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Chapter 12DoctPuer.1.12

De Judici

The General Resurrection and Final Judgment

The chapter opens with a description of the resurrection of the dead and the return of Christ to judge the world based on the record of every person's life.

When the number of the saints who will be in glory is complete—in the thrones from which the demons fell—then there will be a general resurrection of the good and the wicked, and all will come to hear the final judgment, from which no one will be able to appeal or make an excuse.✦✦✦ On that marvelous day, human bodies will rise again—bodies that are now dust and ash in the earth, waiting for the sentence the Son of God will deliver on the day of judgment.✦ Then bone will join to bone, each arm will be reunited with its hand, every limb will regain its form, and each soul will be restored to the very body it inhabited in this world. If God has created everything that exists out of nothing to show his great power, you can reckon, son, that God will raise the dead to show his great justice; and every person will rise again to receive the reward for what they have done, and each will come with their book in which the good and the evil they have done in this world will be written; and each will have to give an account before the Son of God. On that day you'll see the Son of God, who will come in the clouds with the angels of heaven, and he will show his wounds through which the blood flowed on the day of the Passion, when he recreated the human race.✦

The Eternal Separation of Souls

Christ, the merciful yet just judge, will separate the righteous from the wicked, assigning them to their eternal destinies of glory or punishment.

That day will be very pleasing to all who have been His servants in this world, and it will be very hateful to all who have died in this world in sin.1 Dear son, the one who will pass the sentence of infinite glory and everlasting punishment will be our Lord Jesus Christ, the son of our lady Saint Mary, who came into this world to suffer Passion and death in order to restore the human race that was lost.2 That glorious and just Judge I've been speaking of will say: "Go, you blessed ones, into the heavenly kingdom to receive everlasting glory; and go, you cursed ones, into the fires of hell to receive everlasting punishment."3 On that very day the saints will go into glory and the sinners into torment; and forever the saints will be in glory and the sinners in torment.✦

The Inescapable Reality of the Account

The author contrasts the blessedness of those who have suffered for Christ with the wretchedness of those who arrive at judgment empty-handed and unable to hide from God.

Ah, my son, and how blessed those will be who give their account to the Son of God, showing the wounds and the hardships they have endured for him in this world!4 And how wretched those will be who arrive on that dangerous day empty-handed, having nothing to offer the Son of God—who will call them to account with the wounds of his body and the passion he suffered for love of them.5 On that day the sinners will rise again; but they will not be able to escape the sentence, for God is in every place and above all things.✦ They won't be able to hide, nor will they be able to resist; neither prayers nor excuses will do them any good.✦6

A Father's Warning on Salvation

The author addresses his son directly, expressing his desire for his son's salvation while warning that worldly attachments, even to one's children, must not supersede the glory of God.

You are dear to my soul, son; let us remember that I have begotten you, and I have hope that you may be saved.7 You will be hateful to me, son, if I see you a sinner and your sins show me that you may be damned.8 If someone could be sure of having just sons, dear servants of God, it would be a good thing to want sons; but since most people in the world live in sin, for what reason then, son, are you desirable, and why should anyone lose the glory of God for the sake of his son?✦9

Read the original Latin

Con lo nombre será complit dels sants qui seerán en gloria en les cadires don los demonis son cahuts, adonchs será resurreccio general dels bons e dels mals, e tuyt vendrán oyr la darrera sentencia de la qual nuyl hom nos porá apellar ne escusar.

En aquell día maravellós resuscitarán los cors dels homens, los quals cors están en pols e en cendra en la térra e esperant la sentencia que será donada al dia del juy per lo Fill de Deu.

Adoncs ajustará un os ab altre, e cada bras cobrará sa má, e cascun membre sa forma, e cada anima cobrará son cors metex en lo qual era en aquest mon.

Si Deus ha creat tot quant es de no res a demostrar son gran poder, aesmar pots, fill, que Deus volrá resuscitar los homens morts, a demostrar sa gran justicia; e cascun home resuscitará per reebre guardó de so que aurá fet, e cascun vendrá ab son libre en lo qual serán escrits los bens els mals que aurán fets en aquest mon; e cascun aurá a retre compte devant lo Fill de Deu.

