RCIA Resource – Session 25

The Second Coming and Judgment — Christ the Judge of the Living and the Dead

RCIA – Session 25
This session forms part of a structured introduction to the Catholic Faith used in parish RCIA. It is intended to be read slowly and prayerfully, alongside participation in the life of the Church. This material is offered for formation and reflection. Reception into the Catholic Church always involves personal discernment and parish accompaniment.

Aim of this session

By the end of this session, participants should understand that:

  • Christ will come again in glory
  • history is moving toward a conclusion, not drifting aimlessly
  • every human life matters eternally
  • judgment is an act of truth and justice, not cruelty
  • hope and accountability belong together

This session asks:

How will history end — and what does judgment mean for each of us?

1. History Is Going Somewhere

Many people think of history as:

  • endless repetition
  • random progress
  • eventual collapse

The Church teaches otherwise.

History has:

  • a beginning (creation)
  • a centre (the Redeemer)
  • an end (Christ’s return)

History is not meaningless.
It is purposeful.

2. Christ Will Come Again

The Ascension was not the end of Christ’s work.

The Church teaches:

Christ will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead.

This coming will be:

  • visible
  • definitive
  • final

It will not be:

  • secret
  • gradual
  • symbolic only

Penny Catechism

Q. Will Jesus Christ come again?
A. Yes, Jesus Christ will come again to judge the living and the dead.

3. Why Christ Will Judge

Judgment is necessary because:

  • truth must be revealed
  • justice must be done
  • goodness must be vindicated

Without judgment:

  • evil would have the last word
  • suffering would be meaningless
  • moral choices would not matter

Judgment is not opposed to mercy.
It completes it.

4. The Judge Is the Redeemer

The one who judges is:

  • the same one who suffered
  • the same one who died
  • the same one who rose

This matters deeply.

We are judged by:

the One who loved us unto death.

Judgment is not cold calculation.
It is personal and truthful.

5. Particular Judgment

The Church teaches that:

each person is judged at death

This is called particular judgment.

At death:

  • the soul meets Christ
  • the truth of one’s life is revealed
  • one’s eternal destiny is decided

Penny Catechism

Q. What happens to us when we die?
A. When we die, our soul is judged by God and sent either to heaven, purgatory, or hell.

6. The General Judgment

At the end of time:

  • Christ will judge all publicly
  • the truth of history will be revealed

This is called the general judgment.

It will show:

  • the full consequences of actions
  • the hidden good made visible
  • God’s justice and mercy fully displayed

The general judgment does not change destinies.
It reveals them.

7. Heaven, Hell, and Responsibility

Judgment leads to:

  • heaven: eternal life with God
  • hell: eternal separation from God

These are not:

  • arbitrary assignments
  • punishments imposed without reason

They are:

the final outcome of freely chosen lives.

God does not force rejection.
He respects freedom.

8. Judgment and Hope

Judgment is often feared.

But rightly understood, it gives hope.

It means:

  • injustice will not prevail
  • suffering will be answered
  • goodness will be honoured

Judgment assures us:

Nothing done in truth and love is wasted.

9. Common Difficulties Addressed

“Isn’t judgment harsh?”

Truth is only harsh when we refuse it.

“Why eternal consequences?”

Eternal destiny corresponds to eternal choices.

“Doesn’t mercy cancel judgment?”

Mercy offers forgiveness; judgment reveals acceptance or refusal.

10. What Is Being Asked of You Now

At this stage, you are asked to consider this:

If my life will be judged in truth, how do I want to live now?

That question opens directly onto the life of grace.

11. Questions for the Week

Reflect quietly during the week:

  • Do I live as though my choices matter eternally?
  • How do justice and mercy meet in my understanding of God?
  • What gives me hope when I think of judgment?

12. Closing Summary

Christ reigns now.
Christ will come again.

Judgment means:

  • truth revealed
  • justice fulfilled
  • love vindicated

History ends not in chaos, but in Christ.

Next week we will ask:

Who is the Holy Ghost — and how does God give us His life now?

Optional Closing Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ,
You will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead.
Give us hearts ready for truth,
lives shaped by love,
and hope rooted in Your mercy.
Amen.