How To Heap Up - Merits

  • Thread starter Thread starter Seagull
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
S

Seagull

Guest
They say - all our good works - have future merits.
God also has a Book of Rememberence - that they’re in.
Our accumulation of good deeds - before the judgement seat.

They also say, however, one sin can destroy
all those future merits that we previously heaped up.

Sin - is - an evil merit - against us. Brings deformity,
followed by punishment. Pain.

Is there a link - between the measures of our charity here,
and the measure of our own personal glory hereafter ?
 
Last edited:
Reward later?
Matthew 6:3-4
“But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.”
Reward now
Isiah 58:10
“And if you give yourself to the hungry And satisfy the desire of the afflicted, Then your light will rise in darkness And your gloom will become like midday.”

Lost reward
Matthew 6:1-2
"Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. "So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.”
 
I think of the history of David,
a man after God’s own heart,
his faith, patience, fidelity, courage…etc
The Psalmist of Israel…
In one moment - committed adultery and murder…
and cancelled out - every previous merit of his youth.
 
This scripture comes to mind -

Revelation 20:12
And I saw the dead,
small and great,
stand before God;
and the book s were opened:
and another book was opened,
which is the book of life :
and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the book s,
according to their works.
 
Last edited:
As far as good deeds…

If you deem your deeds good, that does not make them truthful.
 
Faith - without good deeds - is dead.

You cant possibly mean that we cant deem our own works - of our very hands ?
Like giving a glass of cold water - to someone -
or just being - a cheerful giver - ?
 
(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)

This Cardinal Archbishop -
and his fellow clergy -
 
I appreciate the reference, but I don’t see how this applies to the idea of cancelling out merits.

The good that I do does not erase the evil I have done. Why would the opposite be true?
 
Seagull said:
…one sin can destroy all those future merits that we previously heaped up. …

Is there a link - between the measures of our charity here, and the measure of our own personal glory hereafter?
Click to expand...
Those the die without sanctifying grace to not have condign merits (merit de condigno) but those that die with sanctifying grace do. When one that has lost the state of sanctifying grace is restored to grace (through absolution), all the lost condign merits are restored. Merit de condigno is not gained when not in the state of sanctifying grace.

Catechism
2008 … the merit of good works is to be attributed in the first place to the grace of God, then to the faithful. …
1261 As regards children who have died without Baptism, the Church can only entrust them to the mercy of God, as she does in her funeral rites for them. …
Click to expand...
 
When we are judged I thought the scales can be tipped in our favour by the good works we have done?
 
Well, there’s 1st Corinthians 9:27 -
Paul says - after preaching and writing letters -
that he could lose his merits -
and cast away -
 
Is there any way to know the state of one’s merit vs. debt? If I utter an idle word, will five acts of charity cover it up? 10? 20? Does this work I reverse, i.e. if I perform 20 acts of charity and then utter an idle word, may I conclude that my merits have been destroyed, but that I do not need to make any further reparation?

Or is this, as is the case with so many aspects of our faith, unknowable and unquantifiable?
 
Does not matter your personal holiness, piety, charitable works, fasting, prayer, alms giving - if you have sin on your soul. Sin is the only thing that separates us from God. Mortal sin permanently unless confessed and absolved. Venial sin will be cleansed.

It is not a balance scale. Sin separates us from God - always and everywhere. Think of a rope which binds us to God and sin as a knife which severs that rope. The Sacrament of Confession re-ties the knot.
 
it is the mortal sin which suspends the merits, it does not preciselly destroy the merits. If after a mortal sin, one recovers the state of grace (by the sacrament of penance), one recuper all the merits that had been suspended
The works of charity, do not put away mortal sins, but venial sins, but the perfect contrition, can put away the mortal sins. How many acts of charity it takes to deliver how much venial sin? it is God alone who knows it. As for us, we must make benefit of acts of charity knowing that they can better deliver our venial sins or the penalty due to mortal sin
 
St Therese of Lisieux cautioned against trying to pile up merits
 
And how can I know if my sins are mortal or venial? Are you beginning to see the problem?

“You are in debt. Just keep paying me, and if it ends up being too much, well then it will become an ample savings account for you. Oh, but sometimes your payments will only count towards interest and fees, and will not touch the principal. But I can’t tell you when those times are.”

“Ok, what is my balance?”

“I can’t tell you.”

“Well how much should I pay you?”

“As much as possible without dying, every single day.”

“…Alright. Just let me know when my debt is paid off.”

“Oh I can’t do that. Best to assume that you are always in debt and just keep giving me money.”
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top