En aquell dia vourás lo Fill de Deu, qui vendrá en les nuus ab los ángels del cel, e mostrará ses nafres per les quals exi la sanch, al dia de la passio, con recreá lumanal linatge.

Aquell dia será molt agradable a tots aquells qui serán estats en aquest mon sos servidors, e será molt airable a tots aquells qui serán morts en aquest mon en peccat.

Amable fill, aquell qui dará la sentencia de gloria infinida e de pena perdurable, será nostro Senyor Jhesu Christ, fill de nostra dona Sancta María, lo qual vene en aquest mon pendre passio e mort per restaurar lumanal linatge qui era perdut.

Aquell gloriós dreturer jutge de qui yot parle, dirá: — Anats, benuyrats, al regne celestial aver gloria perpetual, e anats, maluyrats, en los fochs infernals aver pena perdurable.

En aquell dia metex irán los sants en gloria e los peccadors en pena; e per tots temps los sants serán en gloria e los peccadors en pena.

¡Ah, fill, e con serán benuyrats aquells qui ferán retret al Fill de Deu, mostrant les nafres els trebays que per ell aurán sostenguts en aquest mon! e tan maluyrats serán aquells qui al dia perillos vendrán ab les mans buydes e no aurán de que fassen retret al Fill de Deu, quils ferá retret ab ses nafres de son cors e ab la passió que sostench per amor dells.

En aquell dia aurán los peccadors resurreccio; mas no porán fugir a la sentencia, car Deus es en tots lochs e sobre totes coses. Amagar nos porán ne constrestar no porán; ne prechs ne escusacions res no ls valrá.

Amable est, fill, a ma anima, corremembrem, fill, que yot he engenrat e he esperansa que síes salvat. Ahirable me serás, fill, sit veg peccador e los teus peccats me signifiquen que tu sies dampnat.

Qui fos segur daver filis justs, amables servidors de Deu, bona cosa fóra desijar filis; mas car los demés homens del mon son en peccats: ¿per qual rahó dones, fill, est desirable, ne per qué per son fill pert nuyl hom la gloria de Deu?

