Part One: The Profession of Faith › Section Two of Part One: The Profession of the Christian Faith: The Creeds ›› CHAPTER 3: I Believe in the Holy Spirit ››› Article 11: “I Believe in the Resurrection of the Body”

› IN BRIEF

Questions and Answers

977. Whose work will our resurrection be? (CCC 989) Our resurrection will be the work of the Most Holy Trinity.
978. What does the term “flesh” mean when referring to the whole man? (CCC 990) When referring to the whole man, the term “flesh” means man in his state of weakness and mortality.
979. What does the expression “resurrection of the flesh” mean? (CCC 990) The expression “resurrection of the flesh” means that our mortal body will come to life again.
980. Why are Christ’s Resurrection and ours connected? (CCC 995) Christ’s Resurrection and ours are connected, because we shall rise:
1. like Christ
2. with Him
3. through Him.
981. What is the Old Testament locus classicus for the resurrection of the flesh? (CCC 992) The Old Testament locus classicus for the resurrection of the flesh is the confession of the Maccabean martyrs in 2 Macc 7.
“The King of the universe will raise us up to an everlasting renewal of life, because we have died for His laws.”
982. Did the Pharisees at the time of Christ believe in a resurrection of the flesh? (CCC 993) Yes, the Pharisees at the time of Christ believed in a resurrection of the flesh.
The Pharisees were a Jewish religious lay movement at the time of Christ.
983. Did the Sadducees at the time of Christ believe in a resurrection of the flesh? (CCC 993) No, the Sadducees at the time of Christ did not believe in a resurrection of the flesh.
The Sadducees were a religious group standing for the interests of the priestly aristocracy at the time of Christ.
984. Where in the NT does Christ link Faith in the resurrection of the flesh to His own person? (CCC 994) Christ links Faith in the resurrection of the flesh to His own person in Jn 11: “I am the Resurrection and the life.”
985. What happens to the souls of the just in death? (CCC 997) In death the souls of the just:
1. are separated from the body
2. go to meet God
3. await the reunion with their glorified bodies.
The individual meeting of the soul with God is the “Particular Judgment” (as opposed to the “General Judgment”).
986. Who will rise at the end of times? (CCC 998) Everybody will rise at the end of times: the good to the resurrection of life, the wicked to the resurrection of judgment.
987. In which shape will the dead rise? (CCC 999) The dead will rise in their own bodies.
988. Why does the Church believe in a bodily resurrection? (CCC 999) The Church believes in a bodily resurrection, because Christ was resurrected with His own body.
989. When will the resurrection of the dead take place? (CCC 1001) The resurrection of the dead will take place “at the last day”, “at the end of the world” when Christ comes again.
The Second Coming of Christ is called in Greek Parousía .
990. In which sacrament is the death and resurrection of the Christian anticipated? (CCC 1002) The death and resurrection of the Christian is anticipated in the sacrament of Baptism.
991. Why do the faithful need dying in Christ Jesus? (CCC 1005) The faithful need dying in Christ Jesus in order to rise with Him.
992. Why does death lend urgency to our lives? (CCC 1007) Death lends urgency to our lives, because through it we have only a limited time in which to bring our lives to fulfilment.
993. How did death enter the world? (CCC 1008) Death entered the world through one man’s sin.
994. Why was man immortal while being in Paradise? (CCC 1008) Though man’s nature is mortal, he was immortal in Paradise, because God had destined him not to die.
995. What does St Paul say in Phil 1 about dying and living? (CCC 1010) In Phil 1 St Paul says about dying and living: “For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain.”
996. How does Hebr 9 deny the possibility of a “reincarnation”? (CCC 1013) Hebr 9:27 denies the possibility of a “reincarnation” by saying: “It is appointed for men once to die.”
997. Why should the Christian not pray for a sudden and unforeseen death? (CCC 1014) The Christian should not pray for a sudden and unforeseen death, because he needs time to prepare himself for the hour of death.
998. Who is the patron saint of a happy death? (CCC 1014) St Joseph is the patron saint of a happy death.