Jesus said, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming upon the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a trumpet blast, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.”

At the close of his movie “The Tree of Life,” Director Terrence Malick shows the Sun finally expanding to what scientists call a “red giant” and into a feeble “white dwarf,” signifying the end of time. It is only then that Jack O”Brien whose life we have studied in the movie reconciles with his father. In a vision of the end of his time, Jack tentatively walks through a wooden door frame erected on the rocks of the evolved earth, and is reunited with his family and all the people who populate his memory. His father is happy to see him, and Jack embraces his dead brother. The vision ends and Jack can enter back into his life with a different attitude of acceptance of what had happened in his life. Once again, the mysterious wavering light that appears at significant times throughout the movie, symbolizing the light of God’s direction of life continues to flicker in the darkness.

What happens at our deaths? Will we meet our loved ones who have died? Will there be some type of reconciliation between those who did not get along? What will the after-life be like? People have many questions concerning the end times. We are fascinated by the many stories of “life after death” and what happened when people who were pronounced dead came back to life. But it remains a mystery. It is one of the facts of life and death that no one knows.

Even a person of faith does not know completely. We accept what Jesus said about the end of time and his appearance. But even the believer has no idea what happens between our deaths and when Jesus comes in glory. All we have is our faith that assures us that the person who has lived the teachings of Jesus will enjoy the glory of heaven, even immediately after death. But our naturally inquisitive minds always desire more information.

The message of the end times for the person of faith however is clear. Our emphasis must not be so much on what happens after death. It must be on what happens before death. We must be dedicated to becoming one of the elect in the first place. It means that we will accept the thought of Jesus, and do our best to conduct ourselves as people worthy to be called “elect.”

The movie “The Tree of Life” shows the faith of the director Terrence Malick. His faith is that there is indeed an after-life in which those that we love are together again somehow. In his vision of the after-life, Jack O’Brien is finally reconciled with his father; his brother is actually alive, and everyone truly loves one another. For Jack, it was a hopeful vision. For us, it is a vision that can inspire us to live as we should.

Good and gracious God, we believe what your Son taught us about the end of time. We know that there will be a judgment, and we know that it will be final. Give us the grace to live the way we should before your final judgment. Be with us, we pray.

Sometimes the only time for reconciliation may be in our life after death.

1. What scene during this session is most striking and why?
2. The elect are those chosen by the Son of Man. What are the major characteristics of those who are called “the elect”?
3. What is your understanding of the after-life?
4. Outline the Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition’s presentation on heaven, purgatory and hell (see numbers 1020-1041)
5. What is the best description of a person who truly lives the teachings of Jesus?
6. Do you think that director Terrence Malick’s vision of the after-life is correct? Yes or no and why?
7. Analysis: The young Jack begins to see the bullying behavior of his father. What principal effect does a “mean” father have on a son?
8. Scene analysis: the fight at table. What is most striking about the scene? Why?
9. Scene analysis: Jack begins to participate in questionable behavior and animal abuse. In general, why do young people take part in such behavior?
10. Scene analysis: Mr. O’Brien apologizes to Jack. Do you think that most fathers apologize to their children when they realize that they have made a mistake? Yes or no and why?
11. Scene analysis: What is the significance of the solitary door frame?
12. Scene analysis: What is the significance of the sunflowers?
13. Analysis: The title “The Tree of Life” is obviously a reference to Genesis, chapter 2. What is the comparison between the movie and Genesis 2?
14. What does the movie “The Tree of Life” teach a young person?