The Preacher of the Papal Household, Fr. Roberto Pasolini, OFM Cap, delivers the first reflection of the 2025 Spiritual Exercises of the Roman Curia, which is focused on the theme: “The End will be the beginning.” Here is a summary:
The faith of the Church, founded on the resurrection of Christ, has always offered the world the hope of life beyond death. Over time, however, this promise has faded and today it is not so much contested as ignored. In the face of this indifference, believers are called to rediscover the value and beauty of eternal life, restoring its true meaning. This task is even more urgent in this Holy Year of the Jubilee and during the deep suffering the Holy Father is experiencing.
The journey of spiritual exercises on eternal life we wish to embark on is inspired by the Christian Revelation. We begin by drawing on some concise passages from the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), which provides an accessible summary of theological thought. The CCC presents death not as an end but as a passage to eternal life, in communion with Christ. This concept is rooted in the Letter to the Romans, where St. Paul affirms that through baptism we are united to the death and resurrection of Christ, thus gaining access to new life.
According to the Catechism, death is the moment when the Particular Judgement takes place, evaluating the acceptance or rejection of God’s grace. However, salvation is not reserved only for those who have formally known Christ: the Second Vatican Council acknowledges that those who sincerely seek God by following their conscience may also attain eternal life. The CCC emphasizes that the Final Judgment is not based merely on external acts but on the love lived out, echoing the thought of St. John of the Cross: “At the evening of life, we shall be judged on our love.”
The ultimate destiny of humanity consists of three possibilities: Paradise, eternal damnation (Hell), and final purification (Purgatory). Paradise represents the complete fulfillment of the human being, an eternal communion with Christ in which each person finds their true identity. Hell, on the other hand, is described as the definitive separation from God, yet the Church has never declared with certainty that anyone has been condemned there. Finally, the Purgatory is seen as a process of purification for those who, though in God’s grace, are not yet ready for heaven. Perhaps it is in this last “destiny” that we find the originality of Christian Revelation. The possibility of a final “moment” of purification is an opportunity to fully come to terms with God’s infinite love.
The Church’s reflection on the eternity of life is not meant to instill fear but to nourish hope, emphasizing that our destiny depends on the freedom with which we choose to live in love. True purification does not consist in becoming perfect but in fully accepting ourselves in the light of God’s love, overcoming the illusion that we must be “something else” to deserve salvation.
We are often obsessed with the need to be perfect, yet the Gospel teaches us that true “imperfection” is not fragility but the lack of love. We can consider the Purgatory as the final opportunity to free ourselves from the fear of not being up to it, to accept with serenity who we are, transforming it into a space of relationship and communion with others. Purgatory can be understood as the “moment” in which we finally stop trying to prove something to God and simply allow ourselves to be loved.
Eternity, then, is not just a future reward but a reality that begins here, in the measure in which we learn to live in love and communion with Christ. Ultimately, our destiny is not written in fear but in hope. Death is not a defeat but the moment when we will finally see the face of God and discover that the end… was only the beginning.
The Hope of Eternal Life
Spiritual Exercises 2025 of the Holy Father and the Roman Curia
1. The End Will Be the Beginning
(Sunday, March 9, 5:00 PM)
Source: Vatican News
Comment here