How does a Catholic increase the chance of getting into Heaven?

[eclipse880]

What does a catholic need to do to increase their possible of getting into heaven when the die ???

thnx

 

[North_of_Nod]

Hello, my friend. Be sure to confess your sins often and in a heartfelt manner, love others as yourself, forgive those who hurt you, and follow the Commandments. To believe Jesus’ teachings is one thing, but to follow Him is another. We are called to do both. I hope this helps! God bless.

 

[VociMike]

What does a catholic need to do to increase their possible of getting into heaven when the die ???

thnx

The same way anybody “increases their chances”: by conforming oneself to the will of God. Luckily as Catholics we know more about the revealed will of God than anybody else, since he has given his Church alone the fullness of that revelation.

 

[canne]

Greetings, by *loving *the Lord Jesus with all your heart, Soul and Mind. By following his teachings and those of his Church.

“As the Bible says, I am already saved (Rom. 8:24, Eph. 2:5–8), but I’m also being saved (1 Cor. 1:8, 2 Cor. 2:15, Phil. 2:12), and I have the hope that I *will be *saved (Rom. 5:9–10, 1 Cor. 3:12–15). Like the apostle Paul I am working out my salvation in fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12), with hopeful confidence in the promises of Christ (Rom. 5:2, 2 Tim. 2:11–13).”

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

What does a catholic need to do to increase their possible of getting into heaven when the die ???

thnx

By being Baptized, Confirmed and following Christ. By seeking to follow the example of Christ and avoiding sin, by frequent reception of the Sacraments, Reconciliation, Holy Communion. As Christ said “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood, will have life in them and I will raise them up on the last day”

 

[jimmy]

What does a catholic need to do to increase their possible of getting into heaven when the die ???

thnx

First of all, I would remember that it isn’t a game of blackjack in which you can calculate the odds that you will bust and lose.

 

[eclipse880]

By being Baptized, Confirmed and following Christ. By seeking to follow the example of Christ and avoiding sin, by frequent reception of the Sacraments, Reconciliation, Holy Communion. As Christ said “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood, will have life in them and I will raise them up on the last day”

Thank everyone, but by receiving Holy Communion will it be enough to be sure or almost sure of getting into heaven. As our Blessed Virgin told one of the children in Fatima you are required to say many rosaries to go to heaven. But does everyone need to say four rosaries or more each day??

 

[eclipse880]

Greetings, by *loving *the Lord Jesus with all your heart, Soul and Mind. By following his teachings and those of his Church.

“As the Bible says, I am already saved (Rom. 8:24, Eph. 2:5–8), but I’m also being saved (1 Cor. 1:8, 2 Cor. 2:15, Phil. 2:12), and I have the hope that I *will be *saved (Rom. 5:9–10, 1 Cor. 3:12–15). Like the apostle Paul I am working out my salvation in fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12), with hopeful confidence in the promises of Christ (Rom. 5:2, 2 Tim. 2:11–13).”

Thank you

 

[w_stewart]

Jesus said to her (St. Faustina):

Let the greatest sinners place their trust in My mercy. They have the right before others to trust in the abyss of My mercy. … Souls that make an appeal to My mercy delight Me. To such souls I grant even more graces than they ask (Diary, 1146).

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Thank everyone, but by receiving Holy Communion will it be enough to be sure or almost sure of getting into heaven. As our Blessed Virgin told one of the children in Fatima you are required to say many rosaries to go to heaven. But does everyone need to say four rosaries or more each day??

Private Revelations are intended for that specific person, if Mary told that to that child then that is what that child should do. Christ gives everyone the means of attaining Eternal Life through His Church, it’s up to us to use the means and help provided.

 

[JustaServant]

Christ gives everyone the means of attaining Eternal Life through His Church, it’s up to us to use the means and help provided.

This is what many Catholics desparately need to get. We dont need to look outside the Church for those means, they are within the Church itself waiting to be used. Those elements can sit dormant, unused. Or they can be taken up and utilized. The choice is ours.

 

[leopolis1]

There are promises given to those who say the rosary or a chaplet to the Divine Mercy and venerate the image of merciful Jesus that they will get to heaven.

 

[Biggie]

Quit seeking assurances of going to Heaven. We were made for work, not for sitting idly on assurances.

Seek instead the friendship of Jesus Christ wherever that lead you, trusting that there is no better friend, more faithful friend, more honest friend. He does not think like you and I. He is not warm one day and cold the next. And if with your friend you go to the heights or to the depths of the sea, you know with confidence you are where you were made to be, at his side.

 

[geekborj]

What does a catholic need to do to increase their possible of getting into heaven when the die ???

thnx

The Catechism of the Church reveals many so that we do it in “fear and trembling” but “never losing that Hope” that we have in Christ. Based on the format,

1. One should have faith, and freely & willfully profess it.
2. One should as frequent as possible, celebrate the faith. For Catholics, this means frequently attend to the Sacraments that we ought to attend (whether we are glad attending or not): Eucharist and Penance. All these operating in the Hope in Christ’s words and Apostles’ successors.
3. One should also live that faith through each unique vocation called for by Christ operating through our Love in God.
4. One should also develop that faith through frequent readings and of course prayer in the help of the Holy Spirit.

There is so much stuff in BELIEVING huh?

 

[CentralFLJames]

Buying lots of Bingo cards.


In a metaphorical sense though this is not too far off the mark.
Frequently using as many of the sacraments as one can - such as Sacrament of Reconciliation, Eucharist. Also praying DAILY for the bare minimum of 15 minutes - but hopefully a lot more. Penance is very important too - prayer, fasting, acts of charity, acts of mercy etc. All wrapped up in this is actually living one’s daily life as one professes they believe - living a chaste and morally good life and setting an example for others. Too many marginal Christians think all one had to do is “believe” and not worry about sinning so much. This is a wrong hearted attitude. We are all called to be saints and to be holy as our heavenly father is holy. One MUST live as they profess they believe - that is a true believer.

