First, there has been an almost complete loss of any sense of the “drama of salvation”, namely that the eternal outcome of our lives is an open question. If you ask churchgoers today what they think happens to them when we die, many of them will say that we go to heaven, not judgment (cf Hebrews 9:27).
Second, there has been a loss of any distinction between the life of nature and the life of grace. Much teaching and pastoral example today implies that being a Catholic is simply one way to cultivate civic virtue and good manners. What has largely been forgotten is the meaning and importance of sanctifying grace, by which we become adopted children of God, enjoying the gift of second-person relatedness to God, the ultimate fruit of which is to enter the communion of saints in heaven.
There is a good article on this at the Catholic Herald The Church must challenge the idea that life on earth always ends with heaven
2 comments:
A timely message!
It very much is. I just would love of Funeral Masses were much more explict in the Homily about reminding people to pray for peoples souls and not assume they are there yet
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