Christopher Wendt: Good evening, everyone. Welcome to the August broadcast of the Confraternity of Our Lady of Fatima. Tonight, I am pleased once again to have His Excellency, Bishop Athanasius Schneider. Thank you, Your Excellency, for joining us this evening.
His Excellency: You’re welcome.
It’s great to be here. We have so many wonderful things to celebrate. His Excellency will be speaking about the victory of Christ in His ascension and in the final judgment. We are also about to celebrate the Feast of Our Lady’s Assumption in two days, and my heart is already rejoicing as I think of her victory over corruption, which is a fruit of her Immaculate Conception and her purity. Our hearts must rejoice in that victory and triumph, which anticipates the triumph she spoke of at Fatima, that in the end, her Immaculate Heart will triumph. I am very excited about that.
Tonight’s format is a catechism lesson from the Roman Catechism issued by the Council of Trent. The topic will be the Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ into heaven and the final judgment.
There may be time for one question at the end, but the presentation will take up most of the time. We are only two months away from the first anniversary of the founding of the Confraternity of Our Lady of Fatima, which will take place in October. We are already planning some special programs and ideas to celebrate, so that we can recommit ourselves to the little promises we made to Our Lady, promises aimed at helping bring about her triumph on earth, the triumph of her Immaculate Heart, especially within our own hearts. That way, it can reverberate outward until our Holy Father makes the consecration that Our Lady asked for, in the way and manner she requested.
So, over the next few months, let us consider truly recommitting ourselves to the triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
Without further ado, I will now turn the rest of the evening over to His Excellency. Your Excellency, would you please lead us in a prayer? As we pray, we want to especially remember Cardinal Burke, who is currently in the hospital. We also want to pray that many people have asked for this for those who are being forced to resign due to the vaccine mandate, or are actually being fired for not receiving the vaccine. They are truly paying the price for their faithfulness to Jesus and Mary, and they are asking for all of our prayers, and for your prayers, Your Excellency.
His Excellency: Yes, we will do so and pray for this intention, which Mr. Wendt mentioned. We entrust them to the powerful intercession of Our Lady, on the eve of her Assumption and on her Assumption Day in a special way.
In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen.
Pater noster, qui es in caelis, sanctificetur nomen tuum. Adveniat regnum tuum. Fiat voluntas tua, sicut in caelo et in terra. Panem nostrum quotidianum da nobis hodie, et dimitte nobis debita nostra sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris. Et ne nos inducas in tentationem, sed libera nos a malo. Amen.
Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum. Benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Iesus. Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen.
In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen.
My dear brothers and sisters, in this catechism class, we will continue to speak about the points and items of the Catechism of the Council of Trent. The next points are Articles Six and Seven, which state: “He ascended into heaven, seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, and from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.”
Besides the resurrection of Christ, we must also believe in His ascension, for He ascended into heaven on the fortieth day. Hence, the Creed says, “He ascended into heaven.” Concerning this, we ought to observe three things: that His ascension was sublime, reasonable, and beneficial for us.
Let us think about this first point, the sublimity of the ascension. It was certainly sublime that Christ ascended into heaven.
This is explained in three ways. Firstly, He ascended above the physical heavens. Saint Paul says in Ephesians that He ascended above all the heavens. Secondly, He ascended above all the spiritual heavens, meaning above all spiritual creatures and natures. Saint Paul also says in Ephesians 1:20 that God raised Jesus from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, above all principality and power and virtue and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world but also in the one to come. And He has subjected all things under His feet.
Thirdly, He ascended to the very throne of God the Father. As the prophet Daniel says, one like the Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven, and He came even to the Ancient of Days. And in the Gospel of Mark 16:19, it is written, “And the Lord Jesus, after He had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sits at the right hand of God.”
Now, this is not to be taken in a literal sense, but figuratively, that Christ is at the right hand of God, because God is not a body in heaven. Inasmuch as Christ is God, He is said to sit at the right hand of the Father, that is, in equality with the Father. And as Christ is man, He sits at the right hand of the Father, that is, in a most preferable place with His holy humanity.
In these words, we observe a figure of speech, that is, a change from literal to figurative meaning, something which is not infrequent in Holy Scripture. For when accommodating its language to human understanding, Scripture attributes human affections and bodily members to God, who is pure spirit and cannot admit of anything corporeal. Just as among men, he who sits at the right hand is considered to occupy the most honored place, so, transferring this idea to heavenly things, we say that Christ, in His humanity, enjoys the highest glory above all others by sitting at the right hand of His eternal Father.
