Death: Clarification regarding Catholic Theology

[Bookcat]

PS: from the original question – we profess the “communion of the saints” --part of such is that we (the saints on earth) are in communion with the saints in heaven! They can pray for us and they do. Something that is quite conscious non-sleepy event They are more awake than we are…

 

[Consigliere]

I wish I would have joined this forum sooner, many of you have such wonderful and helpful comments to questions.

I appreciate the comfort in knowing that there are people out there who are willing to devote time, patience and kindness to the pursuit of the knowledge and (attempted) understanding of our Catholic Faith.

It is my own hope that I can become somewhat knowledgeable in this area to at least be capable of addressing some of the basic questions that my own children have, as to know dissuade them or ever make them doubt as a result of my own ineptitude.

 

[Bookcat]

I wish I would have joined this forum sooner, many of you have such wonderful and helpful comments to questions.

I appreciate the comfort in knowing that there are people out there who are willing to devote time, patience and kindness to the pursuit of the knowledge and (attempted) understanding of our Catholic Faith.

It is my own hope that I can become somewhat knowledgeable in this area to at least be capable of addressing some of the basic questions that my own children have, as to know dissuade them or ever make them doubt as a result of my own ineptitude.

We are all in this together…

Let us seek ever to know the truth and to love the truth – and above all He Who is Truth and the Way and the Life

(Suggestion-- get both the Compendium of the Catechism issued by Pope Benedict XVI and the Catechism and read and read and read --they are such wonderful works )

 

[Espo_Mama]

The particular Judgement (emphasis mine)
1022 Each man receives his eternal retribution in his immortal soul at the very moment of his death, in a particular judgment that refers his life to Christ: either entrance into the blessedness of heaven-through a purification or immediately, or immediate and everlasting damnation.

Think of the story Jesus tells of the rich man and Lazarus. Luke 16:19-31 Both die. Do they have memory intellect and will fully functional? Absolutely.

We are created, both body and soul by God. The soul lives forever, it is immortal. It doesn’t die, it doesn’t sleep. The body otoh, is mortal, it dies. At death of the body, our soul and body seperate. The body is buried, our soul is immediately judged and we know immediately where we will spend eternity. One might ask how do we “know” anything, without a body, particularly without a brain where understanding and thinking occurs? What animated the body, including the brain, giving it life? It’s the soul. The soul then carries into eternity memory intellect & will fully functional. The body will rise in the resurrection of the dead, at the end of the world, whenever that is. The resurrected body and soul, are reunited. Those who are in hell are now in hell body and soul, those in heaven are now in heaven body and soul, purgatory ceases to exist.

Thank you for all the responses. This one in particular helped clarify my understanding.

I’m a very new Catholic so bear with me. But why do we even need to have a physical body in heaven? Isn’t the function of the body to live on earth? The body has blood that circulates, lungs that breathe air, etc. Why even have a resurrected body in heaven? What would be the purpose? Why isn’t the immortal soul enough?

 

[GEddie]

Thank you for all the responses. This one in particular helped clarify my understanding.

I’m a very new Catholic so bear with me. But why do we even need to have a physical body in heaven? Isn’t the function of the body to live on earth? The body has blood that circulates, lungs that breathe air, etc. Why even have a resurrected body in heaven? What would be the purpose? Why isn’t the immortal soul enough?

You need your body to make you someBODY!

Seeing, smelling, moving, knowing, etc. require a body and are indispensable to being a complete human being.

And it won’t be the standard-issue human body either. Think of your resurrectional self as “Body 2.0” reshaped for Heavenly life.

ICXC NIKA

 

[Bookcat]

Thank you for all the responses. This one in particular helped clarify my understanding.

I’m a very new Catholic so bear with me. But why do we even need to have a physical body in heaven? Isn’t the function of the body to live on earth? The body has blood that circulates, lungs that breathe air, etc. Why even have a resurrected body in heaven? What would be the purpose? Why isn’t the immortal soul enough?

We are human persons (not Angels) we are to have a glorified body …and there will be “new heaven and new earth”…

scborromeo.org/ccc/p123a12.htm#1042 (scroll up slightly)

 

[steve_b]

Thank you for all the responses. This one in particular helped clarify my understanding.

I’m a very new Catholic so bear with me. But why do we even need to have a physical body in heaven? Isn’t the function of the body to live on earth? The body has blood that circulates, lungs that breathe air, etc. Why even have a resurrected body in heaven? What would be the purpose? Why isn’t the immortal soul enough?

We are made to the image and likeness of God. Jesus is that perfect image we follow. He is body and soul, He lived His life perfectly, and just as his body and soul seperated at death so does ours. His body and soul reunited at His resurrection, and so does ours. Therefore, in His image, our body and soul together are meant to be together again, only perfectly so. For us, the soul is judged first at our death, and if necessary cleansed before entry into heaven. The body otoh waits till the end of the world, whenever that is. At the resurrection, body is joined to the soul. At the end of the world, if the soul has been in heaven, the soul is now in heaven body and soul. If the soul has been in hell, they are now in hell body and soul.