Catholic view on salvation

[Katiethemule]

Hello everyone,

I have noticed quite a few threads on this forum regarding salvation, so thank you to all of those who take the time to respond to each one. I have been trying to grasp the catholic view of salvation for quite some time now, and I feel like I am growing towards a more defined definition. Here is what I’ve come to understand:

-salvation is through grace alone. However, we need to respond to that grace in order to receive it. Someone on this forum compared it to a faucet that once turned on, releases grace. There are multiple ways to “turn on the faucet” to receive grace and forgiveness for our sins.

-God created the sacraments, different vessels that He uses to release his grace upon us

-Good works are also ways that we can receive grace. Works do not cause grace, but are ways we open ourselves up to that grace.

-receiving the Eucharist allows us to receive grace to cover all of our temporal sins

-mortal sins must be confessed to a priest to restore us to that state of grace.

-If a person dies in a state of grace, they will enter Heaven after going through purgatory to receive the final “pieces” of grace.

would you say all of this is correct? I would really appreciate your feedback!

 

[JesuisSean]

-mortal sins must be confessed to a priest to restore us to that state of grace.… and the Priest will maintain his silence concerning your sins, and you of course will receive your forgiveness.

The person in the confessional box says to the priest, “Bless me Father, for I have sinned. … Father… last week I stole your car, and the week before that I broke into your house and stole everything that I could get my hands on, and weeks before that I looked over your shoulder to see your P.I.N. number before I stole your credit card, …but now… at this time… I thank you for forgiving my sins and for maintaining your silence about them…thank you Father for seeing such matters in your special way.”

A confession, my friend, is only the beginning !

 

[vwtaylorii]

Just about. I just want to mention (and you may already know this) that everybody do not go to purtgatory. Purgatory is for people who die in the state of grace, but they are not free from the transgression from the venial sin(s) they committed.

newadvent.org/cathen/12575a.htm

You may also want to read on the two types of grace: actual grace and sanctifying grace.

newadvent.org/cathen/06689x.htm
newadvent.org/cathen/06701a.htm

 

[fermat]

-receiving the Eucharist allows us to receive grace to cover all of our temporal sins

-mortal sins must be confessed to a priest to restore us to that state of grace.

-If a person dies in a state of grace, they will enter Heaven after going through purgatory to receive the final “pieces” of grace.

would you say all of this is correct? I would really appreciate your feedback!

On a high level, what you state is generally correct. There are a million shades of gray to the understanding of these topics, but you are more or less correct.

I did want to address the above. Receiving the Eucharist covers our *venial * sins, but not the temporal effects of those sins. Using the old, ‘I broke a window’ analogy, if you break a window and ask for forgiveness you will be forgiven. But the window is still broken. That is the temporal effect of sin.

We go to a priest to confess mortal sins and that restores our grace. There is a lot behind this one, so if you have a more specific question in mind, now would be a good time to ask it.

Purgatory is the ‘place’ where our attachment to sin is burned away so we can be made clean and enter heaven. (Hebrews 12:22-24, Revelation 21:27, 1 Corinthians 3:13)
This is place where the window is fixed.

Of course, this can happen in this life as well. If someone repents and has no attachment to that sin, then there is no need for purgatory. Purgatory is a place of mercy, for those of us who are not quite holy enough here.

 

[ChrisB103]

Hello everyone,

I have noticed quite a few threads on this forum regarding salvation, so thank you to all of those who take the time to respond to each one. I have been trying to grasp the catholic view of salvation for quite some time now, and I feel like I am growing towards a more defined definition. Here is what I’ve come to understand:

-salvation is through grace alone. However, we need to respond to that grace in order to receive it. Someone on this forum compared it to a faucet that once turned on, releases grace. There are multiple ways to “turn on the faucet” to receive grace and forgiveness for our sins.

-God created the sacraments, different vessels that He uses to release his grace upon us

-Good works are also ways that we can receive grace. Works do not cause grace, but are ways we open ourselves up to that grace.

-receiving the Eucharist allows us to receive grace to cover all of our temporal sins

-mortal sins must be confessed to a priest to restore us to that state of grace.

