Meditations on Death in Advent Part Nine

Continuing with the theme of death this Advent, I am so happy that the Pope addressed the final judgement this morning in his general audience. The entire piece is worth reading, but I took out two ideas. The first is that Christ is with us when we are judged. The second, which is more apropos for my meditations, is that we have chances daily to repent and prepare for that particular, as well as, general judgement.

By the way, our guardian angel is with us at both judgments as well. I am looking for the saint or saints from where I picked up these ideas......Ah, found one-from the great saint, Jose Maria Escriva.

The Guardian Angel always accompanies us as our principal witness. It is he who, at your particular judgement, will remember the kind deeds you performed for Our Lord throughout your life. Furthermore, when you feel lost, before the terrible accusations of the enemy, your Angel will present those intimate desires of your heart — which perhaps you yourself might have forgotten — those proofs of love which you might have had for God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit.

That is why you must never forget your Guardian Angel, and that Prince of Heaven shall not abandon you now, or at that decisive moment. http://www.escrivaworks.org/book/furrow-point-693.htm

Am looking for the other idea on the last judgement....

Today, the meditation is on that moment we stand before Christ, seeing all of our sins. We judge ourselves, seeing what we did and what we could have done.

I believe that the sins of omission are more common in Catholics.

One's examination of conscience could reveal all the things one could have done and did not do.

But, we must be repentant. There are many confused Catholics who really believe that everyone is going to heaven or purgatory.

Not so....and that will be the topic of the next few meditations in Advent on death.

“God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him”. “This means, then, that the judgement is already in process, throughout our existence. This judgement is pronounced in every instant in our lives, as reflected in our acceptance in faith of salvation, present and through the work of Christ, or in our incredulity and our consequent self-centredness. Salvation means opening oneself to Jesus.


If we are sinners, the Lord forgives us, but we must open ourselves to Jesus’ love, which is greater than all things; and opening up means repenting”.

http://vassallomalta.wordpress.com/2013/12/11/general-audience-we-will-not-be-alone-at-the-final-judgement/