This does not refer to an actual position or bodily posture, but rather declares the fixed and permanent possession of royal and supreme power and glory which Christ received from the Father in His humanity.
The devil once attempted to do this, as we read in the prophet Isaiah 14: “I will ascend above the height of the clouds. I will be like the Most High.” This was the pride of the devil. But Christ alone succeeded in this. Therefore, it is said in Psalm 109: “The Lord said to my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand.”
Let us now consider the reasonableness of the Ascension. The Ascension of Christ into heaven is in accord with reason, because heaven was due to Christ by His very nature. It is natural for one to return to the place from which he takes his origin. The origin of Christ is from God, who is above all things. As the Gospel of John says in 16:28, “Jesus said, I came forth from the Father and came into the world; again I leave the world and go to the Father.” And in the same Gospel, “No man has ascended into heaven but He who descended from heaven, the Son of Man who is in heaven” (John 3:13).
They also ascend into heaven, but not in the same manner that Christ did. Christ ascended by His own power, not by the power of another, as did, for example, Elijah, who was taken up into heaven by a fiery chariot, or as the prophet Habakkuk or Philip the deacon, who were transported through the air. Christ did not ascend solely by the exercise of His divine power as God, but also by the virtue of the power which He possessed in His humanity as man.
Although human power alone was insufficient to raise Christ from the dead, the blessed soul of Christ was endowed with the virtue capable of moving the body as it pleased. His body, now glorified through the resurrection, readily obeyed the soul that moved it. So teaches the Roman Catechism.
We can say that no man but Christ has ascended into heaven, because the saints and the just do not ascend except in so far as they are members of Christ, and Christ is the head. He ascended first.
Heaven is due to Christ because of His victory. He was sent into the world to combat the devil, and He overcame the devil. Therefore, Christ deserved to be exalted above all things. “I also have overcome and I am set down with my Father on His throne,” says Christ in the Book of Revelation.
The Ascension is also reasonable because of the humility of Christ. There never was humility so great as that of Jesus Christ, who, although He was God, wished to become man. Although He was the Lord, He took the form of a servant, of a slave. As Saint Paul says, He was made obedient unto death and descended even into hell.
For this, He deserved to be exalted even to heaven and to the throne of God, for humility leads to exaltation, as it says: “He that humbles himself shall be exalted.” He who descended is the same, says Paul, who also ascended above all the heavens.
The next point is the benefits of the Ascension for us.
The Ascension of Christ was very beneficial for us. This is seen in three ways. Firstly, as our leader, because He ascended in order to lead us into heaven, for we had lost the way, but He has shown it to us, as it says in the Gospel of Saint John: “For He shall go before them and open the way.” Thus, we may be certain of possessing the Heavenly Kingdom, as Our Lord said, “I go to prepare a place for you” (John 14).
Secondly, that Christ might draw our hearts to Himself in heaven, for “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Thirdly, to let us withdraw from worldly things. Therefore, “if you be risen with Christ,” says Saint Paul, “seek the things that are above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God; mind the things that are above, not the things that are on the earth” (Letter to the Colossians 3). And then let us think about the virtues promoted by the Ascension of Christ.
In the first place, the merit of our faith was considerably augmented because faith has for its object things which do not fall under the senses, but are far beyond the reach of human reason and intelligence. If, therefore, the Lord had not departed from us, the merit of our faith would not be the same. For Christ the Lord has said in the Gospel of John, “Blessed are they that have not seen and have believed.”
In the next place, the Ascension of Christ into heaven contributes much to confirm our hope. Believing that Christ, as man in His humanity, ascended into heaven and placed our nature at the right hand of God the Father, we are animated with a strong hope that we, as members, shall also ascend there to be united to our Head, according to these words of our Lord Himself: “Father, I will that where I am, they also whom Thou hast given Me may be with Me.”
Another most important advantage is that Christ has taken our affections to heaven and inflamed them with the Spirit of God.
For the most truly, it has been said that where our treasure is, there also is our heart. And indeed, were Christ the Lord still dwelling on Earth, the contemplation of His human nature and His company would absorb all our thoughts. And we would view the author of such blessings only as man, and cherish towards Him a sort of earthly affection.
But by His Ascension into heaven, Christ has spiritualized our affection and has made us venerate and love as God Him whom, on account of His absence, we see only in thought.
