Page:PracticalCommentaryOnHolyScripture.djvu/674

 hungry, or  thirsty,  or  a stranger,  or  naked,  or  sick,  or  in  prison, and did  not  minister  to  Thee?’  Then  He  shall  answer  them: ‘Amen, I say  to  you,  as  long  as  you  did  it  not  to  one  of  these least ones,  neither  did  you  do  it  to  Me.'  And  these  shall  go  into everlasting punishment,  but  the  just  into  life  everlasting.”

Jesus our  Judge. The  judgment  at  the  end  of  the  world  will  be held  by  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ;  and  our  Redeemer  will  then  be  our Judge. The Son  of  God  came  into  the  world  the  first  time  in  poverty and lowliness:  when  He  comes  again  to  judge  us,  He  will  come  in power,  glory  and  great  majesty. Then those  will  tremble  who  have not believed  in  Him,  or  who  have  despised  His  commandments,  His Church, and  His  Sacraments.

The Angels also  will  take  part  in  accusing  the  wicked,  and  bearing testimony to  the  just. Then, after  the  judgment,  they  will  take  God’s chosen ones,  whose  guardians  and  protectors  they  were  on  earth,  into the eternal  joy  of  the  heavenly  marriage-feast.

The judgment  will  be  general.  All  men,  though  they  have  been already judged  privately,  will  stand  before  God’s  judgment-seat,  and be judged  together  and  openly.

The Divine  Judge  will  equally  make  known  the  good  works  of  the just and  the  evil  deeds  of  the  wicked,  so  that  the  former  may  publicly receive their  merited  praise  and  reward,  and  the  latter  may  be  put  to open  shame;  and  men  and  angels  may  know  and  confess  the  justice of the  Divine  Judge.

The law  by  which  men  will  be  judged  is  that  first  commandment of Christ,  the  law  of  love  which  contains  in  itself  all  the  other  commandments. He who  for  the  love  of  our  Lord  has,  according  to  his ability, done  good  to  his  fellow-men,  and  practised  a real  love  of  his neighbour springing  from  his  love  for  God,  will  be  rewarded  for  what he has  done,  just  as  if  he  had  done  it  to  our  Lord  Himself. But he who  has  either  performed  no  works  of  charity,  or  has  not  performed them for  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ’s  sake,  will  stand  condemned,  because such an  one  has  neither  true  love  nor  living  faith. We shall  therefore be judged  not  only  for  the  evil  which  we  have  done,  but  also  for  the good which  we  have  omitted  to  do.

The sentence will  be  publicly  pronounced. This sentence  will  be twofold:  To  the  just  will  be  adjudged  everlasting  life,  while  the  unjust will be  banished  to  hell; both  reward  and  punishment  being  carried  out immediately after  the  judgment.