As I get older I realize that my life is moving closer to the end. Not trying to be morbid but it will be a reality. Maybe I have one day, one year, or 30 years. I don’t know.
As I reflect on this, I wonder about my judgment from God. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) teaches us that at the moment of our death we will have our Particular Judgment (CCC No. 1022). How will I do? Where will I end up? Will God ask me why I chose to do things good or bad?
If God were to ask me questions, how would I answer? How would I justify what I did? Did I help the poor? Did I work for justice? Did I judge others? Did I gossip? Did I ruin someone’s reputation? Did I work to end abortion or did I aid in abortion by supporting those who promote it? Did I lie or cheat? Did I obey the Ten Commandments? The list is very long.
Our world and country and even our Church are being bombarded by secularism. It seems to me that popular opinion, political correctness and the judicial opinions on the bench are replacing God’s ways and commandments. I think today that many people in general do not think much about sin. The lines for the confessional are way too short. The reality is that we are all accountable to God for our sins. The Church still teaches about heaven, purgatory and hell (CCC Nos.1023, 1030, 1033). We are fully responsible for our eternal destiny, no one else.
Perhaps if we all thought about our actions in what we say and do in relation to God we could change many things that are around us. He desires us to do his will. His love, forgiveness and mercy are abundant. I am so grateful for the sacrament of reconciliation. It is there where I feel his love, forgiveness and mercy. With God’s grace maybe God’s questions for me will be not be too tough or too long.
(Scott Inman of Bettendorf is a member of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Bettendorf.)