This we learn in part from the example of the Apostles, who, while our Lord was personally present with them, seemed to judge of Him, in some measure, in a human light, and in part from these words of our Lord Himself:
His Excellency: Yes, I will continue.
The imperfect affection with which the Apostles loved Christ when He was present to them had to be perfected by divine love, and that by the coming of the Holy Ghost. And therefore, He immediately subjoins: “If I go not, the Paraclete will not come to you.”
And then the Ascension also benefits the Church, the entire Church, and the individual soul as well.
Besides, Christ enlarged His Church, which was to be governed by the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit. He left Peter, the Prince of the Apostles, as its chief pastor and supreme head upon earth. Moreover, He gave some as apostles, others as prophets, others as evangelists, and still others as pastors and doctors. Thus, seated at the right hand of the Father, Christ continually bestows different gifts on different men. For, as the Apostle testifies in the Letter to the Ephesians, to every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the giving of Christ.
Finally, although we owe our redemption and salvation to the Passion of Christ and to the sacrifice of the Cross, whose merits opened heaven to the just, His Ascension is not only proposed to us as a model which teaches us to look on high and to ascend in spirit into heaven, but it also imparts to us a divine virtue which enables us to accomplish what it teaches.
Now let us consider the next article of the Creed: from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
It is the office of the King and Lord to pronounce judgment. Since Christ therefore ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God as Lord of all, it is clear that this is the office of the Judge. For this reason, we say in the rule of Catholic faith that He shall come to judge the living and the dead. Indeed, the angels have said in the Acts of the Apostles, “This Jesus, who is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come as you have seen Him going into heaven.”
We shall consider three aspects of the judgment: first, the form of the judgment; then, the fear of the judgment; and finally, the preparation for the judgment.
Let us consider the form of the judgment. Christ is the Judge. He it is who is appointed by God to be the Judge of the living and the dead, as it is written in Acts 10:42. We may interpret the dead to mean sinners and the living to mean the just, or the living to refer to those who are alive at that time and the dead to mean those who have already died.
Christ is certainly the Judge, not only because He is God, but also in His humanity as man. The first reason for this is that it is necessary for those who are to be judged to be able to see the Judge.
But the Godhead is so wholly delightful that no one could behold it without great enjoyment. Hence, the condemned are not permitted to see the Judge, nor, in consequence, to enjoy anything of Christ. Therefore, Christ will of necessity appear in the form of a man so that He may be seen by all. “And He has given Him the power to judge because He is the Son of Man,” says Christ Himself in John 5:27. Christ deserved this office as man, for as man, He was unjustly judged. Therefore, God constitutes Himself the Judge of the entire world.
Who is to be judged? All are to be judged, those who have lived and those who will still be living. Saint Paul says, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that everyone may receive the proper things of the body according as he has done, whether it be good or evil” (2 Corinthians 5:10).
Let us then also reflect on the fear of judgment. The judgment ought indeed to be feared because of the wisdom of the Judge. God knows all things, our thoughts, our words, our deeds, and all things are naked and open to His eyes, says the Letter to the Hebrews. He knows our words and our thoughts.
There will be infallible witnesses, men’s own conscience. As Saint Paul says in the Letter to the Romans, “Those who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness to them and their thoughts between themselves, accusing or also defending one another in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men.”
There is also fear of judgment because of the power of the Judge, who is almighty in Himself, an almighty Judge. There is also fear because of the inflexible justice of the Judge. The present is the time for mercy, but the future is the time solely for justice, in the moment of judgment. And so the present is our time, but the future, in the moment of judgment, is the time of God.
Let us also think about the important truth regarding our preparation for the judgment. First is fear, which serves as a beginning. The second is confession and repentance for sins committed. These ought to include sorrow in thinking of them, a feeling of shame in confessing them, and making satisfaction for our sins. This will take away the eternal punishment. The third is the giving of alms, to do works of charity, which make all things clean. And so our Lord said in the Gospel of Luke, “Make unto you friends of the Mammon of iniquity, that when you shall fail, they may receive you into everlasting dwellings.” The fourth is the Church, the love of God and of our neighbor, for charity covers a multitude of sins, says Saint Peter in his first letter.
The Sacred Scriptures inform us that there are two comings of the Son of God: the one when He assumed human nature, our flesh, for our salvation in the womb of the Blessed Virgin, and the other when Christ shall come at the end of the world to judge all mankind. This latter coming is called in Scripture the Day of the Lord.
