Spirituality

Particular and Final Judgment

quick ideas about particular and final judgment. What will we be judged on? How will the judgment be?

1. What is the particular judgment?

Immediately after death, the particular judgment takes place, where each soul receives the reward or punishment that its works deserve. And it goes to heaven or to hell. Or perhaps to purgatory for a time.

2. What will we be judged on?

God our Lord will judge us on:

The good things we have done, including good desires.
The good things we have failed to do (omissions).
The bad things we have done, including bad thoughts.
The consequences of our actions.

3. What will the criterion of measurement be?

In his judgment, the Lord with his infinite wisdom will measure our actions according to how they conformed to the divine will, taking into account the gifts each one has received.

4. How will the particular judgment be?

Very little is known about this. It might be something like this: after death, the soul does not yet see God, but encounters the divine majesty, his love, justice, and mercy. Then there are three possible reactions:

If someone dies without having repented of their serious sins, they are incapable of accepting divine love and are condemned to hell forever.
When one dies in grace, but without having done the penance that their sins required, they feel the call of divine love and accept it forever, but see the need to purify themselves before being able to see God, and go temporarily to purgatory. This happens to most people.
Some very holy people are taken directly to the vision of God forever.

5. What is the final judgment?

At the end of the world, bodies will rise (resurrection) united with their souls to receive together the same reward or punishment that the soul had already assumed.

6. Why should there be a final judgment? Is the particular one not enough?

The sentence is the same, but a final judgment is fitting so that the sentences are public, divine justice is appreciated, and God's glory increases.

7. Will everything be known at the final judgment?

At the final judgment, the good and bad works of each person will come to light publicly, with their consequences. Including omissions or good works that were left undone.

The good will receive public honor for their good actions, although on earth they may have gone unnoticed. Their sins already confessed and purified will have no importance except to applaud their contrition and divine mercy. For example, Saint Peter will be greatly celebrated for being the rock upon which the Church was built; his denials have no and will have no relevance: his repentance is what counts.
The condemned will suffer the public confusion and dishonor that their obstinacy deserves.