CCC 130 Typology indicates the dynamic movement toward the fulfillment of the divine plan when “God [will] be everything to everyone.”¹ Nor do the calling of the patriarchs and the exodus from Egypt, for example, lose their own value in God’s plan, from the mere fact that they were intermediate stages.

CCC 294 The glory of God consists in the realization of this manifestation and communication of his goodness, for which the world was created. God made us “to be his sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace”,² for “the glory of God is man fully alive; moreover man’s life is the vision of God: if God’s revelation through creation has already obtained life for all the beings that dwell on earth, how much more will the Word’s manifestation of the Father obtain life for those who see God.”³ The ultimate purpose of creation is that God “who is the creator of all things may at last become ”all in all“, thus simultaneously assuring his own glory and our beatitude.”⁴

CCC 411 The Christian tradition sees in this passage an announcement of the “New Adam” who, because he “became obedient unto death, even death on a cross”, makes amends superabundantly for the disobedience, of Adam.⁵ Furthermore many Fathers and Doctors of the Church have seen the woman announced in the Protoevangelium as Mary, the mother of Christ, the “new Eve”. Mary benefited first of all and uniquely from Christ’s victory over sin: she was preserved from all stain of original sin and by a special grace of God committed no sin of any kind during her whole earthly life.⁶

CCC 655 Finally, Christ’s Resurrection – and the risen Christ himself is the principle and source of our future resurrection: “Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. .. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.”⁷ The risen Christ lives in the hearts of his faithful while they await that fulfillment. In Christ, Christians “have tasted. .. the powers of the age to come”⁸ and their lives are swept up by Christ into the heart of divine life, so that they may “live no longer for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.”⁹

CCC 668 “Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.”¹⁰ Christ’s Ascension into heaven signifies his participation, in his humanity, in God’s power and authority. Jesus Christ is Lord: he possesses all power in heaven and on earth. He is “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion”, for the Father “has put all things under his feet.”¹¹ Christ is Lord of the cosmos and of history. In him human history and indeed all creation are “set forth” and transcendently fulfilled.¹²

CCC 671 Though already present in his Church, Christ’s reign is nevertheless yet to be fulfilled “with power and great glory” by the King’s return to earth.¹³ This reign is still under attack by the evil powers, even though they have been defeated definitively by Christ’s Passover.¹⁴ Until everything is subject to him, “until there be realized new heavens and a new earth in which justice dwells, the pilgrim Church, in her sacraments and institutions, which belong to this present age, carries the mark of this world which will pass, and she herself takes her place among the creatures which groan and travail yet and await the revelation of the sons of God.”¹⁵ That is why Christians pray, above all in the Eucharist, to hasten Christ’s return by saying to him:¹⁶ Marana tha! “Our Lord, come!”¹⁷

CCC 674 The glorious Messiah’s coming is suspended at every moment of history until his recognition by “all Israel”, for “a hardening has come upon part of Israel” in their “unbelief” toward Jesus.¹⁸ St. Peter says to the Jews of Jerusalem after Pentecost: “Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for establishing all that God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old.”¹⁹ St. Paul echoes him: “For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead?”²⁰ The “full inclusion” of the Jews in the Messiah’s salvation, in the wake of “the full number of the Gentiles”,²¹ will enable the People of God to achieve “the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ”, in which “God may be all in all”.²²

CCC 954 The three states of the Church. “When the Lord comes in glory, and all his angels with him, death will be no more and all things will be subject to him. But at the present time some of his disciples are pilgrims on earth. Others have died and are being purified, while still others are in glory, contemplating ‘in full light, God himself triune and one, exactly as he is”’:²³
All of us, however, in varying degrees and in different ways share in the same charity towards God and our neighbors, and we all sing the one hymn of glory to our God. All, indeed, who are of Christ and who have his Spirit form one Church and in Christ cleave together.²⁴

CCC 1008 Death is a consequence of sin. The Church’s Magisterium, as authentic interpreter of the affirmations of Scripture and Tradition, teaches that death entered the world on account of man’s sin.²⁵ Even though man’s nature is mortal God had destined him not to die. Death was therefore contrary to the plans of God the Creator and entered the world as a consequence of sin.²⁶ “Bodily death, from which man would have been immune had he not sinned” is thus “the last enemy” of man left to be conquered.²⁷

CCC 1130 The Church celebrates the mystery of her Lord “until he comes,” when God will be “everything to everyone.”²⁸ Since the apostolic age the liturgy has been drawn toward its goal by the Spirit’s groaning in the Church: Marana tha!²⁹ The liturgy thus shares in Jesus’ desire: “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you. .. until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”³⁰ In the sacraments of Christ the Church already receives the guarantee of her inheritance and even now shares in everlasting life, while “awaiting our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Christ Jesus.”³¹ The “Spirit and the Bride say, ‘Come. .. Come, Lord Jesus!”’³²
St. Thomas sums up the various aspects of sacramental signs: “Therefore a sacrament is a sign that commemorates what precedes it- Christ’s Passion; demonstrates what is accomplished in us through Christ’s Passion – grace; and prefigures what that Passion pledges to us – future glory.”³³