The Day of the Lord, says the Apostle, shall come as a thief in the night, and our Lord Himself says, “Of that day and hour no one knows.” He shall come to judge the living and the dead. In proof of the Last Judgment, it is enough to adduce the authority of the Apostle, who says in the Second Letter to the Corinthians, “We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that everyone may receive the proper things for the body, according as he has done, whether it be good or evil.”
There are two judgments. The first judgment takes place when each one of us departs this life, for then he is instantly placed before the judgment of God, where all that he has ever done or spoken or thought during life shall be subjected to the most rigid scrutiny. This is called the particular judgment.
The second judgment occurs when, on the same day and in the same place, all men shall stand together before the tribunal of Christ, that in the presence and hearing of all human beings of all times, each may know his final doom and sentence. The announcement of this judgment will constitute no small part of the pain and punishment of the wicked, whereas the good and just will derive great reward and consolation from the fact that it will then appear what each one was in life. This is called the general or universal judgment.
The reasons for this general and universal judgment are the following.
It is necessary to show why, besides the particular judgment of each individual, a general judgment should also be passed upon all men. Those who depart this life sometimes leave behind them children who imitate their conduct, dependents, followers, and others who admire and advocate their example, language, and actions. As the character of the virtuous is frequently misrepresented, while that of the wicked often obtains the commendation due to virtue, the justice of God demands that the virtuous recover, in the public assembly and the judgment of all men, the good name of which they had been unjustly deprived in life before men.
Again, as the just and the wicked performed their good and evil actions in this life, not without the cooperation of the body, it necessarily follows that these actions belong also to the body as to their instrument.
It was therefore altogether suitable that the body should share with the soul the due rewards of eternal glory or eternal punishment. But these can only be accomplished by means of a general resurrection and a general judgment.
Next, it is important to prove that in prosperity and adversity, which are sometimes the promiscuous lot of the good and the bad, everything is done and ordered by an all-wise and all-just Divine Providence. It was therefore necessary not only that rewards should await the just and punishments the wicked in the life to come, but that they should also be awarded by a public and general judgment.
The Sacred Scriptures inform us that the general judgment will be preceded by three principal signs: first, the preaching of the Gospel throughout the world; then the falling away from the faith, apostasy; and finally, the coming of the Antichrist. “This gospel of the kingdom,” says our Lord, “shall be preached in the whole world for a testimony to all nations, and then shall come the consummation” (Matthew 24:14). The apostle also admonishes us that we be not seduced by anyone as if the day of the Lord were at hand, for unless there comes a revolt first and the man of sin be revealed, the judgment will not come, says Saint Paul in the second letter to the Thessalonians.
Looking with joyful countenance on the just standing on the right hand of Christ, Christ our Redeemer will pronounce sentence on them with the greatest love in these words: “Come, ye blessed of my Father, possess the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world.” Nothing can be conceived more delightful to the ear than these words of Christ. We shall understand this more deeply if we only compare them with the condemnation of the wicked, and call to mind that by them, the just are invited from labor to rest, from the veil of tears to supreme joy, from misery to eternal happiness, the reward of the works of charity.
Turning next to those who shall stand on the left hand of Christ the judge, he will pour out His justice upon them in these words: “Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”
The first words, “Depart from me,” express the heaviest punishment with which the wicked shall be visited, their eternal banishment from the sight of God. This punishment is called by theologians the pain of loss because in hell, the wicked shall be deprived forever of the light of the vision of God. The next words, “into everlasting fire,” express another sort of punishment, which is called by theologians the pain of sense because, like lashes, stripes, or other more severe chastisements, among which fire no doubt produces the most intense pain, it is felt through the organs of sense. Moreover, when we reflect that this torment is to be eternal, we can see at once that the punishment of the damned, the condemned, includes every kind of suffering, also of the body, not only of the soul.
At the conclusion, let us think about the importance and instruction of this article of faith and why we pray this every time in the Creed. We read in the book of Ecclesiasticus: “In all thy works, remember thy last end, and thou shalt never sin.”
Indeed, there is scarcely anyone so given over to vice as not to be recalled to virtue by the thought that he must one day render an account before an all-just and almighty judge, not only of all his words and actions, but even of his most secret thoughts.
On the other hand, the just man will be more and more encouraged to lead a good life of virtues, even though his days may be passed in poverty, ignominy, and suffering. He must be gladdened exceedingly when he looks forward to that day when the conflicts of this present life are over, he shall be declared victorious in the healing of all men, and shall be admitted into the heavenly country to be crowned with honors that shall never fade. He will be crowned with the eternal love and beatitude of God Himself.
