Day 96: The Church's Ultimate Trial

Before Christ's second coming the Church must pass through a final trial that will shake the faith of many believers. The persecution that accompanies her pilgrimage on earth will unveil the "mystery of iniquity" in the form of a religious deception offering men an apparent solution to their problems at the price of apostasy from the truth. the supreme religious deception is that of the Antichrist, a pseudo-messianism by which man glorifies himself in place of God and of his Messiah come in the flesh. CCC 675

In today's reading, the Catechism speaks of the End Times, which, given that we do not know exactly when this will happen, it's safer to say are soon rather than not. The Antichrist will deceive many, within and outside the Church. The evil powers will have one last go at challenging God in trying to break His Church, which ultimately will fail. Some misguided souls believe in a rapture, during which the righteous of God will be removed from the earth in the blink of an eye to not suffer through such times. Yet such is not in accordance with Scripture nor the examples given to us by Christ Himself, the Apostles, and many Christians throughout the last 2,000 years. We are called to be His witnesses and as such "should expect to follow our Lord in his death, in being misunderstood, rejected, hated, and killed" (p. 196). Or to put it another way, we are to "take up [our] cross" and if we lose our lives for His sake, will find it again (Matt 16:24-26).

Yet it is not just the Antichrist himself we should turn away from, but the evil that he can try and sow within our hearts. As the Catechism Companion, Vol I puts it:

Humanity can be tempted to glorify itself - and put education, politics, good deeds, technology, science, or other people in place of God. While such things can be good, every time we replace God with them, we are turning away from him. This is idolatry. (p. 196)

Christ will judge all of us at the end of our lives and at the end of time, as "the conduct of each one and the secrets of hearts be brought to light" (CCC 678). The Catechism closes today's reading, except for a couple of "In Brief" points, in part with this sobering reminder that puts into words what the unrepentant sinner should feel looking at Michelangelo's fresco below: 

By rejecting grace in this life, one already judges oneself, receives according to one's works, and can even condemn oneself for all eternity by rejecting the Spirit of love. CCC 679

The Last Judgment by Michelangelo (1536-41), Sistine Chapel, Vatican City

Christ came first in humility and meekness, but at the end of time, he will come in glory and splendor to judge the living and the dead. (p. 197)