CCC Paragraph 2010?

[JD27076]

"Moved by the Holy Spirit and by charity, we can then merit for ourselves and for others the graces needed for our sanctification," (CCC, par. 2010).

What this states, to me, is that, We are Moved by the Holy Spirit and Charity, to save ourselves through works alone and others through works alone.

I know this is NOT what the Church teaches, but this single paragraph says so. If we, ourselves, can merit the graces we need for sanctification. Then Faith is out of the question.

BUT, on the Other Hand. Are we JUSTIFIED by Faith, but SANCTIFIED by works?

Do we become in the glory of God by faith, and work out our faith with works? This does make sense. But is this what the Church teaches?

Can someone help me on this?
Thanks.

 

[JD27076]

Wait just a minute. Matt Slick is a devious deceiver.

I just read the WHOLE paragraph, and it states: Since the initiative belongs to God in the order of grace,** no one can merit the initial grace of forgiveness and justification**, at the beginning of conversion. Moved by the Holy Spirit and by charity, we can then merit for ourselves and for others the graces needed for our sanctification, for the increase of grace and charity, and for the attainment of eternal life. Even temporal goods like health and friendship can be merited in accordance with God’s wisdom. These graces and goods are the object of Christian prayer. Prayer attends to the grace we need for meritorious actions.

How dare he try to trick people into believing this nonsense. (Not the paragraph above )

But still, what does that single sentence mean?

 

[Katholish]

When we say something is merited, or someone merits something, that does not in anyway imply that they are “alone” in so doing.

Best way to approach it is through an example. Say for instance that I have a 10 year-old son, and he very much wants his own computer. I might say to him, “Stephen, if you help your mother with chores for the next month, I I will get you that computer.” He then helps his mother everyday and at the end of a full month, I have a new computer for him that is his very own. Did he “merit” that computer? Sure! There is a very real sense in which he merited it. However, did he actually earn the money to buy it? No. It is still very much a gratuitous gift from me, his father.

In the same way, we are like God’s children to whom He wishes to give a great gift, but He does ask us to show a little cooperation and effort. Our effort is thus meritorious (afterall, we would not receive the gift if we did not cooperate), but our effort is most certainly not sufficient (nor is it in anyway equal in value to the gift itself.)

 

[NeedImprovement]

…

But still, what does that single sentence mean?

Beginning right with that “initial grace of forgiveness and justification” , it means first and foremost that we are sinners. We need to keep holding on to that end of the rope to understand the rest.

Modern Catholic Dictionary ; Father John Hardon, S.J.

**JUSTIFICATION, THEOLOGY OF **

The process of a sinner becoming justified or made right with God. As defined by the Council of Trent. “Justification is the change from the condition in which a person is born as a child of the first Adam into a state of grace and adoption among the children of God through the Second Adam, Jesus Christ our Savior” (Denzinger 1524). On the negative side, justification is a true removal of sin, and not merely having one’s sins ignored or no longer held against the sinner by God. On the positive side it is the supernatural sanctification and renewal of a person who thus becomes holy and pleasing to God and an heir of heaven.

The Catholic Church identifies five elements of justification, which collectively define its full meaning. The primary purpose of justification is the honor of God and of Christ; its secondary purpose is the eternal life of mankind. The main efficient cause or agent is the mercy of God; the main instrumental cause is the sacrament of baptism, which is called the “sacrament of faith” to spell out the necessity of faith for salvation. And that which constitutes justification or its essence is the justice of God, “not by which He is just Himself, but by which He makes us just,” namely sanctifying grace.

Depending on the sins from which a person is to be delivered, there are different kinds of justification. An infant is justified by baptism and the faith of the one who requests or confers the sacrament. Adults are justified for the first time either by personal faith, sorrow for sin and baptism, or by the perfect love of God, which is at least an implicit baptism of desire. Adults who have sinned gravely after being justified can receive justification by sacramental absolution or perfect contrition for their sins. (Etym. Latin justus, just + facere, to make, do: justificatio.)

One way of “meriting for others” is when we gain indulgences for the holy souls in Purgatory . Vicarious suffering is another Christlike way. It also appears as if the last sentence is saying that if we don’t pray, we can forget the rest (including that single sentence)

Link to : Modern Catholic Dictionary ; Fr. John Hardon, S.J.

