meaning of death

For Catholics death is not the end. They believe that God is our ‘origin and destiny’ (Gaudium et spes)

The catechism teaches that death is the end of ‘earthly life’ Christians can hope to go to heaven and spend eternity with God. This is taught in the gospels where Jesus states there are many rooms in my fathers house.

This means that life is “changed, not ended.” CCC. When Jesus died on the cross, he paid for our sins and when he rose from the dead, he defeated death.

This means that we too will be raised. St Paul taught in Corinthians ‘Just as Jesus has been raised … so to you will be raised’. This influence Catholics not to fear death but to prepare for eternal life with God by having faith, receiving the sacraments and living life according to the teachings in the gospels.