-If a person dies in a state of grace, they will enter Heaven after going through purgatory to receive the final “pieces” of grace.

would you say all of this is correct? I would really appreciate your feedback!

I agree with everyone’s comments. Here’s one additional caveat from me. We are moved to do good works (which justify us through the infusion of sanctifying grace into our soul) by actual grace from God (that little nudging to do good). Hopefully this adds some to your understanding. God bless you on your journey!

 

[Katiethemule]

Thank you everyone for your responses.

So if a person is free of any mortal sin, and receives the Eucharist on the death bed, will this person not go to purgatory?

Also, I have read in several places that Mary is the one to guide us from Purgatory into Glory. Is this in the CCC or is it just anecdotal?

 

[fermat]

So if a person is free of any mortal sin, and receives the Eucharist on the death bed, will this person not go to purgatory?

Probably.

Also, I have read in several places that Mary is the one to guide us from Purgatory into Glory. Is this in the CCC or is it just anecdotal?

Anecdotal. Purgatory will be an encounter with Christ. Mary may be there to offer us comfort ,as a mother would, but there is nothing in Church teaching about Mary leading us out of Purgatory.

 

[promethius]

I would add a few clarifications…

Hello everyone,
-salvation is through grace alone. However, we need to respond to that grace in order to receive it. Someone on this forum compared it to a faucet that once turned on, releases grace. There are multiple ways to “turn on the faucet” to receive grace and forgiveness for our sins.

We actually have grace directed at us every moment of our lives… like you said, it’s a question of whether or not we’re open towards that grace. Mortal sin is incompatible with God’s salvific grace (as we know from Revelation, nothing impure can enter heaven). Thus we keep ourselves open to grace by avoiding mortal sin and partaking of the sacraments (and to an extent, good works).

Think of it this way: the Sacraments confer salvific grace on us… they are the outpouring and opening of the grace that saves us. Good works provide penitential grace for us… they are like training for a marathon in terms of conditioning our bodies and souls… good works make us better people, and as better people we are more open to recieve grace.

-God created the sacraments, different vessels that He uses to release his grace upon us

Yes! The Sacraments are the sources of salvific Grace, a free gift that we do not merit of our own accord, but rather are imbued with Grace through the action of Christ on the Cross.

-Good works are also ways that we can receive grace. Works do not cause grace, but are ways we open ourselves up to that grace.

Works are like penance… they condition us to remove the fatty parts of our soul (the damage caused to us by sin) and build up the good parts of our soul. Works are the means to sanctification on earth. So in a way, works DO provide grace, but not SALVIFIC grace… so the kind atheist who rationally rejects God will not be saved, no matter how many works they have done.

-receiving the Eucharist allows us to receive grace to cover all of our temporal sins

More than that… the Eucharist is the emboddiment and source of all salvific grace in all the sacraments. Without the Eucharist, there would be no other sacraments. The Eucharist transports us back to the Cross on Calvary and (at the same time) back to the Last Supper in the upper room. The Eucharist is literally joining with Christ in His Final Passover Sacrifice, just as the jews believed eating the lamb joined them to their sacrifice (except that the Eucharist is what saves us, not just a lamb, but the Lamb of God).

-mortal sins must be confessed to a priest to restore us to that state of grace.

Yes, sort of. Like I said, we always have grace poured out on us, and salvific grace is given to us in the sacraments… and that salvific grace is incompatible with mortal sin, and so it retreats from us when we are in a state of guilt for mortal sin.

So we enter the confessional and confess, then the priest gives us absolution, which, acting through the grace of Christ on the Cross, removes from us the guilt of mortal sin… thereby removing the incompatibility with salvific grace and restoring us to a life of communion with God.

I’ve always found saying that confession gives us a state of grace is clunky language… it removes an impediment to God’s salvific grace is a more accurate way of saying it.

-If a person dies in a state of grace, they will enter Heaven after going through purgatory to receive the final “pieces” of grace.

Going back to revelation, nothing impure enters heaven. Those who die in a state of grace (not having mortal sin and having received salvific grace in the sacraments) may still have damage to their souls from the temporal effects of sin. These damages must be sanctified from the soul so that it is pure and holy in the presence of God… thus the soul enters a process known as purgatory, in which the Grace of Christ acts on the person to purify their soul and prepare them to join God in perfect communion.

