That Jesus would return after his ascension and would judge all men and women individually was taken literally by the earliest Christians. How this was understood and practiced, and how it still needs to be taken into account by modern-day believers, remains a compelling story in today’s world. For these Christians, when their end times would arrive did not matter so much as the response they took toward their eventual death and judgement. Georges Chevrot details the mindset of these first Christians and how their – and our – response to the end times could be prepared through the liturgy and sacraments of the Church. Our first forbears in the faith took seriously the fact of eternal existence beyond death, and that this existence became permanent in either eternal happiness with God, or eternal despair in separation. Chevrot shows how the sacraments, liturgy and practices of the Catholic Church enable everyone to prepare themselves for what comes after: The forgiveness of sins through Confession The remission of punishment through living the Beatitudes in daily life How the love of God comes out through love of neighbor, spouse and family What happens upon our death, and after the end of the world, at the second coming of Christ
