The Four Last Things

Maarten van Heemskerck, The Four Last Things (1565)

Have you ever heard of the Four Last Things? Those of you who read from or studied the Baltimore Catechism long ago might remember the phrase. The Four Last Things are those things that come at the end of our lives: they are Death, Judgment, Heaven and Hell. No matter the vicissitudes of our life, the ups and downs, whether we have lived well or poorly, we will all encounter the same basic realities at our lives’ end: Death, when our mortal bodies pass away; Judgment, when we will stand before God face to face and understand our life perfectly as he does; and then finally either Heaven, union with God, or Hell, separation from him.

While it might be a bit sobering to think of all of these things, it is clear that the Church wants us to think of them. In a sense, these Four Last Things should always be before our mind’s eye – not to be frightened by them, but to be ready for them because they are what await us. They should be especially at the forefront of our minds each year as we begin the month of November, when our Church gives us two days to help remind us of these Last Things.

On November 1, we gather for Mass to celebrate and ask the intercession of our brothers and sisters in heaven – those saints, canonized or not, who have passed through death and judgment and who now dwell in God’s presence forever. As we heard in the first reading, they are the ones who “survived the time of great distress” – or as St. Paul said in last Sunday’s readings, they are the ones who have competed well, who have run the race, who have kept the faith. The saints are our forerunners in life; they show us that holiness is possible, and that we too can one day achieve the blessedness they now enjoy.

However, while heaven is our goal and all of life is a kind of contest to reach it, we can’t assume that reaching that heavenly homeland is a guarantee. After all, among the Last Things, the alternative to Heaven is Hell, which we may not like to think of but which is a possibility if we reject God and his commandments, if we fail to run well the race of life. Allow me then to say something briefly about the second day that helps us remember the Four Last Things, the 2nd of November. On All Souls Day, we remember and pray for our loved ones who have passed from this life who are not saints, not yet – they are in need of still some purification (or purgation, which is where the word “purgatory” comes from) to be able to stand in God’s presence.

In recent years, I have noticed a disturbing trend in how many people – even many Catholics – speak about their loved ones who have passed away. They talk as if they know undoubtedly their loved ones are in heaven. While that sentiment might help us when we are grieving, we have to be very careful about presuming we know their fate. We may hope and even believe they are in heaven, but we should never presume such so definitively that we decide they no longer are in need of our prayers. I recall one of the most beautiful homilies I have ever heard was the one given by a priest at the funeral of his father, who was a famous and influential judge. He said to the congregation something to the effect of “Please do not let the love and admiration you had for my father in his earthly life dissuade you from praying fervently for his soul now that he has passed from this world.” Those words have always struck me as so very true. To believe that our loved ones are in the merciful embrace of Jesus is something we all want – but if that leads us to presume that they no longer need our prayers, we do them a great disservice.

Friends, I recently heard someone say, “If the Church isn’t making saints, then she isn’t making sense.” How true that is! The purpose of our faith, and the purpose of our Church, is to get us to heaven. As we begin this month of November, we honor today our brothers and sisters who are there now, rejoicing and helping us with their prayers. Tomorrow, in turn, we offer our prayers for others of our brothers and sisters who still are being purified, awaiting that final glorious vision of God face to face. Most importantly, perhaps, these days help us remember for ourselves the final things of our lives, the Last Things that await us, so that we may be ready to face them. May we strive to compete well in this trial of life – to finish the race, to keep the faith – so that one day we too may enter the glorious presence of that heavenly company.