Saints LightWhat Happens the Moment We Die?
At the moment of death, Christ judges each soul in truth and love, and it goes to heaven, to purgatory on the way to heaven, or to hell.
What this lesson teaches
- At death the soul separates from the body and goes to meet God.
- Each person is judged immediately at death in the particular judgment.
- The soul then enters heaven, purgatory leading to heaven, or hell.
- The judge is Christ, who judges in truth and in love.
Catechism paragraphs this lesson cites
- CCC 1013
- CCC 1021-1022
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.
Scripture read in this lesson: Hebrews 9:27; Luke 23:43.
A sample question from this lesson
When does the particular judgment take place?
- Only at the end of the world
- Immediately at the moment of death
- After a thousand years of sleep
- Whenever the person's family stops praying for them
Show the answer
Immediately at the moment of death. The Church teaches that each soul is judged at the very moment of death (CCC 1022).
The lesson in the app has three questions, each with an explanation.
Words to know
- Particular judgment
- The judgment each person receives from Christ immediately after death, deciding their eternal destiny.
More terms in the Catholic glossary. More passages in the Scripture index.
Read the full lesson in the app
"What Happens the Moment We Die?" is lesson 2 of Death, Judgment, Heaven and Hell. In Saints Light you get the whole teaching, the Scripture quoted in full, all three questions and a step to live it this week.
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Related lessons
- The End of the Story: Death, Judgment and Heaven (Start Here, free)
- and life everlasting. Amen. (The Creed, free)