A Catholic guide to the Four Last Things
You were madefor eternity.
Death. Judgment. Hell. Heaven.
Repent of sin. Prepare to meet God.
Remember your end.
Begin to live.
You will die, and you do not know the hour. At death you will stand before Jesus Christ to be judged. He offers you grace now: repent of sin, seek His mercy, and live for the eternal happiness of Heaven.
The salvation of your soul concerns every part of your life. Consider your last end with Scripture, St. Alphonsus, St. Robert Bellarmine, St. Catherine of Genoa, and St. Thomas Aquinas.
“For what doth it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and suffer the loss of his own soul?”
The Four Last Things
Follow the journey, or enter where you need to begin.
What the Church teaches about our last end
You were made for God.
Do not lose Him for eternity.
Your soul was made for a good greater than everything the world can offer. Wealth, pleasure, reputation, and even the love of other creatures cannot be your final happiness. Aquinas teaches that perfect beatitude is found in the vision of God Himself. (Summa I–II, q. 3, a. 8.)
You will die, and you do not know the hour. At death the time of repentance and merit ends, and your soul is judged. Heaven and Hell are eternal. St. Alphonsus therefore places the salvation of the soul above every earthly concern: no success can compensate for losing God, and no later conversion is yours to presume upon. (Preparation for Death, V, XI–XII; Hebrews 9:27.)
Jesus Christ died and rose again to save us. His grace awakens repentance, forgives sin, and makes us children of God; we cannot give ourselves this supernatural life. He calls for our free response, and through His Church gives us the sacraments by which we are brought into His life, restored after grave sin, and strengthened to persevere. (Trent, Session VI, chapters V–VII; Session XIV, chapter I.)
Let these truths govern the life you are living now. If you are conscious of mortal sin, turn to God in contrition and seek sacramental Confession as soon as possible. If you are living in grace, guard that gift and grow in charity. Ask every day for the grace to remain faithful until death. (Trent, Session XIV, chapter IV; Preparation for Death, XXX–XXXI.)
Follow the sources
Heaven is
God Himself,
seen and loved.
Beyond every created joy is the One for whom the soul was made. Let the hope of seeing Him draw your whole life toward holiness.
Desire eternal lifeA consideration for today
Return to St. Alphonsus’s thirty-six considerations, one day at a time. Read slowly, pray, and make a resolution.
Begin with the first considerationA daily reading suggestion. No completion record, scores or streaks.
Return to Christ today.
If you are conscious of mortal sin, turn to God in contrition now and seek sacramental Confession as soon as possible. If you are living in His grace, guard that gift through prayer, the sacraments, penance, and charity. Ask for perseverance until death.