 

[bmullins]

If I take one paragraph from an encyclopedia I can prove a lot of things out of context. Just as I can take one paragraph out of a book written about someone and make it seem to support my cause. You can’t listen to one paragraph and say Ahhah, see this is what someone believes, you have to take the whole of that belief not a part of it.

It’s called cherry picking and it can be very dangerous.

 

[couponfit]

"Moved by the Holy Spirit and by charity, we can then merit for ourselves and for others the graces needed for our sanctification," (CCC, par. 2010).

What this states, to me, is that, We are Moved by the Holy Spirit and Charity, to save ourselves through works alone and others through works alone.

I know this is NOT what the Church teaches, but this single paragraph says so. If we, ourselves, can merit the graces we need for sanctification. Then Faith is out of the question.

BUT, on the Other Hand. Are we JUSTIFIED by Faith, but SANCTIFIED by works?

Do we become in the glory of God by faith, and work out our faith with works? This does make sense. But is this what the Church teaches?

Can someone help me on this?
Thanks.

2010 is not completely quoted by you and the sentence is part of a larger paragraph. Further no paragraph in the ccc is meant to stand alone. It is part of the whole of ccc.

Sanctification is different than salvation. Remember you can be saved and go to purgatory, but through sanctification we may learn to qualities that lessen our need for purgatory and may even attain a point sanctification (become more holy). When we die and go to heave, it’s not that we suddenly become more holy than we were on earth. We are limited to what our cup can hold in relation to it being filled with God’s grace and love. God will give to you in heaven all that you can accept, but only here on earth can you attain to hold and be more through exploring and accepting the virtues taught by the church.

 

[1ke]

What this states, to me, is that, We are Moved by the Holy Spirit and Charity, to save ourselves through works alone and others through works alone.

Why do you believe *sanctification *and *salvation *to be the same thing?

 

[TimothyH]

The quote states clearly that our works merit grace, not that our works merit justification, sanctification or salvation.

-Tim-

 

[promethius]

"Moved by the Holy Spirit and by charity, we can then merit for ourselves and for others the graces needed for our sanctification," (CCC, par. 2010).

What this states, to me, is that, We are Moved by the Holy Spirit and Charity, to save ourselves through works alone and others through works alone.

I know this is NOT what the Church teaches, but this single paragraph says so. If we, ourselves, can merit the graces we need for sanctification. Then Faith is out of the question.

BUT, on the Other Hand. Are we JUSTIFIED by Faith, but SANCTIFIED by works?

Do we become in the glory of God by faith, and work out our faith with works? This does make sense. But is this what the Church teaches?

Can someone help me on this?
Thanks.

You have to understand the difference between justification and sanctification… which are what i consider “protestant” terms as regards most peoples’ understanding of them.

Justification corresponds to salvation, sanctification corresponds to purgation (purification).

Furthermore, just like the Bible, you can’t take quotes out of context in the Catechism and expect them to make any sense whatsoever. First and foremost, the sentence you quoted is NOT the entirety of CCC p2010, which states:

Since the initiative belongs to God in the order of grace, no one can merit the initial grace of forgiveness and justification, at the beginning of conversion. Moved by the Holy Spirit and by charity, we can then merit for ourselves and for others the graces needed for our sanctification, for the increase of grace and charity, and for the attainment of eternal life. Even temporal goods like health and friendship can be merited in accordance with God’s wisdom. These graces and goods are the object of Christian prayer. Prayer attends to the grace we need for meritorious actions.

This paragraph clearly resolves the issue you’re bringing up. Furthermore, if we go back and read p1996-2005, we see the issue MUCH clearer in terms of justication (salvation) being from God only.

 

[MarcoPolo]

Wait just a minute. Matt Slick is a devious deceiver.

Always double check an anti-Catholics supposed Catholic “quotes.” Also, remember, when the text says “merit for ourselves,” one must understand that those are Christ’s merits.

*Jesus Christ Himself continually infuses his virtue into the said justified,-as the head into the members, and the vine into the branches,-and this virtue always precedes and accompanies and follows their good works, which without it could not in any wise be pleasing and meritorious before God . . . God forbid that a Christian should either trust or glory in himself, and not in the Lord, whose bounty towards all men is so great, that He will have the things which are His own gifts be their merits. (Council of Trent 6.16)*So basically, when Slick and other anti-Catholics accuse Catholics of claiming to have their “own” merit, he ignorantly is denying the efficacy of Christ’s merits. He doesn’t have a theology that places a Christian “into Christ’s body” which results in recognizing that the members’ merits are of the body’s, the head’s.

