Can we get back our lost merits in our childhood?

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Pythagoras

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Let us say when you were a child you were habitually going to Mass, confessions, and saying the Rosary daily. You were also doing a lot of sacrifices, all for the glory of God.

But then your soul became lukewarm in your adult years and became sinful for more than a decade. After that you began to feel remorse and changed your ways. You became repentant, and started to become devoted to the faith once again , with even more fervor.

Now that you are very fervent/devoted in your Catholic faith, do you still get back all those good merits and sacrifices that you did for the Catholic Faith when you are a child? Or are those good merits of the past now lost because of your adulthood’s mortal sins have destroyed/lost them, and therefore you have to START all over again?
 
-]Good/-] **GREAT **question!

I’m gonna lurk and see how someone with more theology than me answers this one!

ICXC NIKA
 
I thought that as long as you died in a state of grace all the merits in your life counted. If not, none of them do.
 
How I wish someone with some actual knowledge on this subject would chime in. But in absence of someone who knows something, I will share my hearsay…

When I returned to the Church after some 14 years away, I mentioned to my son’s godmother that I was surprised – even concerned – about my unexpected strength, fervor, detachment from consolation, and so on. She told me that everything I had gained for my soul before I left the Church (including 2+ years in the monastery) came rushing back when I made that good confession and returned to the life of faith.

She told me that’s just how it works, that getting right with God always brings us back to continuing from where we left off, rather than having to start over. Makes sense, when you think about – that’s the grace of confession and absolution. 👍

My two cents’ – poorly explained and with absolutely no authority, except the word of my son’s godmother 😃

Gertie
 
According to popular catholic teaching, the previous merits lost thru serious sin are restored once sanctifying grace is restored.

However during the time a person remains in serious sin, they cannot merit, and those chances for merit are lost for good. But the good a person does in the time of serious sin can be rewarded by God in this world and/or prepare the person for returning to grace. So good works are still important in any condition of the soul. So Jesus would still want us to do good all the time.
 
Pythagoras said:
any good catholic book or reading that can answer this?
Click to expand...
Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma by Ott, p 268

“The loss by grievous sin of the grace by which we are justified implies the loss of all former merits as a consequence. The good works are to a certain extent killed. However according to the general teaching of theologians, former merits revive when we return to a state of grace.”
 
Consider the parable of the prodigal son. God is forgiving. Starting now, I would endeavor to live in the present, one day at a time, putting one foot in front of the other, on the right path. We can’t change the past. But we can resolve, today, to live committed to our faith.
 
fred_conty said:
Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma by Ott, p 268

“The loss by grievous sin of the grace by which we are justified implies the loss of all former merits as a consequence. The good works are to a certain extent killed. However according to the general teaching of theologians, former merits revive when we return to a state of grace.”
Click to expand...
thanks for this source Fred conty
 
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