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89. Persons to be Present at the Last Judgment

1. Christ our Lord will come to judge all men. Scripture says(John 5:22): "The Father hath given all judgment to theSon." Yet there will be holy men associated with our Lord, andthese are said to judge, but the active and effectualjudgment will be that of Christ alone. The apostles, for instance,are thus to sit in judgment with our Lord, for scripture says(Matt. 19:28): "You [apostles] also shall sit on twelve seatsjudging the twelve tribes of Israel."

2. Those saints who will be privileged to sit with Christthe judge, and thus to judge with him, will all be saints notablefor the virtue of voluntary poverty. For this virtue makes a manfree from all creatural influence, and therefore disposes him wellfor the office of a judge.

3. The angels, who have not man's nature, will not bejudges of men. But they will minister to the Judge by gathering allmen before his judgment seat (Matt. 13:41).

4. The fallen angels will carry out upon the damned, thesentence of the Judge; for sinners, by their sin, subjectthemselves voluntarily to the devil and his minions, and it isfitting that they should be punished by the same evil spirits.

5. All human beings without exception, will be present atthe general judgment. For we read in scripture (Apoc. 1:7):"Behold, he cometh with the clouds, and every eye shall seehim."

6. The good who love God perfectly will be submitted to nojudgment beyond being assigned to their reward. The good who areimperfect will be judged as to their imperfections, but will besaved.

7. The evil will be judged and sentenced to eternalpunishment of a degree and intensity determined by the degree oftheir guilt.

8. The angels will not be judged at the general judgmentof mankind. For the judgment of angels has already occurred.Scripture says (John 16:11): "The prince of this world [thatis, the devil, a fallen angel] is already judged."

"Let persons in the world sanctify themselves in their own houses, for neither the court, professions, or labour, are any hindrance to the service of God."
St Philip Neri

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"A single act of uniformity with the divine will suffices to make a saint."
St Alphonsus de Liguori

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"Does our conduct correspond with our Faith?"
The Cure D'Ars

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