“In the beginning God created heaven and earth.” (Gen. 1:1)
To create means to make something out of nothing. God created all
things for His own honor and glory, and for the good of His creatures.
“The
Lord hath made all things for Himself.” (Prov.16:4). “Holy, holy,
holy the Lord God of Hosts, all the earth is full of His glory."
(Is. 6:3).
God not only created the world, He also preserves it and watches over
it with fatherly goodness and wisdom. “Casting all your care upon
Him, for He hath care of you.” (1 Ptr. 5:7). The care which God
takes of the world is called Divine Providence.
God permits sin in the world, because He has given man a free will.
God permits evil in the world that He might draw good from it. Sufferings
and troubles are good for the sinner and the just. They are a means
of conversion for the sinner. They are opportunities to gain greater
merit for the just. “Whom the Lord loveth, He chastiseth." (Heb.
12:6). That God draws good out of evil can be seen from the
history of Joseph of Egypt, and the crucifixion of the Son of God. (Gen.37;1Jn
2:2).
|
 |
Ladder of Creation
|
What is a human being?
A creature who has a body and soul.
"Thou hast made him a little less than the angels, thou hast crowned
him with glory and honor." (Psalm 8:6)
What is the soul?
It is the spiritual part of man, that part which
will never die.
"God said, 'Let us make man to our image and likeness.'"
(Genesis 1:26)
Where is your soul?
In every part of you that is alive.
Is your soul real?
Yes, just as real as your body.
How do you know you have a soul?
You can do spiritual things: You can think,
do things without being forced, decide not to do things, make things, enjoy
a joke or a book or a party, talk, work out mathematical problems, etc...
An animal cannot do any of these things. That which makes you able
to do them is your soul.
Where did your soul come from?
God created your soul and joined it to the tiny
body in your mother's womb.
"And the Lord God formed man of the slime of the earth: and breathed
into his face the breath of life, and man became a living soul."
(Genesis 2:7)
How long will your soul and body stay together?
Until death, which is the separation of body and
soul.
"And the dust return into its earth, from whence it was, and the spirit
return to God Who gave it." (Ecclesiastes 12:7)
"Watch ye therefore, because you know not the day nor the hour."
(Matthew 28:13)
What will happen to your body when you die?
It will rot away to the earth from which it came.
"For dust thou art, and into dust thou shalt return."
(Genesis 3:19)
What will happen to your soul when you die?
It will be judged by God and will go to Heaven,
to Purgatory or to Hell.
"It is appointed unto men once to die, and after this the judgment."
(Hebrews 9:27)
Will your soul ever be joined to your body again?
Yes, on Judgment Day God will call your body back
from the earth and join it to your soul. This will be the resurrection
of the body at the end of the world.
"Behold, I tell you a mystery. We shall all indeed rise again:
but we shall not all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of
an eye, at the last trumpet: for the trumpet shall sound, and the
dead shall rise again incorruptible." (1 Corinthians
15:51-52)
After the Resurrection, will your soul and body be always together?
Yes, both body and soul will be together forever,
either in Heaven or Hell.
"For we must all be manifested before the judgment seat of Christ,
that every one may receive the proper things of the body, according as
he hath done, whether it be good or evil." (2 Corinthians
5:10)
When will Judgment Day be?
Nobody but God knows this.
"But of that day and hour no one knoweth, no not the angels of heaven,
but the Father alone." (Matthew 24:36)
How should you prepare for Judgment Day?
Pray constantly, obey all of God's commandments,
and do penance for your sins.
"And take heed to yourselves, lest perhaps your hearts be overcharged
with surfeiting and drunkenness, and the cares of this life, and that day
come upon you suddenly. For as a snare shall it come upon all that
sit upon the face of the whole earth. Watch ye, therefore, praying
at all times, that you may be accounted worthy to escape all these things
that are to come, and to stand before the Son of man."
(Luke 21:36)
What, then is the true purpose of life?
To live your life according to God's plan and thus
to save your soul.
"For what shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world and suffer
the loss of his soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his
soul?" (Mark 8:36-37)
"Behold now you that say: Today or tomorrow we will go into such
a city, and there we will spend a year, and will traffic, and make our
gain. Whereas you know not what shall happen tomorrow. For
what is your life? It is a vapor which appears for a little while,
and afterwards shall vanish away. For that you should say:
If the Lord will, and if we shall live, we will do this or that."
(James 4:13-15)
|
