Q. 1387. {416} If every one is judged immediately after death, what need is there of a general judgment?  A. There is need of a general judgment, though every one is judged immediately after death, that the providence of God, which, on earth, often permits the good to suffer and the wicked to prosper, may in the end appear just before all men.

Q. 1388.  What is meant by “the Providence of God”?  A. By “the Providence of God” is meant the manner in which He preserves, provides for, rules and governs the world and directs all things by His infinite Will.

Q. 1389.  Are there other reasons for the general judgment?  A. There are other reasons for the general judgment, and especially that Christ Our Lord may receive from the whole world the honor denied Him at His first coming, and that all may be forced to acknowledge Him their God and Redeemer.

Q. 1390. {417} Will our bodies share in the reward or punishment of our souls?  A. Our bodies will share in the reward or punishment of our souls, because through the resurrection they will again be united to them.

Q. 1391.  When will the general resurrection or rising of all the dead take place?  A. The general resurrection or rising of all the dead will take place at the general judgment, when the same bodies in which we lived on earth will come forth from the grave and be united to our souls and remain united with them forever either in heaven or in hell.

Q. 1392. {418} In what state will the bodies of the just rise?  A. The bodies of the just will rise glorious and immortal.

Q. 1393. {419} Will the bodies of the damned also rise?  A. The bodies of the damned will also rise, but they will be condemned to eternal punishment.

Q. 1394.  Why do we show respect for the bodies of the dead?  A. We show respect for the bodies of the dead because they were the dwelling-place of the soul, the medium through which it received the Sacraments, and because they were created to occupy a place in heaven.

Q. 1395. {420} What is Heaven?  A. Heaven is the state of everlasting life in which we see God face to face, are made like unto Him in glory, and enjoy eternal happiness.

Q. 1396.  In what does the happiness in heaven consist?  A. The happiness in heaven consists in seeing the beauty of God, in knowing Him as He is, and in having every desire fully satisfied.

Q. 1397.  What does St. Paul say of heaven?  A. St. Paul says of heaven, “That eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man what things God hath prepared for them that love Him.” (I.  Cor. ii., 9.)

Q. 1398.  Are the rewards in heaven and the punishments in hell the same for all who enter into either of these states?  A. The rewards of heaven and the punishments in hell are not the same for all who enter into either of these states, because each one’s reward or punishment is in proportion to the amount of good or evil he has done in this world.  But as heaven and hell are everlasting, each one will enjoy his reward or suffer his punishment forever.