 

[SwissGuard25]

The Roman Catholic view on how to achieve salvation can be referenced from the Bible, The Papacy, The Saints, and Clergy.

A crucial difference between the Catholic and Protestant understanding of salvation is that, unlike Protestantism, Catholicism believes that, after the Fall humanity did not become totally corrupt but was “wounded by sin” (rather than destroyed) and “stands in need of salvation from God. Divine help comes in Christ through the law that guides and the grace that sustains” That divine help, that grace, is a favour, a free and undeserved gift from God which helps us to respond to His invitation to enter relationship.
Catholics profess belief that Christ alone is the Savior of the human race. Christ is God incarnate, bringing about redemption from sin, for “…all salvation comes through Christ.”

”…she (the Church) proclaims, and ever must proclaim Christ ‘the way, the truth, and the life’ (John 14:6), in whom men may find the fullness of religious life, in whom God has reconciled all things to Himself."

For Catholicism, Christ provides the Church with “the fullness of the means of salvation which [the Father] has willed: correct and complete confession of faith, full sacramental life, and ordained ministry in apostolic succession.”
To Catholic thinking, this does not mean that only Christians can enter heaven, for “By his death (Jesus, the Son of God) has conquered death, and so opened the possibility of salvation to all .” As Pope John Paul II stated in his encyclical Redemptoris missio

“The universality of salvation means that it is granted not only to those who explicitly believe in Christ and have entered the Church. Since salvation is offered to all, it must be made concretely available to all. But it is clear that today, as in the past, many people do not have an opportunity to come to know or accept the Gospel revelation or to enter the Church. The social and cultural conditions in which they live do not permit this, and frequently they have been brought up in other religious traditions. For such people salvation in Christ is accessible by virtue of a grace which, while having a mysterious relationship to the Church, does not make them formally part of the Church but enlightens them in a way which is accommodated to their spiritual and material situation. This grace comes from Christ; it is the result of his Sacrifice and is communicated by the Holy Spirit. It enables each person to attain salvation through his or her free cooperation.”

This encyclical echoes what the Church solemnly declared in the documents of the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965) and is thus binding on all Catholics. Concerning Jews and Muslims, the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium, states:

“In the first place we must recall the people to whom the testament and the promises were given and from whom Christ was born according to the flesh; the Jews On account of their fathers this people remains most dear to God, for God does not repent of the gifts He makes nor of the calls He issues. But the plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator. In the first place amongst these there are the Muslims, who, professing to hold the faith of Abraham, along with us adore the one and merciful God, who on the last day will judge humanity”
Paragraph 16 of Lumen Gentium takes a step further and declares:

“Nor is God far distant from those who in shadows and images seek the unknown God, for it is He who gives to all men life and breath and all things, and as Saviour wills that all men be saved. Those also can attain to salvation who through no fault of their own do not know the Gospel of Christ or His Church, yet sincerely seek God and moved by grace strive by their deeds to do His will as it is known to them through the dictates of conscience. Nor does Divine Providence deny the helps necessary for salvation to those who, without blame on their part, have not yet arrived at an explicit knowledge of God and with His grace strive to live a good life. Whatever good or truth is found amongst them is looked upon by the Church as a preparation for the Gospel”

Thus, the Catholic Church clearly teaches that, although Christ is the Savior of the human race, it is not necessary to know Him personally to be saved. This is because Catholicism believes that the salvation, and reconciliation, of humanity took place when Christ died and rose again, and that this salvation applies to all people whether or not they realise this fact. This in no way means that Catholicism believes that all religions are equal, but merely that not everyone knows of Christ and that even those who do may have had the Gospel presented in such manner as to have turned them away (e.g. by missionaries who were poor examples of the Christian life).
In its Declaration on Religious Freedom, Dignitatis humanae, the same Vatican II also stated:
”This Vatican Council declares that the human person has a right to religious freedom. This freedom means that all men are to be immune from coercion on the part of individuals or of social groups and of any human power, in such wise that no one is to be forced to act in a manner contrary to his own beliefs, whether privately or publicly, whether alone or in association with others, within due limits. The council further declares that the right to religious freedom has its foundation in the very dignity of the human person as this dignity is known through the revealed word of God and by reason itself. This right of the human person to religious freedom is to be recognized in the constitutional law whereby society is governed and thus it is to become a civil right"

 

[fred_conty]

This will help

catholic.com/tracts/grace-what-it-is-and-what-it-does

Some thoughts about grace and sanctification.

