Question About Death

[RyanCV]

Hopefully someone has some insight here. I have always been told that when a person dies, angels come to escort them to heaven. I’ve also hear that angels don’t come, you go straight to Jesus alone to be judges. I personally like to believe that angels come to escort you. It’s a calming sense for me. I am curious though. When the angels come, does your saint come as well? This crossed my mind a few days or so ago. Anyone know or share my opinion? Thanks and God bless!

 

[GEddie]

Hopefully someone has some insight here. I have always been told that when a person dies, angels come to escort them to heaven. I’ve also hear that angels don’t come, you go straight to Jesus alone to be judges. I personally like to believe that angels come to escort you. It’s a calming sense for me. I am curious though. When the angels come, does your saint come as well? This crossed my mind a few days or so ago. Anyone know or share my opinion?

The one specific account our LORD gave for the human afterlife, in Luke 16:19-31, has angels carrying Lazarus to Abraham. Presumably, if this was done for Lazarus, it could easily be done for you or me.

There were no “saints” at the time that Lazarus would have lived, since he lived during “BC.” But one or more saints (your name-saint? more than one? your birth-date saint?) could easily make the journey to attend your death and comfort you. Since Abraham was the closest to a “saint” they had during BC, you could say that “saints” do comfort the recently dead.

The Jews have Abraham, we have our LORD. And personally, I hope that HE HIMself will collect me when the time comes, since I will doubtless be horribly afraid, unless HE is holding me…

Thanks and God bless!

And you likewise!

ICXC NIKA!

 

[CMatt25]

I have a question about death too. As I understand it according to a search I did on the apologetics forum, while Sacramental forgiveness thru Confession and Anointing are norms, the Church does not say they are an absolute necessity for the forgivnesss of mortal sin. I assume obviously because there are cases where a person has not received recent Sacraments for whatever reason prior to their moment of death and no one knows their desire to have done so, their contrition or heart at that moment besides God.

I know prayers said in subsequent Masses for the deceased can potentially help in shortening any stay in purgatory if they are there. In traditional Catholicism, if there is not a funeral Mass for the deceased but a Catholic service at a funeral home instead, do the prayers there still help in regard to any possible stay in purgatory?

 

[white_sheep]

I have a question about death too. As I understand it according to a search I did on the apologetics forum, while Sacramental forgiveness thru Confession and Anointing are norms, the Church does not say they are an absolute necessity for the forgivnesss of mortal sin. I assume obviously because there are cases where a person has not received recent Sacraments for whatever reason prior to their moment of death and no one knows their desire to have done so, their contrition or heart at that moment besides God.

I know prayers said in subsequent Masses for the deceased can potentially help in shortening any stay in purgatory if they are there. In traditional Catholicism, if there is not a funeral Mass for the deceased but a Catholic service at a funeral home instead, do the prayers there still help in regard to any possible stay in purgatory?

Yes, they do. We should pray for the poor souls in purgatory frequently.

 

[CMatt25]

Yes, they do. We should pray for the poor souls in purgatory frequently.

Thanks. I wanted to make sure in traditional Catholicism a funeral Mass was not an absolute necessity. Your answer helps. Indeed let us pray for one another. The living and the dead. Thanks again. God bless.

 

[white_sheep]

Thanks. I wanted to make sure in traditional Catholicism a funeral Mass was not an absolute necessity. Your answer helps. Indeed let us pray for one another. The living and the dead. Thanks again. God bless.

I don’t know what you mean by absolute necessity. It is not something that should be skipped.

 

[CMatt25]

I don’t know what you mean by absolute necessity. It is not something that should be skipped.

I only wondered if it was considered an absolute necessity in order for the deceased to have a chance at salvation in the heavenly kingdom. But if prayers in lieu of a full funeral Mass can also help speed a release from purgatory if in fact the deceased’s soul is there, then I only assumed it not to be an absolute necessity. I understand though Catholics believe a funeral Mass is certainly the ideal preference.

 

[LovedMyAlydar]

I believe that your guardian angel would be the one to escort you to the partial judgment after you die.

 

[ConstantineTG]

There were no “saints” at the time that Lazarus would have lived, since he lived during "BC

Pressumably the parable happened in the present day when Jesus taught it, that would already have been AD because AD should have began when Jesus was born, not after he died.

But one or more saints (your name-saint? more than one? your birth-date saint?) could easily make the journey to attend your death and comfort you. Since Abraham was the closest to a “saint” they had during BC, you could say that “saints” do comfort the recently dead.

The Jews have Abraham, we have our LORD. And personally, I hope that HE HIMself will collect me when the time comes, since I will doubtless be horribly afraid, unless HE is holding me…

And you likewise!

ICXC NIKA!

Its not about Abraham being their saint. He’s their patriarch. They are who they are because of Abraham and God’s promise to him. They have many prophets who they look up to.

 

[GEddie]

Pressumably the parable happened in the present day when Jesus taught it, that would already have been AD because AD should have began when Jesus was born, not after he died.

Indeed, and I know that; however, if Lazarus et al did not live in HIS generation, it would still have been BC.

It works either way, as there were no “saints” as we know them, until sometime after AD100.

Its not about Abraham being their saint. He’s their patriarch. They are who they are because of Abraham and God’s promise to him. They have many prophets who they look up to.

Abraham is still the closest to a Saint they would have known. There was no “Communion of Saints” in BC (or AD31); however they apparently expected to see Abraham in the next life.

ICXC NIKA

 

[corsair]

Right. The Gates of Heaven were closed to All until Christ ascended into heaven. According to author John Salza, immediately after death we go to the “particular judgement”. Most will go to purgatory for purification. Others go directly to hell. Very few go directly to heaven.

So all “just souls” prior to Christs death and ascension, went to a purgatory-like place, awaiting the opening of heaven.

Salza’s book on Purgatory is fascinating.