Hell and the Apostle of Heaven

By Fr. Jerry Pokorsky ( bio - articles - email ) | Nov 09, 2026

“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” (Matthew 25:13) The “four last things,” like the articles of the Creed, are immovable realities: Death, judgment, heaven, and hell. Most of us are keen on heaven but could do without death, judgment, and hell. Yet whether we acknowledge them or not, all four await us. We aim for heaven, prepare for death, anticipate judgment, pray for Mary's intercession, and dread the prospect of hell.

We aim for heaven. We can identify St. Paul as the Apostle of Heaven. The Church’s funeral liturgy draws upon his “theology of heaven”: “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9) “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face.” (1 Corinthians 13:12) And, “The sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” (Romans 8:18) Heaven.

We also need to understand Purgatory and correct some common misconceptions. Purgatory is not hell. Purgatory purges every attachment to sin and prepares us to enter into God’s presence without the stain of sin. The doctrine finds biblical support in the Book of Wisdom, which describes the souls of the just as being tested and purified (Wisdom 3:1–6).

In the Second Book of Maccabees, soldiers offer prayers and sacrifices for their fallen comrades, testifying to their belief in the resurrection of the dead (2 Maccabees 12:38–46). Jesus teaches that the sin against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven “either in this age or in the age to come.” (Matthew 12:32) The Church has traditionally understood these words to imply that some sins may be forgiven in the life to come. Purgatory.

Inscriptions in the Roman catacombs attest to the early Christians' prayers for the faithful departed. The word Purgatory—like the word Trinity—is a theological term we use to express a reality rooted in Scripture and the Church's teaching.

We prepare for death. Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die. (With thanks to blues guitarist Albert King for the insight.) God is not the author of death. Suffering and death entered the human condition through Original Sin. The Book of Wisdom tells us, “God did not make death, and he does not delight in the death of the living.” (Wisdom 1:13). Yet God permits death as an act of mercy, as St. Ambrose suggests, bringing our earthly suffering to an end. The trouble is, we think we can achieve heaven on earth.

It is praiseworthy to extend our lives through reasonable medical care, pharmaceuticals, and—if the tech giants can be trusted—techniques of artificial intelligence. However, fear of death has reached a frenzy in some quarters. Doing everything in our power to prolong life, regardless of the burdens imposed or the reasonable prospect of benefit, violates the Catholic understanding of the human person. Death comes to us all—at an early age, advanced age, or an age that rivals Moses’ 120 years—as a dread consequence of sin.

It is also praiseworthy to prepare for death. We might use every November, as the liturgical year draws to a close, to review and update our Last Will and Testament, consult a funeral home about advance funeral planning, and check with the parish about funeral guidelines. Our heirs will appreciate our generosity.

Our heirs have obligations of their own. Every Catholic should receive a Christian burial, ordinarily with a funeral Mass, or perhaps a simple memorial Mass when appropriate.

Since 1963, the Church has permitted cremation. Cremation is not intrinsically evil, but the Church prohibited it when some used it to express opposition to the doctrine of the resurrection of the body. The Church directs that cremated remains be treated with customary reverence.

We prepare for judgment. Nobody can avoid the day of particular judgment, when we stand before God and render an account of our lives (Hebrews 9:27; 2 Corinthians 5:10). The late Catholic Congressman Henry Hyde attributes to Blessed Fulton Sheen this comment about our particular judgment: “It is a terrible moment of loneliness. You have no advocates; you are there alone standing before God—and a terror will rip through your soul like nothing you can imagine.”

Our lives and choices will reveal what we have become. As we seek God with His grace, we seek to see ourselves as He sees us. With every rosary, we ask our heavenly Mother Mary to intercede for us throughout this life and especially at the hour of our death.

We dread the prospect of hell. Jesus reveals the reality of hell with terrifying images: eternal and unquenchable fire, outer darkness, weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 8:12; Matthew 13:41–42; Matthew 25:41, 46; Mark 9:43–48).

The Church is the universal sacrament of salvation. Yet Jesus warns us that the way to destruction is wide and the way to life is narrow (Matthew 7:13–14). How can an all-good God condemn us to hell? It is better to ask, if we have no desire for heaven, why would God violate our freedom to choose evil? We dare not presume upon God's mercy or take our salvation for granted.

But as we suffer through this valley of tears, we keep the words of the Apostle of Heaven in mind: “We would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13) “For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.” (2 Corinthians 4:17)

“Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will change our lowly body to be like his glorious body.” (Philippians 3:20–21) “Thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4:17–18)