 

[Catholic_Dude]

Wait just a minute. Matt Slick is a devious deceiver.

I just read the WHOLE paragraph, and it states: Since the initiative belongs to God in the order of grace,** no one can merit the initial grace of forgiveness and justification**, at the beginning of conversion. Moved by the Holy Spirit and by charity, we can then merit for ourselves and for others the graces needed for our sanctification, for the increase of grace and charity, and for the attainment of eternal life. Even temporal goods like health and friendship can be merited in accordance with God’s wisdom. These graces and goods are the object of Christian prayer. Prayer attends to the grace we need for meritorious actions.

How dare he try to trick people into believing this nonsense. (Not the paragraph above )

But still, what does that single sentence mean?

Wait, God answers prayer? That mean’s we’re earning out salvation!

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

 

[fhansen]

Wait just a minute. Matt Slick is a devious deceiver.

I just read the WHOLE paragraph, and it states: Since the initiative belongs to God in the order of grace,** no one can merit the initial grace of forgiveness and justification**, at the beginning of conversion. Moved by the Holy Spirit and by charity, we can then merit for ourselves and for others the graces needed for our sanctification, for the increase of grace and charity, and for the attainment of eternal life. Even temporal goods like health and friendship can be merited in accordance with God’s wisdom. These graces and goods are the object of Christian prayer. Prayer attends to the grace we need for meritorious actions.

How dare he try to trick people into believing this nonsense. (Not the paragraph above )

But still, what does that single sentence mean?

It means God desires our cooperation in our salvation; man’s will always plays a part in Catholic theology. Justification is a process in Catholicism, where we’re expected to do the best we can with the time and grace given. Read the Parable of the Talents. Also Luke 12:48 applies.

 

[Julia_Mae]

But still, what does that single sentence mean?

Single sentences don’t mean anything. They are part of a teaching. This is the teaching which is very clear:

III. MERIT

You are glorified in the assembly of your Holy Ones, for in crowning their merits you are crowning your own gifts.59

2006 The term “merit” refers in general to the recompense owed by a community or a society for the action of one of its members, experienced either as beneficial or harmful, deserving reward or punishment. Merit is relative to the virtue of justice, in conformity with the principle of equality which governs it.

2007 With regard to God, there is no strict right to any merit on the part of man. Between God and us there is an immeasurable inequality, for we have received everything from him, our Creator.

2008 The merit of man before God in the Christian life arises from the fact that God has freely chosen to associate man with the work of his grace. The fatherly action of God is first on his own initiative, and then follows man’s free acting through his collaboration, so that the merit of good works is to be attributed in the first place to the grace of God, then to the faithful. Man’s merit, moreover, itself is due to God, for his good actions proceed in Christ, from the predispositions and assistance given by the Holy Spirit.

2009 Filial adoption, in making us partakers by grace in the divine nature, can bestow true merit on us as a result of God’s gratuitous justice. This is our right by grace, the full right of love, making us “co-heirs” with Christ and worthy of obtaining "the promised inheritance of eternal life."60 The merits of our good works are gifts of the divine goodness.61 "Grace has gone before us; now we are given what is due. . . . Our merits are God’s gifts."62

2010 Since the initiative belongs to God in the order of grace, no one can merit the initial grace of forgiveness and justification, at the beginning of conversion. Moved by the Holy Spirit and by charity, we can then merit for ourselves and for others the graces needed for our sanctification, for the increase of grace and charity, and for the attainment of eternal life. Even temporal goods like health and friendship can be merited in accordance with God’s wisdom. These graces and goods are the object of Christian prayer. Prayer attends to the grace we need for meritorious actions.

2011 The charity of Christ is the source in us of all our merits before God. Grace, by uniting us to Christ in active love, ensures the supernatural quality of our acts and consequently their merit before God and before men. The saints have always had a lively awareness that their merits were pure grace.

After earth’s exile, I hope to go and enjoy you in the fatherland, but I do not want to lay up merits for heaven. I want to work for your love alone. . . . In the evening of this life, I shall appear before you with empty hands, for I do not ask you, Lord, to count my works. All our justice is blemished in your eyes. I wish, then, to be clothed in your own justice and to receive from your love the eternal possession of yourself.63