Community in Mission - Blog of the Archdiocese of Washington

This is the Fifth in a series of articles on the Four Last Things: Death, Judgment, Heaven and Hell.
I’ve often been impressed by the ability of old African-American spirituals to treat serious subjects in a clear, memorable, and almost joyful way. This is true even of weighty matters like sin and judgment. During early November we are focused on the...

This is the fourth in a series of articles on the Four Last Things: Death, Judgment, Heaven and Hell.
We turn our attention now to the judgment that awaits us all. Scripture speaks in the Book of Hebrews speaks rather plainly to this day for us all:
It is appointed for us to die once, and after that to face judgment (Heb 9:27)....

This is the third in a series of articles on the Four Last Things: Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell.
Yesterday we pondered the fear of death and some understandable reasons for it, but we also considered how a lack of lively faith can lead to a fear of death that is unchristian. As St. Paul admonishes regarding death,...

This is the second in a series of articles on the Four Last Things: Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell.
For us faithful, the day we die is the greatest day of our life on this earth. Even if some final purification awaits us, the beatific vision for which we long lies just ahead; our exile in this valley of tears is ended....