Thank you for your attention.
Christopher Wendt: Thank you, Your Excellency, for these reflections on the ascension of our Lord and also on His judgment. Do you have any advice? There are a couple of questions about what to do now. I have this belief that Jesus is going to judge, and I want to be ready for that. You mentioned confession, do you have any personal advice or testimony about how people did it back in the old days, or anything like that?
His Excellency: I have often heard from my grandparents and parents during difficult times, especially when they were persecuted, that the wicked ones who did so many bad things always forgot one thing: there is a judgment of God. They forgot this truth. Even today, when we see world powers enslaving us almost and making our temporal lives more difficult, we can say to them, “You forgot one very important thing, that there is a judgment of God.” This gives us hope and confidence that there really is a judge, a very wise judge. This truth also keeps us serene when we are accused or persecuted unjustly because all will come before the judgment of God.
Sometimes my mother also said to us, “You have to do what you are doing, but do not forget that God is a judge also.” So, do not forget this truth that there is a judgment of God. This is very important for education, not to scare someone, but it is a truth we cannot forget. It can help us live well, and for children and young people, it teaches them to live more seriously. This life is only once here on Earth, so we should not waste it but live confidently with faith, love, and the mercy of God. Of course, because we have faith, we also have hope, but we must also consider sin and evil as the greatest unhappiness on Earth.
Christopher Wendt: Thank you, Your Excellency. I have a follow-up question, maybe about confession. Do you have any practical advice on the frequency of confession or how to approach it?
His Excellency: Instantaneously, God forgives us. He is so great, and it is so amazing and moving that God immediately forgives us when we really repent and have true contrition. However, the consequences of our bad actions, bad thoughts, and sins still remain. These bad consequences we must repair or make reparation for, that is, expiation. This is why there is purgatory. We will speak about this on another occasion, but for now, know that we can repair these consequences with the grace of God and the help of Christ’s merits. We cannot do this alone, but with the mercy of Christ, we can make satisfaction and repair the harm caused. This is the wise pedagogy of God.
Therefore, every time we pray, let us remember the Confiteor at the beginning of Mass, striking our breast and saying, “Through my fault, mea culpa.” We can say this with a true conscience and ask the Lord, through this prayer of repentance, to lessen the consequences of our sins and their punishments. Likewise, every evening before sleeping, we should make an act of contrition. Of course, the most powerful means of diminishing the consequences of our sins is the sacrament of confession. This sacrament is where God works most intimately. What we do is repent, confess our sins, and perform the penance given by the priest. All these steps are part of truly diminishing the consequences of our sins and bringing us closer to the Lord.
Thus, it is very important to practice frequent confession. I believe that those who go regularly to Holy Communion every Sunday should confess at least once a month. This is my opinion. Even when one has no grave or mortal sins, thank God for that! The grace received in the sacrament is unique and specific to confession. It helps diminish the consequences of sin and grants special graces. Therefore, monthly confession is very beneficial. Depending on one’s spiritual life and circumstances, some may even confess more than once a month. But in any case, frequent confession is very helpful.
Christopher Wendt: Thank you, Your Excellency. We’re out of time. Can we close with the prayer that the Holy Father will consecrate Russia? I’ll go ahead and put it on the screen now, making it nice and large. Hold on one second here.
His Excellency: In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
O Immaculate Heart of Mary, you are the Holy Mother of God and our tender mother. Look upon the distress in which the Church and all of humanity are living because of the spread of materialism and the persecution of the Church. In Fatima, you warned against these errors, and as you spoke about the errors of Russia, you are the mediator of all graces. Implore your Divine Son to grant a special grace to the Pope, that he might consecrate Russia to your Immaculate Heart, so that Russia will be converted, a period of peace will be granted to the world, and your Immaculate Heart will triumph through an authentic renewal of the Church in the splendor of the purity of the Catholic faith, the sacredness of divine worship, and the holiness of the Christian life.
Our Queen of the Holy Rosary and our sweet mother, turn your merciful eyes to us and graciously hear this our trusting prayer. Amen.
Dominus vobiscum et cum spiritu tuo. Oratio et benedictio omnipotentis Dei, Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti descendat super vos et maneat semper. Amen.
Praise be to Our Lord Jesus Christ, now and forever.
Christopher Wendt: Thank you, Your Excellency. Thank you all for coming this evening.