Scripture echoes

  1. ↩John.5.28-John.5.29;Acts.24.15;Matt.25.31-Matt.25.46 — Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs will hear his voice John.5.29 — and they will come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment. Acts.24.15 — I have hope in God—which they themselves also await—that there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous. Matt.25.31 — When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Matt.25.32 — And all the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate them from one another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. Matt.25.33 — And he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at his left. Matt.25.34 — Then the King will say to those at his right hand, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.' Matt.25.35 — For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you welcomed me in; Matt.25.36 — I was naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you visited me; I was in prison and you came to me. Matt.25.37 — Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?' Matt.25.38 — And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? Matt.25.39 — Or when did we see you sick or in prison, and did not come to you? Matt.25.40 — And the King will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.' Matt.25.41 — Then he will also say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.' Matt.25.42 — For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, Matt.25.43 — I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me. Matt.25.44 — Then they also will answer, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not serve you?' Matt.25.45 — Then he will answer them, saying, 'Truly I tell you, as much as you did not do it for one of the least of these, you did not do it for me.' Matt.25.46 — And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.
  2. ↩Luke.10.18;Rev.12.7-Rev.12.9 — He said to them, "I watched Satan fall from heaven like lightning." Rev.12.7 — And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. Rev.12.8 — And they did not prevail, and no place was found for them any longer in heaven. Rev.12.9 — And the great dragon was thrown down—the ancient serpent, the one called the Devil and Satan, the one who deceives the whole world. He was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
  3. ↩Rom.14.10-Rom.14.12;2Cor.5.10;Rev.20.11-Rev.20.15 — But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. Rom.14.11 — For it is written, 'As I live, says the Lord, to me every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess to God.' Rom.14.12 — So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God. 2Cor.5.10 — For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what has been done through the body, whether good or evil. Rev.20.11 — Then I saw a great white throne and the one seated on it. From his presence the earth and the sky fled away, and no place was found for them. Rev.20.12 — And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to their works. Rev.20.13 — And the sea gave up the dead that were in it, and Death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each one was judged according to their deeds. Rev.20.14 — And Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death—the lake of fire. Rev.20.15 — And if anyone was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
  4. ↩Gen.3.19;Job.42.6 — By the sweat of your brow you shall eat bread, until you return to the ground, for from it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return. Job.42.6 — Therefore I despise myself, and I repent in dust and ashes.
  5. ↩Rev.1.7 — Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of him. Yes, Amen.
  6. ↩Matt.25.31-Matt.25.46 — When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Matt.25.32 — And all the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate them from one another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. Matt.25.33 — And he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at his left. Matt.25.34 — Then the King will say to those at his right hand, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.' Matt.25.35 — For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you welcomed me in; Matt.25.36 — I was naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you visited me; I was in prison and you came to me. Matt.25.37 — Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?' Matt.25.38 — And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? Matt.25.39 — Or when did we see you sick or in prison, and did not come to you? Matt.25.40 — And the King will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.' Matt.25.41 — Then he will also say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.' Matt.25.42 — For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, Matt.25.43 — I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me. Matt.25.44 — Then they also will answer, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not serve you?' Matt.25.45 — Then he will answer them, saying, 'Truly I tell you, as much as you did not do it for one of the least of these, you did not do it for me.' Matt.25.46 — And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.
  7. ↩John.5.28-John.5.29;Acts.24.15 — Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs will hear his voice John.5.29 — and they will come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment. Acts.24.15 — I have hope in God—which they themselves also await—that there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.
  8. ↩Amos.9.2-Amos.9.3 — Though they dig into Sheol, from there my hand will take them; and though they climb up to heaven, from there I will bring them down. Amos.9.3 — And if they hide themselves on the top of Carmel, from there I will search them out and take them; and if they conceal themselves from my sight in the bottom of the sea, from there I will command the serpent, and it will bite them.
  9. ↩Matt.10.37;Luke.14.26;Matt.16.26;Mark.8.36 — Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Luke.14.26 — If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters — yes, even his own life — he cannot be my disciple. Matt.16.26 — For what will it benefit a person if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will a person give in exchange for their life? Mark.8.36 — For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?

Notes

  1. 1 ↩Medieval Catalan airable (from airar, to hate) means odious/hateful; rendered as “hateful” to keep the tight parallel with agradable (“pleasing”).
  2. 2 ↩Catalan 'lumanal linatge' is read as 'l'humanal linatge' (the human race/lineage), a standard medieval Catalan form with article elision; not Latin.
  3. 3 ↩Medieval Catalan yot is the clitic form jo·t (“I … to you”); rendered as “I've been speaking of.” dreturer = just/righteous; maluyrats pairs with benuyrats and is rendered “cursed” (accursed/wretched), matching the judicial dual address.
  4. 4 ↩Medieval Catalan fer retret can mean present an account/report or reproach. Here the parallel with showing wounds and labors favors 'give their account' (present what they have suffered).
  5. 5 ↩Same retret lemma as s1: first as the sinners' missing account to present; second as Christ's reproach/calling to account by means of his wounds and passion. Rendered to keep the judicial parallel.
  6. 6 ↩Reading Amagar nos porán as Amagar no·s porán (‘they will not be able to hide themselves’), matching the parallel ne … no porán construction; constrestar taken as contrastar, ‘resist/oppose’.
  7. 7 ↩Medieval form treated as remembrar (let us remember); the cor- element may be heart (cor) fused to the verb, but the main force is joint recollection.
  8. 8 ↩From ahirar (to hate); rendered hateful to keep the deliberate contrast with amable (dear/lovable) in s1.
  9. 9 ↩Catalan ne here joins the second rhetorical question as 'and/nor' (not a final/purpose clause), parallel to 'per qual rahó… / per qué…'.

Doctrine for Children — Opening companion

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