Choose a topic from Part 3a:
1. Christ, by testimony of scripture (Acts 10:42) isappointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. Now, ajudge must have, in addition to jurisdiction, a zeal for justice;he must be wise; he must know truth. The Son of God is wisdomitself eternally begotten; he is Lord and lover of justice; hencehe has perfect qualifications for the function of a judge. St.Augustine (De Vera Relig. xxxi) says: "The Fatherjudges no man, but has given all judgment to the son." Ofcourse, speaking simply, the judicial power is in the Trinity. Forreasons here indicated, it is appropriated to the Son.
2. Even as man, our Lord has power and right to judge.Scripture says (John 5:27) that the Father "hath given himpower to do judgment because he is the Son of man."
3. The judicial or judiciary power belongs to Christ asman because of his divine personality, the dignity of his headship,and the fullness of his habitual grace. This power also belongs toour Lord by reason of his merit. For he who fought for God'sjustice, and won through to victory, though unjustly condemned,should, by divine justice, now be the judge.
4. Since, as scripture says (John 5:22), "the Fatherhath given all judgment to the Son," it is evident that ourLord is judge with reference to all human affairs.
5. A judgment takes place when a man dies. Scripture says(Heb. 9:27): "It is appointed unto men once to die, and afterthis the judgment." There will be another and generaljudgment when all human lives (and the effects of these lives thatcontinue after the lives themselves are ended) will be perfectlyand publicly judged. This judgment will take place on the last day.And Christ our Lord and God will be the judge.
6. Our Lord will also be judge of the angels. Christ hasthe authority to judge the angels; indeed, he delegates theauthority to the apostles, and St. Paul (I Cor. 6:3) says that theapostles will exercise the delegated authority. In the beginning,Christ as the Word of God judged and sentenced the rebel angels.But there are accidental rewards and punishments to bemeted to good and to bad angels; for these the judicial power isvested in our Lord as God Incarnate.
"Spiritual persons ought to be equally ready to experience sweetness and consolation in the things of God, or to suffer and keep their ground in drynesses of spirit and devotion, and for as long as God pleases, without their making any complaint about it."
St Philip Neri
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"To do God's will -- this was the goal upon which the saints constantly fixed their gaze. They were fully persuaded that in this consists the entire perfection of the soul. "
St Alphonsus de Liguori
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"The supreme perfection of man in this life is to be so united to God that all his soul with all its faculties and powers are so gathered into the Lord God that he becomes one spirit with him, and remembers nothing except God, is aware of and recognises nothing but God, but with all his desires unified by the joy of love, he rests contentedly in the enjoyment of his Maker alone."
St Albert the Great
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