At the Last Judgment There Will Only be One Test

“Jesus and justice – rarely do we bring them together as the Gospels do. Somehow, we find it hard to bring together the Jesus who is so uncompromising in the area of private prayer and integrity, who says we delude ourselves if we think we are following him but are not praying or keeping the commandments, with the Jesus who tells us unequivocally that at the last judgment there will only be one test as to whether we will go to heaven or not – namely, how we responded to the poor during our lifetime. The Jesus who invites us into a personal piety and church doctrine is the same Jesus who tells us that nobody will get to heaven without a letter of reference from the poor.” by Fr. Ron Rolheiser, O.M.I., excerpt from the Tidings, February 15, 2008

Fr. Ronald Rolheiser — author, lecturer, retreat leader, columnist and spiritual guide — is one of the most influential voices in Christian spirituality today. A member of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, he is president of the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, Texas. He is the author of many bestselling books including Holy Longing and The Restless Heart.