 

[ChrisB103]

Thank you everyone for your responses.

So if a person is free of any mortal sin, and receives the Eucharist on the death bed, will this person not go to purgatory?

Also, I have read in several places that Mary is the one to guide us from Purgatory into Glory. Is this in the CCC or is it just anecdotal?

If a person were to be free of mortal sin (aka in a state of grace) and receive the Eucharist on their death bed (which remits venial sin) then there’s only one other factor that would determine whether they would go to Purgatory or straight to Heaven; the existence of the temporal effects of sin. An example of this is if they have any attachment to sin. If they love the Lord with all their heart, mind, and soul, they will go straight to Heaven. If there is still some residual love for sin, this must first be purged in Purgatory, because nothing unclean can enter Heaven (Revelation 21:27).

The bit about Mary seems anecdotal to me. I’ve never heard anything of that nature. What I can say is that we know that it is the love of Christ that purifies us in Purgatory, readying us for Heaven. So, according to this, it seems fitting that it is Christ who at least primarily is our guide through Purgatory to Heaven.

Hope this helps.

 

[Nita]

…You may also want to read on the two types of grace: actual grace and sanctifying grace.

newadvent.org/cathen/06689x.htm
newadvent.org/cathen/06701a.htm

I think it is very important to know that grace can refer to 2 different types of grace: “sanctifying/deifying” grace and “actual” grace/s. I think there are even many Catholics who did not receive proper (or any) catechesis on this Church teaching.
The Catechism section on grace is much briefer than the encyclopedia, but still makes the clarification.
Just to give a couple of paragraphs from “Grace” ( vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P6Z.HTM )
1999 The grace of Christ is the gratuitous gift that God makes to us of his own life, infused by the Holy Spirit into our soul to heal it of sin and to sanctify it. It is the** sanctifying or deifying grace received in Baptism**. It is in us the source of the work of sanctification:

Therefore if any one is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself.(2 Cor 5:17-18)
**2000 **Sanctifying grace is an habitual gift, a stable and supernatural disposition that perfects the soul itself to enable it to live with God, to act by his love. Habitual grace, the permanent disposition to live and act in keeping with God’s call, is distinguished from actual graces which refer to God’s interventions, whether at the beginning of conversion or in the course of the work of sanctification.​

It would really be more helpful to read the whole section on “Grace and Justification” - paragraphs #1987 through 2029

vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P6Y.HTM

 

[David_Castlen]

Hello everyone,

I have noticed quite a few threads on this forum regarding salvation, so thank you to all of those who take the time to respond to each one. I have been trying to grasp the catholic view of salvation for quite some time now, and I feel like I am growing towards a more defined definition. Here is what I’ve come to understand:

-salvation is through grace alone. However, we need to respond to that grace in order to receive it. Someone on this forum compared it to a faucet that once turned on, releases grace. There are multiple ways to “turn on the faucet” to receive grace and forgiveness for our sins.

-God created the sacraments, different vessels that He uses to release his grace upon us

-Good works are also ways that we can receive grace. Works do not cause grace, but are ways we open ourselves up to that grace.

-receiving the Eucharist allows us to receive grace to cover all of our temporal sins

-mortal sins must be confessed to a priest to restore us to that state of grace.

-If a person dies in a state of grace, they will enter Heaven after going through purgatory to receive the final “pieces” of grace.

would you say all of this is correct? I would really appreciate your feedback!

If you don’t mind Katie, I would like to add to this inquiry; did Christ have to die (be slain) in order that we be saved? do to the covenants?

