THE FOUR LAST THINGS AND THE FAILURE TO TEACH THEM AT THE CORE OF THE CRISIS

I am astounded that many Catholics today hear nothing at Mass or at catechetical programs about the four last things: death, judgment, heaven, hell. Not hearing this implies that there isn't anything after this life which has implications for how one lives this life, for better or for worse.

But it also means that people don't think they have to give an accounting for their life at their personal  judgement, that there is no need for purification and perfection of the soul or the possiblility that God could condemn them to the everlasting fires of hell and that in this regard, God's judgement is perfect. Anyone in hell deserves it.

I listened to the grandfather of one of the young people murdered in California. He sounded like an orthodox Catholic to me, although he might have been something else. He said that life is fragil and there is evil and people die everyday in one way or another and sometimes in tragic unexpected ways. That's life--that's this fallen world we live in and we must be prepared for the hour when we least expect, our earthly lives will come to an expected or unexpected conclusion.

Maybe these sentiments are fatalistic. But they are realistic and rooted in the theology of the fallen, disordered world in which we live and which so many refuse to believe or accept. Even the word disordered is seen as some sort of hate language. It isn't. It is the truth about who we are because of Original and actual sin.

In terms of the devastating and ongoing sex abuse crisis in the Church, Fr. John Jenkins, no ultra traditionalist, and president of Notre Dame University,  has some sound and hopeful advice for people my age and older:

The priest also noted that there’s a different attitude among the students and “my generation,” because those in their 50s or 60s have had to deal with the crisis for the past 30 years, while younger generations haven’t. This, he said, could help explain why he hasn’t seen diminished Mass attendance on campus.

“It’s the older people who have this sort of frustration, a yearning to think, see if we can do it better, get it right this time,” he said, noting that a crisis of the magnitude the Church is facing in America forces people to consider why they’re part of the institution and what it means.

“It can lead to a return to some deeper roots and the sources of faith, the mystery of salvation in Christ. That’s an opportunity, but I think that it’s up to the leadership of the Church to respond to the challenge,” he said.

What is the opportunity for the Church? To teach effectively the four last things, death, judgement, heaven and hell. We must teach that each of us must receive the gift of our personal salivation. The "I" of the Nicene and Apostles' Creed is more important than ever. The "I" of the creeds hasn't been taught to my generation until rather recently after having been illicitly removed from the Nicene Creed in 1970's illicit and ideological English translation of the Mass and only recently restored. 

Working for "my personal" salivation is critical and must be taught to all!