FINAL COMMUNION WITH GOD

69 In Christ Jesus and through his mystery, the faithful already in this earthly life hopefully await "our Lord Jesus Christ, who will give a new form to this lowly body of ours and remake it according 10 the pattern of his glorified body" (Phil. 3, 21; cf. 1 Cor. 15). The very last realities, however, will become manifest and perfect when and only when Christ comes with power, as Judge of the living and the dead, to bring history to its end and ho hand over his people to the Father, SO that "God may be ail in ail" (1 Cor. 15, 24-28). Until "the Lord corms in his majesty, and al the angels with him, and until death is destroyed and ail things are subject b him, some of his disciples are pilgrims on earth, some have finished this life and are being purified, and others are in glory, beholding clearly God himself three and one, as he is"

(LG, 49).

On the day of the Lord’s coming, the entire Church will reach hem perfection and enter into the fullness of God. This is the very foundation of the hope and prayer of Christians ("Thy kingdom come"). Catechesis on the subject of the last things

- should, on the one hand, be taught under the aspect of consolation, of hope, and of salutary fear (cf. 1 Thess. 4, 18), of which modem men have such great need; on the other hand, it should

- be imparted in such a way that the whole truth can be seen. It is

- net right t minimise the grave responsibility which every one has regarding his future destiny. Catechesis can not pass over in silence the judgement after death of each man, or the expiatory punishments of Purgatory, or the sad and lamentable reality of eternal death, or the final judgement. On that day each man will fully arrive al his destiny, because ail of us will be revealed "before the tribunal of Christ, se that each one may receive the recompense, good or bad, according to his life in the body" (2 Cor. 5, 10), and "those who have done right shah miss ho live; the evildoers shah rise 10 be damned" (John 5, 29; cf. LG, 48).