 

[rugger4christ]

Thus, the Catholic Church clearly teaches that, although Christ is the Savior of the human race, it is not necessary to know Him personally to be saved. This is because Catholicism believes that the salvation, and reconciliation, of humanity took place when Christ died and rose again, and that this salvation applies to all people whether or not they realise this fact.

What about Matthew 25:31-46? Jesus essentially tells his disciples that on the day of judgment only those he knows he will allow into his kingdom, and the rest will suffer eternal damnation; And that he will know them through the love they show his people?

 

[ChrisB103]

Also, I think it may be worth noting that while God ordinarily distributes sanctifying grace through the sacraments (Confession, the Eucharist, Baptism, etc), he is not bound by them. For instance, you say: “mortal sins must be confessed to a priest to restore us to that state of grace”. Normally, this would be correct, but God understands if we are somehow unable to make it to Confession and we die before going. Hope this helps.

 

[govav8er]

What about Matthew 25:31-46? Jesus essentially tells his disciples that on the day of judgment only those he knows he will allow into his kingdom, and the rest will suffer eternal damnation; And that he will know them through the love they show his people?

That would be Jesus knowing the man/woman not the other way around. God knows the hearts and minds of men. We can go through all the motions that the Catholic Church espouses but if we do not believe in our hearts and minds then we are done. In the same way the if someone in some faraway jungle is in perfect ignorance of the Gospel that Jesus will know him and judge accordingly.

 

[TheGreatestLove]

Hello everyone,

I have noticed quite a few threads on this forum regarding salvation, so thank you to all of those who take the time to respond to each one. I have been trying to grasp the catholic view of salvation for quite some time now, and I feel like I am growing towards a more defined definition. Here is what I’ve come to understand:

-salvation is through grace alone. However, we need to respond to that grace in order to receive it. Someone on this forum compared it to a faucet that once turned on, releases grace. There are multiple ways to “turn on the faucet” to receive grace and forgiveness for our sins.

-God created the sacraments, different vessels that He uses to release his grace upon us

-Good works are also ways that we can receive grace. Works do not cause grace, but are ways we open ourselves up to that grace.

-receiving the Eucharist allows us to receive grace to cover all of our temporal sins

-mortal sins must be confessed to a priest to restore us to that state of grace.

-If a person dies in a state of grace, they will enter Heaven after going through purgatory to receive the final “pieces” of grace.

would you say all of this is correct? I would really appreciate your feedback!

---

above by katie

below by me:thumbsup:

When the catholic churchs resembles more humility then control-I believe the words of God will Flow.

The answers to your questions:no no no no

The church calls it sacraments- I call it gifts …the united of two to become one -as the bible indicates.

But here is the real debate…who created or interpreted all you said in the catholic church because God did not say this…
confession: Repent unto the Lord.( For the lord died for the salvation of mankind)
I believe if one feels more comfortable in a confessional box with a priest…to confess their sins then that is good for them.
If another feels he can confess his sins directly to God…Then that is his/hers.
They have brought back the confessional box as mandatory now…9took out ‘General Absolution’ which drew numerous crowds-and in turn was filled with the holy spirit!!.here in the west …
the catholic church is not progressing but tryng to go backwards and using forms of control.

first communion- a tradition in the catholic church…which i have participated and find important for the kids to be part of …for the reminder that christ dwells within them.

confirmation: introduction to the holy spirit…

Lets debate here…When John the baptist…stood by the water baptizing people with the water…He said I baptize you with water…but the one who comes(Jesus) will baptize you with the holy spirit.

Interesting isn’t it…so have catholics made their own rules…or adde to???
At the moment of baptism- we recieve Jesus ( would that not be a combination of what the catholic church separates into different sacraments??? first communion recieving Jesus…confirmation- recieving the holy spirit…When at baptism it was all there Father Son and Holy spirit. Amen.

Confession - teach the children to confess their sins …for Gods sake tell them to make the choice where they feel comfortable…in doing so…

Am I ant- catholic…nah…I am anti-man made laws and calling them Gods!

Pergatory…possibly it exists…but still was not part of Gods words in the bible.
Jesus said you are either with me or against me you cannot be inbetween.

