Spiritual Exercises of the Curia: The end of all judgment
By Fr. Roberto Pasolini, OFM Cap
The parable of the Final Judgment, narrated in the Gospel of Matthew and depicted in Michelangelo’s famous fresco, is commonly interpreted as a call to charity.
However, a closer analysis reveals a surprising perspective: it is not a judgment in the traditional sense but rather a declaration that unveils the reality already lived by each person.
The criterion for entering the Kingdom is not religious affiliation but concrete love for the least of our brothers and sisters, who, in the Gospel perspective, represent Christ’s disciples.
The primary responsibility of Christians is not merely to do good but to enable others to do so.
Moreover, the parable overturns the common understanding of judgment: both the righteous and the wicked express astonishment at the King’s words, indicating that the good done among them was carried out in all naturally and without excessive attention.
This suggests that access to eternal life does not depend on moral performance but on the ability to live in love without calculation.
The Catechism states that, at the end of time, the Kingdom of God will be fully revealed, transforming humanity and the cosmos into “new heavens and a new earth” (CCC 1042-1044).
This hope is rooted in Christ’s promise, calling us to live even now with this perspective—not with performance anxiety, but with the trust that God Himself will transform our humanity into His image and likeness, according to the plan of love that has existed from the beginning.
Jesus proclaimed eternal life not as a distant future reality but as a condition already accessible to those who listen to His word and believe in the Father (John 5:24). The Gospel invites us to recognize that eternal life has already begun; it is manifested in the way we live and love, opening ourselves to the transforming presence of God.
The true surprise of the Final Judgment will be discovering that God had no expectations of us other than recognizing ourselves fully as His children, already immersed in His eternity.
The Hope of Eternal Life
Spiritual Exercises 2025 of the Holy Father and the Roman Curia
2. The End of All Judgment
(Monday, March 10, 9:00 AM)
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