praises Hymn: "Give Me Jesus"