Also one should be trying to avoid the temptations of sin - don’t go to that bachelor’s party at the exotic dancer club with “the boys” etc. One wants to develop a Christian habit so its reflexive and part of us - this is what helps one stay in grace and be holy.

Ask others to pray for you and pray for them too - sharing of grace is possible in this manner. Also ask for the saints intercessions since they are before God’s altar 24/7 and do not need to sleep or rest like we do. The heavenly family is there for us as is the church here on earth. Pray for the souls in purgatory - each soul that is advanced is like gaining an eternal friend who will pray for you all your life.

By being holy and free from grave sin one is then predisposed to progressively receive sanctifying grace from the sacraments and actually grow their spiritual capacity. It’s not just a matter of wanting to crawl into heaven to be “the least in heaven”. No, no one gets to heaven on his own - he has to bring friends (by example and evangelizing). One wants to soar into heaven to be among the greatest in heave to bring God a large return for the Grace that He has invested in us - not just for the reward He will give us but for full and complete love of God. “Be all you can be” should be the motto of every Christian as opposed to “doing the minimums”. The more grace one receives and the more often we advance and don’t stagnate at one level of spiritual maturity the more secure one’s salvation becomes by habit-of-grace in a sort of reverse concupiscence that leads eventually to theosis as one is given their heavenly crown.

James

 

[gspringer]

I am sure glad I am not a Catholic, because from what I have been taught all you have to do to get into heaven is to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. You can not get to heaven by only works. Yes, it helps to pray and do good, but a sinner can accept Jesus on his death bed and go to heaven.

 

[CentralFLJames]

I am sure glad I am not a Catholic, because from what I have been taught all you have to do to get into heaven is to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. You can not get to heaven by only works. Yes, it helps to pray and do good, but a sinner can accept Jesus on his death bed and go to heaven.

You have been taught the big lie of “easy-believism”. Accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior does not obviate the necessity for actually OBEYING Jesus as one’s Lord and Savior. Belief means doing ALL Jesus commanded - obedience. Jesus forgave sins but also told us to sin no more and to repent and to “be perfect as our heavenly father is perfect”. God created us to perform supernatural works FOR HIM. These are not works of law or works of men where we earn our way into heaven. Gracious no. God gives true believers the grace to perform **works of grace **since he wants us to be part of His salvation plan. No fruit via supernatural works of grace - no salvation.

A sinner can accept Jesus on his death bed and gain heavenly beatitude with God. But this is not the normative way and we have no idea how many are able to repent fully in that acceptance on such short time and how many can make it to heaven. This is NOT the normative way to attain salvation - though it is possible. In such as case a person’s death bed repentance and acceptance of Jesus becomes His works - especially those who witness such conversions and are also inspired to repent. That makes the deathbed conversion a work of evangelizing - God’s work of grace acting through the repentant - not man’s pesonal work of his own initiative that can merit him nothing.

But few people have the luxury to know when they will die and to go into a relationship insincerely thinking one will convert at the last moment and live for fun and sin in the interim is a deadly game that will likely land one in hell. If a person dies with a SINGLE unrepented mortal sin they go to hell - it’s that simple.

Without apostolic sacramental confession (or last rites if one is unconscious or in a comma) the only way to be forgiven of sins is through perfect repentance and contrition - which is impossible without God’s grace. Better to become Catholic and know you are forgiven apostolically when you hear the words:
"God the Father of mercies, through the death and resurrection of his Son, has reconciled the world to Himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins; through the ministry of the Church may God give you pardon and peace, and* I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.***"

Pax,
James

 

[JustaServant]

I am sure glad I am not a Catholic, because from what I have been taught all you have to do to get into heaven is to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. You can not get to heaven by only works. Yes, it helps to pray and do good, but a sinner can accept Jesus on his death bed and go to heaven.

I. Faith Justifies Initially, but Works Perfect and Complete Justification
James 2:24 - the phrase “faith alone” (the Greek “pisteos monon”) only occurs once in the Bible. “Man is justified by works and NOT faith alone.” Unlike what many Protestant churches teach, no where in Scripture does it say that man is justified or saved by “faith alone.” To the contrary, man is not justified by faith alone. In Catholic theology, a person is justified by faith and works acting together, which comes solely from God�s divine grace. Faith alone never obtains the grace of justification (Council of Trent, chapter 8, canon 9). Also, the word �justified� (dikaiow) is the same word Paul uses for justification in Rom. 4:3 in regard to Abraham (so Protestants cannot argue James is not referring to �justification� in James 2:24 unless they argue Paul wasn�t in Rom. 4:3 either).

 

[Biggie]

I am sure glad I am not a Catholic, because from what I have been taught all you have to do to get into heaven is to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. You can not get to heaven by only works. Yes, it helps to pray and do good, but a sinner can accept Jesus on his death bed and go to heaven.

You have included some important qualifications in your statement that lead me to believe you are not far from the truth. Catholics do not believe you can get into heaven only by works. As you allowed, “it helps to pray and do good”. Now you merely need to ask yourself how it “helps”. Likewise you should consider can you reject your redemption as evidenced by your works (so it hurts to not pray and to do evil). Finally, Catholics certainly believe a sinner can repent on his death bed and find salvation. We simply do not believe in a recited formula that leads to heaven.

 

[christyg55]

How does one make it to Heaven? I recently came across a book in my library that has started filling in some gaps-PURGATORY by Fr. F.X. Schouppe. Pray for guidence and answers. It works :angel1: