Saints Lightfrom there He will come to judge the living and the dead
Jesus will come again in glory at a time no one knows, and He will judge every person by love. The judge is our Savior, so the best preparation is to receive His mercy and share it.
The Creed now looks forward. The same Jesus who ascended will return in glory. The angels at the Ascension said so plainly: this Jesus shall so come, as you have seen him going into heaven. The Church calls this the Second Coming.
When? No one knows. Only the Father knows the day and the hour (CCC 673, 1040). This is why the Church has never approved any prediction of the date, and why Christians should be wary of anyone who claims to know it. What we are asked to do is be ready at every moment, as if He might come today.
Meanwhile, Christ already reigns. Since the Ascension, His kingdom is present in the Church, like a seed already growing, though not yet in its full glory (CCC 669-670). The Church teaches that before His return, she will pass through a final trial that will shake the faith of many (CCC 675). We are not told this to frighten us, but so that we will not lose heart when faith is tested.
To judge the living and the dead means everyone: those still alive when He comes, and all who have died before. Each of us meets Christ at death in the particular judgment. At the end of time, in the Last Judgment, the truth of every life and of all history will be revealed before everyone (CCC 1038-1039). Then we will understand how God brought good out of every evil, and that His love is stronger than death.
What is the judgment based on? Jesus told us in advance. In Matthew 25, the King separates people by one question: what did you do for the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick and the prisoner? As long as you did it to one of these my least brethren, you did it to me. We will be judged by love (CCC 678).
This should bring comfort as well as seriousness. The judge is not a stranger. He is the Redeemer who died for the very people He judges (CCC 679). He knows every hidden effort and every struggle. The best way to prepare for His judgment is to accept His mercy now, and to show mercy to others.
Key points
- Christ will return in glory, but no one knows the day or the hour.
- His kingdom is already present in the Church and will be fulfilled at His return.
- Everyone, living and dead, will be judged, first at death and finally at the Last Judgment.
- We will be judged by love, and our judge is the Redeemer who died for us.
The Word of God
And when the Son of man shall come in his majesty, and all the angels with him, then shall he sit upon the seat of his majesty. And all nations shall be gathered together before him, and he shall separate them one from another, as the shepherd separateth the sheep from the goats:
And the king answering, shall say to them: Amen I say to you, as long as you did it to one of these my least brethren, you did it to me.
I charge thee, before God and Jesus Christ, who shall judge the living and the dead, by his coming, and his kingdom:
Catechism paragraphs for this lesson
- CCC 668-674
- CCC 675-677
- CCC 678-682
- CCC 1038-1041
CCC means the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Saints Light teaches it in its own words and never quotes it. Look up any paragraph in a printed copy or at vatican.va. See every lesson by paragraph in the Catechism index.
From the tradition
Q. When will Christ judge us? A. Christ will judge us immediately after our death, and on the last day.
Live it this week
Read Matthew 25:31-46 this week. Then choose one of the works it names (feeding the hungry, visiting the sick, welcoming a stranger, visiting a prisoner) and do one concrete act of it before Sunday, even a small one.
Check yourself: three questions
1. When will Christ return?
- In a year that can be calculated from Scripture
- On a date revealed only to the Pope
- Never, the Second Coming is only a symbol
- At a time known only to the Father
Show the answer
At a time known only to the Father. Only the Father knows the day and the hour of Christ's return (CCC 673, 1040).
2. According to Matthew 25, what is the standard of the judgment?
- Love shown to Christ in the least of His brethren
- How much Scripture a person memorized
- Whether a person was successful in life
- How many prayers a person said
Show the answer
Love shown to Christ in the least of His brethren. The King judges by what was done for the hungry, sick, stranger and prisoner: as long as you did it to these, you did it to me (CCC 678).
3. Why should Christ's judgment bring comfort as well as seriousness?
- Because judgment will not really happen
- Because only very wicked people will be judged
- Because the judge is the Redeemer who died for us
- Because everyone automatically passes
Show the answer
Because the judge is the Redeemer who died for us. Christ has the right to judge as the Redeemer of the world, who acquired that right by His cross (CCC 679).
Words to know
- Second Coming
- Christ's return in glory at the end of time.
- Last Judgment
- The judgment of all people at Christ's return, when the truth of every life is revealed.
More terms in the Catholic glossary. More passages in the Scripture index.
For catechists: a one hour class plan
Goal. The group should understand that Christ will come again to judge the living and the dead, and take to heart that we will be judged by love by a judge who is our Redeemer.
Opener. Ask: "Did you grow up hearing about the end of the world or the Second Coming? Was it frightening or hopeful?" Let people share. Some may have encountered end-times predictions; acknowledge that.
Discussion questions
- Jesus says no one knows the day or the hour. What should we make of people who predict dates? [The Church does not; our task is readiness, not calculation.]
- What is the difference between the particular judgment at death and the Last Judgment? [Both are real; the lesson explains. Keep it simple.]
- Matthew 25 says we will be judged on how we treated the least. Who are the least in our town today? [Make it concrete and local. Avoid turning it political.]
- How does knowing the judge is our Savior change how we feel about judgment? [Fear gives way to trust and to mercy received and shared.]
Activity. Read Matthew 25:31-46 aloud together. Then as a group, list on a board the six works of mercy named in the passage. Each person picks one and writes a concrete plan to do it before next week (for example, visiting an elderly neighbor). If the group wants, plan a small shared work of mercy for a future week.
Closing prayer. Lord Jesus, You will come again in glory, and You meet us now in the hungry, the sick, the stranger and the prisoner. Open our eyes to see You in them. When You come, may You find us ready, full of the mercy we have received from You. Amen.
Timing. Opening prayer 5 min, opener 5 min, read the lesson together 15 min, discussion 18 min, activity 12 min, closing 5 min.
Related lessons
- When Will Jesus Come Again? (The Last Things)
- The End of the Story: Death, Judgment and Heaven (Start Here, free)
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