Divine Prerogative

[JamesATyler]

I’ve been under the assumption all my life that Jesus is able to forgive whoever he wants to forgive, at any time he wants to forgive, for whatever reason he wants to forgive. It has been my belief that forgiveness is his divine prerogative.

Many people seem to believe that if you don’t make it down to the confession booth after you missed Sunday Mass on purpose before you croak that its hell fire for you. Some people believe you’ll be alright if you don’t make it as long as you are perfectly contrite. Still again, even if you do make it too the confession booth you still might go to hell if your only going through the motions but not really sorry for missing it.

Isn’t it true though, that Jesus might forgive a person for missing Sunday Mass or any other sin even if the person doesn’t feel sorry for it and even if the person hasn’t confessed? Isn’t it true that Jesus might really know us because he knows our entire life. Maybe he deeply loves that person who missed Mass.

Isn’t a little bit ridiculous to suggest that God is so fickle that he would immediately stop loving you completely if you miss Sunday Mass, even on purpose, and be willing to burn you in hell forever?

 

[Aelred_Minor]

The key point that I think you are missing is that the love has to go both ways, otherwise God would be forcing you into heaven against your will. If someone deliberately and culpably skips mass (or commits any other mortal sin) and is not contrite about it, then he has by this act definitively rejected God and broken all bonds of charity with Him. A person who dies in that state chooses hell for himself, though it is also right to say that God in His justice also condemns the person to that state which they have chosen. God hasn’t stopped loving anyone, but He will not force Himself on those who insist on rejecting Him.

 

[Alloy1]

John 3:16

 

[MaryT777]

I’ve been under the assumption all my life that Jesus is able to forgive whoever he wants to forgive, at any time he wants to forgive, for whatever reason he wants to forgive. It has been my belief that forgiveness is his divine prerogative.

Many people seem to believe that if you don’t make it down to the confession booth after you missed Sunday Mass on purpose before you croak that its hell fire for you. Some people believe you’ll be alright if you don’t make it as long as you are perfectly contrite. Still again, even if you do make it too the confession booth you still might go to hell if your only going through the motions but not really sorry for missing it.

Isn’t it true though, that Jesus might forgive a person for missing Sunday Mass or any other sin even if the person doesn’t feel sorry for it and even if the person hasn’t confessed? Isn’t it true that Jesus might really know us because he knows our entire life. Maybe he deeply loves that person who missed Mass.

Isn’t a little bit ridiculous to suggest that God is so fickle that he would immediately stop loving you completely if you miss Sunday Mass, even on purpose, and be willing to burn you in hell forever?

Mary: This is a good question given the number of Catholics that regularly miss Mass and I know many that say God would never put them in Hell for that. Go figure.

 

[JamesATyler]

The key point that I think you are missing is that the love has to go both ways, otherwise God would be forcing you into heaven against your will. If someone deliberately and culpably skips mass (or commits any other mortal sin) and is not contrite about it, then he has by this act definitively rejected God and broken all bonds of charity with Him. A person who dies in that state chooses hell for himself, though it is also right to say that God in His justice also condemns the person to that state which they have chosen. God hasn’t stopped loving anyone, but He will not force Himself on those who insist on rejecting Him.

What does it mean to have a bond of charity with Jesus? Even if this person who skipped Mass had not felt sorry for it yet, he might, that week, see a man who is hungry and on the street and decide to give him money for breakfast for the sake of Jesus. Missing Mass doesn’t radically change the content of a person’s character. So what does it really mean that all bonds of charity are broken in practice?