CCC 1326 Finally, by the Eucharistic celebration we already unite ourselves with the heavenly liturgy and anticipate eternal life, when God will be all in all.³⁴

CCC 2550 On this way of perfection, the Spirit and the Bride call whoever hears them³⁵ to perfect communion with God:
There will true glory be, where no one will be praised by mistake or flattery; true honor will not be refused to the worthy, nor granted to the unworthy; likewise, no one unworthy will pretend to be worthy, where only those who are worthy will be admitted. There true peace will reign, where no one will experience opposition either from self or others. God himself will be virtue’s reward; he gives virtue and has promised to give himself as the best and greatest reward that could exist. .. “I shall be their God and they will be my people. .. ” This is also the meaning of the Apostle’s words: “So that God may be all in all.” God himself will be the goal of our desires; we shall contemplate him without end, love him without surfeit, praise him without weariness. This gift, this state, this act, like eternal life itself, will assuredly be common to all.³⁶

CCC 2804 The first series of petitions carries us toward him, for his own sake: thy name, thy kingdom, thy will! It is characteristic of love to think first of the one whom we love. In none of the three petitions do we mention ourselves; the burning desire, even anguish, of the beloved Son for his Father’s glory seizes us:³⁷ “hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done. .. ” These three supplications were already answered in the saving sacrifice of Christ, but they are henceforth directed in hope toward their final fulfillment, for God is not yet all in all.³⁸

CCC 2855 The final doxology, “For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours, now and forever,” takes up again, by inclusion, the first three petitions to our Father: the glorification of his name, the coming of his reign, and the power of his saving will. But these prayers are now proclaimed as adoration and thanksgiving, as in the liturgy of heaven.³⁹ The ruler of this world has mendaciously attributed to himself the three titles of kingship, power, and glory.⁴⁰ Christ, the Lord, restores them to his Father and our Father, until he hands over the kingdom to him when the mystery of salvation will be brought to its completion and God will be all in all.⁴¹

1 1 Cor 15:28.
2 Eph 1:5-6.
3 St. Irenaeus, Adv. haeres. 4,20,7: PG 7/1,1037.
4 AG 2; cf. 1 Cor 15:28.
5 Cf. 1 Cor 15:21-22,45; Phil 2:8; Rom 5:19-20.
6 Cf. Pius IX, Ineffabilis Deus: DS 2803; Council of Trent: DS 1573.
7 I Cor 15:20-22.
8 Heb 6:5.
9 2 Cor 5:15; cf. Col 3:1-3.
10 Rom 14:9.
11 Eph 1:20-22.
12 Eph 1:10; cf. 4:10; 1 Cor 15:24, 27-28.
13 Lk 21:27; cf. Mt 25:31.
14 Cf. 2 Th 2:7.
15 LG 48 # 3; cf. 2 Pt 3:13; Rom 8:19-22; I Cor 15:28.
16 Cf. I Cor 11:26; 2 Pt 3:11-12.
17 1 Cor 16:22; Rev 22:17,20.
18 Rom I 1:20-26; cf. Mt 23:39.
19 Acts 3:19-21.
20 Rom 11:15.
21 Rom 11:12, 25; cf. Lk 21:24.
22 Eph 4:13; I Cor 15:28.
23 LG 49; cf. Mt 25:31; 1 Cor 15:26-27; Council of Florence (1439): DS 1305.
24 LG 49; cf. Eph 4:16.
25 Cf. Gen 2:17; 3:3; 3:19; Wis 1:13; Rom 5:12; 6:23; DS 1511.
26 Cf. Wis 2:23-24.
27 GS 18 § 2; cf. 1 Cor 15:26.
28 1 Cor 11:26; 15:28.
29 1 Cor 16:22.
30 Lk 22:15.
31 Titus 2:13.
32 Rev 22:17, 20.
33 St. Thomas Aquinas, STh III, 60, 3.
34 Cf. 1 Cor 15:28.
35 Cf. Rev 22:17.
36 St. Augustine, De civ. Dei, 22, 30: PL 41, 801-802; cf. Lev 26:12; cf. 1 Cor 15:28.
37 Cf. Lk 22:14; 12:50.
38 Cf. 1 Cor 15:28.
39 Cf. Rev 1:6; 4:11; 5:13.
40 Cf. Lk 4:5-6.
41 1 Cor 15:24-28.