Catholic Religion quit making God out to be so complicated ok?
Walk as Jesus has walked on this earth…and revive the catholic church to truth and goodness.

Jesus did not preach this way!

 

[bjoy73]

One of the suggestions made was that good works can be a source of grace. What I have been taught is that grace always comes first. Works don’t give us more grace. For example, an actual grace is what moves you to go to confession in the first place. Then after performing a good work, we are more open to receive additional grace which leads us to perform more good works. But grace always comes first.

 

[bjoy73]

Hello everyone,

Am I ant- catholic…nah…I am anti-man made laws and calling them Gods!

Pergatory…possibly it exists…but still was not part of Gods words in the bible.
Jesus said you are either with me or against me you cannot be inbetween.

Catholic Religion quit making God out to be so complicated ok?
Walk as Jesus has walked on this earth…and revive the catholic church to truth and goodness.

Jesus did not preach this way!

I just want to speak to a couple of these points…Admittedly, Purgatory is not in the Bible; but neither is the Trinity. We have been given more than the Bible to provide us with guidance. We have the Magisterium and Tradition. Without them it would be like the founding fathers of our country giving us the Constitution without a governing body to interpret it and apply it.

The church is not trying to complicate God; God is complicated by His nature. He told us His ways are not our ways. His ways and thoughts are so much farther beyond ours; which means God is very complicated. We have all eternity to spend with Him, and we will never exhaust learning more about His grandeur, wonder and beauty.

He gave us His word in the Scriptures as a love letter to speak in a way that we can understand. That is definitely not the only way He communicates Himself to us. We must all humble ourselves before Him and His holy church which is His governing body on earth instead of saying His church needs to humble itself.

 

[paul_c]

Hello everyone,

I have noticed quite a few threads on this forum regarding salvation, so thank you to all of those who take the time to respond to each one. I have been trying to grasp the catholic view of salvation for quite some time now, and I feel like I am growing towards a more defined definition. Here is what I’ve come to understand:

-salvation is through grace alone. However, we need to respond to that grace in order to receive it. Someone on this forum compared it to a faucet that once turned on, releases grace. There are multiple ways to “turn on the faucet” to receive grace and forgiveness for our sins.

-God created the sacraments, different vessels that He uses to release his grace upon us

-Good works are also ways that we can receive grace. Works do not cause grace, but are ways we open ourselves up to that grace.

-receiving the Eucharist allows us to receive grace to cover all of our temporal sins

-mortal sins must be confessed to a priest to restore us to that state of grace.

-If a person dies in a state of grace, they will enter Heaven after going through purgatory to receive the final “pieces” of grace.

would you say all of this is correct? I would really appreciate your feedback!

Let me attempt to tie this all together for you. Here is a simple summary of the Catholic teaching on salvation:

God calls everyone to himself. Those that answer that call through faith in Jesus are baptized. This sacrament is freely given to all those that desire a new life in Christ. Those who are baptized are freed of all prior sin, made a member of the Church and given sufficient sanctifying grace to go to heaven. In other words, they enter the state of grace and will stay in that state as long as they do God’s will for them, which is to love God and Neighbor. If they die in the state of grace, they will enter heaven. Note, that if they still have a tendency to sin, this will be purged from them in purgatory prior to entering heaven. Purgatory is a transitory state.

If, however, a person turns away from God through Mortal sin, he will be condemned to Hell. However, in his mercy, God will allow us to return to the state of grace through the sacrament of reconciliation if we are willing to confess our sins to a priest contritely, repent, and do the prescribed penance. We can do this as often as we desire to return to Him after sin. Note, also that we can strengthen the grace within us through prayer, fasting, good works, devotions and most importantly, through partaking of the eucharist.

So in net, you enter the state of grace through baptism and you stay there through good works and avoiding sin. The sacraments, particularly the eucharist, increase the grace within us, helping us to do those works and to avoid sin.

As discussed elsewhere, While God defined the grace providing sacraments and desires for us to partake of them, He is not limited by them and can, at his discretion, save someone who has not been baptized. While such exceptions may be possible, it would not be wise to bank on them and ignore what Jesus told the Church to do…