Heavenly rewards

[Vico]

…

There are different rewards (based on merits).

Pope Eugenius IV , Bull “Laetentur coeli,” July 6, 1439, Denzinger 693:

[ De novissimis] * It has likewise defined, that, if those truly penitent have departed in the love of God, before they have made satisfaction by the worthy fruits of penance for sins of commission and omission, the souls of these are cleansed after death by purgatorial punishments; and so that they may be released from punishments of this kind, the suffrages of the living faithful are of advantage to them, namely, the sacrifices of Masses, prayers, and almsgiving, and other works of piety, which are customarily performed by the faithful for other faithful according to the institutions of the Church. And that the souls of those, who after the reception of baptism have incurred no stain of sin at all, and also those, who after the contraction of the stain of sin whether in their bodies, or when released from the same bodies, as we have said before, are purged, are immediately received into heaven, and see clearly the one and triune God Himself just as He is, yet according to the diversity of merits, one more perfectly than another. Moreover, the souls of those who depart in actual mortal sin or in original sin only, descend immediately into hell but to undergo punishments of different kinds [see n.464].

Pope Leo XIII, Encyclical, “Quod Apostolici muneris,” Dec. 28, 1878, Denzinger 1849:

From the records of the Gospels the equality of men consists in this, that all have received the same nature, and are called to the same highest dignity of the sons of God; and at the same time that, since the same end is established for all, each is to be judged individually according to the same law, to obtain punishments or rewards according to merit. An inequality of right and power, however, emanates from the very author of nature, “from whom all paternity in heaven and earth is named” [Eph. 3:15]. But the souls of princes and subjects, according to Catholic doctrine and precepts, are so bound by mutual duties and rights that both the passion for ruling is tempered and the way of obedience is made easy, steadfast, and most noble. . . .

http://patristica.net/denzinger/

Baltimore Catechism

Q. 1398. Are the rewards in heaven and the punishments in hell the same for all who enter into either of these states?
A. The rewards of heaven and the punishments in hell are not the same for all who enter into either of these states, because each one’s reward or punishment is in proportion to the amount of good or evil he has done in this world. But as heaven and hell are everlasting, each one will enjoy his reward or suffer his punishment forever.
ewtn.com/library/councils/florence.htm

 

[Lee1]

People are left to find religion and God or not as suits the person, bearing in mind all these rules and the life or death importance of them shouldn’t everyone be told all this from very young?

 

[Vico]

People are left to find religion and God or not as suits the person, bearing in mind all these rules and the life or death importance of them shouldn’t everyone be told all this from very young?

God does give people the actual graces necessary for conversion. Some are born into a good environment for early catechesis.

 

[Lee1]

Some are born into a good environment for early catechesis.

I agree, that much I have noticed myself but if these rules leading to salvation and Life are so important to adhere to and to live by why arent we all given this information when very young so that we can begin our journey in the correct way? Surely God wants that?

Having been given the life saving information if we then choose to follow our own free will and be rebellious then fine but we should be given the chance for salvation from the beginning if it’s critical!

 

[Gertabelle]

St Therese of Lisieux (a Doctor of the Church) died at the age of 24 – and almost immediately people were asking her intercession and receiving miraculous answers to prayer, especially in the area of conversion of heart.

She relates a story about how her older sister explained the rewards of heaven.

> At one point, her eldest sister Pauline had Therese get her father’s large glass and her own small thimble and fill them both with water. “She asked me which one was fuller. I told her each was as full as the other and that it was impossible to put in more water than they could contain. [She] helped me understand that in heaven God will grant His Elect as much glory as they can take, the last having nothing to envy in the first.”

 

[Vico]

Vico:

Some are born into a good environment for early catechesis.

I agree, that much I have noticed myself but if these rules leading to salvation and Life are so important to adhere to and to live by why arent we all given this information when very young so that we can begin our journey in the correct way? Surely God wants that?

Having been given the life saving information if we then choose to follow our own free will and be rebellious then fine but we should be given the chance for salvation from the beginning if it’s critical!

It is something that should be done as soon as a person has the capacity to understand it. Normally the sacrament of confession begins at the age of discretion, about age 7, so it would be preceded with such catechesis.

 

[Lee1]

Yes, that’s fine if the person is born into a Catholic family, but I’m talking about everyone.

 

[Vico]

Yes, that’s fine if the person is born into a Catholic family, but I’m talking about everyone.

It is the responsibility of the parents or guardians. It cannot be forced over the will of those that have legal responsibility.

 

[Richca]

Hello everyone! I have been researching rewards in heaven and know now that each person in heaven will be rewarded differently according to how they lived their lives on earth.

I have been curious if this isn’t advantageous to people who die at a younger age compared to another. With that said, theoretically would the following two people receive the same reward if they lived equally similar lives and in a state of grace but one:

Went to daily mass every day starting at the age of 40 but died at 50

And the other went to daily mass every day starting at the age of 40 but died at 60.

Yes, I know it is a theoretical question but I was curious. Thank you!

Assuming that the two hypothetical people began with the same degree of grace and advanced proportionately or the same in grace and charity, than the one who lived longer would gain more merits and thus through justice would receive a greater reward in heaven. The Church’s doctrine on merit is a reward for good works which we perform in the state of grace. Every good thought, word, or deed performed in the state of grace is meritorious before God who rewards us with cooperating with his grace and by which we can merit an increase of sanctifying grace and charity in our soul. The greater the degree of sanctifying grace and charity in our souls when we die merits a greater degree of glory in heaven. Thus our Blessed Mother Mary advanced in holiness every moment she was alive as she placed no obstacle to the Holy Spirit and his grace working in her soul throughout her whole life. The older she got even moment by moment the more she advanced in sanctity and charity exponentially. For example, she merited an increase of sanctifying grace and charity sewing clothes when she was 10 years old and when she was 50 years old and doing the same work of sewing clothes she merited an exponentially greater degree of sanctifying grace and charity than she did when she was 10.

As other posters have mentioned though, our daily life is not made up of just Mass which is about 45 minutes say of the day. There is work, family duties, meals, many other things. So how are these two hypothetical people doing the rest of the day in all their thoughts, words, and actions? One may be doing all their actions and activities with more charity and perfection than the other and thus merit a greater degree of holiness in them. There are many variables and life circumstances that can be considered as well as that no two souls are identical and variables that we can’t measure but only God can such as our degree of sanctifying grace and charity. So, what I said in the first sentence of this post is true but as I said hypothetically assuming the two people begin with the same degree of sanctifying grace and advance daily as it were with the same degree of grace and charity which doesn’t happen in concrete reality but I think you’ll understand the gist or substance of what I said.

 

[Bluebright]

We can never know. That depends on God’s mercy. Also one what those people are doing in the mass and out of the mass. Remember the words go the mass has ended, when we leave our duty continues…so we must go and live God’s will. We can’t just go home and do nothing with the Eucharist we have just received and the Word we have just heard. If we do then we aren’t really ‘getting it’ by that I mean the meaning of Word and the living bread we have received. If a person goes to mass just on Sundays but lives each day as the gospel shows us, they may well be storing up more treasures in heaven by their life than someone who goes to mass each day but forgets it as soon as they leave the church. It is more than just what we do and for how long we do it, it is how we do it. We must live our lives as we are shown in the gospel. Yes we are all rewarded differently in heaven, I’ve seen it written our bodies will be glorified according to our life on earth and the treasures we stored in heaven. Which makes sense as Mary’s body was glorified as Queen and her earthly efforts were of course superior to any of us.