I don't understand this

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Thank you for your response. Let me say this as a reply to other posters, Of course I want her to be in heaven. It would give us all great comfort but I don’t want false comfort. The priest had no other knowlege of Stephanie. He didn’t know her. He knows some of the family . I have a problem with him saying that to the family even knowing he was trying to comfort them. I would like to believe this is true but have a hard time believing it under the circumstances.(and because of what the bible says) I am the type of person who wants to trust in my pastor
and follow his directions. I don’t want to have to sift through truths and mistruths.
Do you know what I mean?
Thank You
Hi, Sinrap…let my try…

When the priest said she is heaven, he could have meant in a better place (which is the more likely explanation)…that is free from this world, its hang ups, its worries, and what not. The priest may have meant not literally in “Heaven.”

Catholics, I think, understand these words from the priest. The priest was talking that she is at rest and is in a better place now. Her soul is in God’s hand.
 
Let me put it this way…I fear she is not in heaven…(from what the Bible says)
I understand your fear. The reality is we have no way of knowing. No one can give the certainty you would need to believe she is in heaven. However, with that fear we also have hope.

Recently I was met an old school friend of mine who has recently lost her daughter. She went off the rails when she hit her teens - drink, sniffing glue, all sorts of stuff. She died in a car accident and so did one of the passengers. She was driving and she had drank a lot of alcohol. The car hit a tree and burst into flames. She had to be identified by her dental records. She was 21 leaving a little girl.

My friend is now raising her grand-daughter. It turns out her grand-daughter has ADHD. My friend is now convinced her daughter had it as well but she only sees the signs now. If she had been diagnosed when she was young maybe she could have been helped. Apparently it’s quite common for kids with ADHD to go off the rails in their teens. Particularly if has not been diagnosed as no strategies have been put in place to help them. Her family are not religious and don’t go to Church. How does God judge her? No one can know - but there is hope.
 
I know as long as there is breath there is hope. She wasn’t unconscious, she was brain dead.
So if he appeared to her it would have to have been before she died and was put on the life saving support.
And that is true God’s grace could have appeared at the last second. I guess I want a guarantee…
thank you for your kind words.
Well, in between, her dad could have taken the priest on her hospital bed and administered some sacraments before she was brain dead?

And when she was brain dead, the priest could also have (I am sure the priest did) also administered the sacrament of Anointing of the Sick.

The sacrament also has the effect of forgiving sins for those not able to:

(catholic.com/library/Anointing_of_the_Sick.asp)

Mark refers to the sacrament when he recounts how Jesus sent out the twelve disciples to preach, and “they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many that were sick and healed them” (Mark 6:13). In his epistle, James says, “Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith will save the sick man, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven” (Jas. 5:14–15).

The early Church Fathers recognized this sacrament’s role in the life of the Church. Around A.D. 250, Origen wrote that the penitent Christian “does not shrink from declaring his sin to a priest of the Lord and from seeking medicine . . . [of] which the apostle James says: ‘If then there is anyone sick, let him call the presbyters of the Church, and let them impose hands upon him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith will save the sick man, and if he be in sins, they shall be forgiven him’” (Homilies on Leviticus 2:4).

"The special grace of the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick has as its effects: the uniting of the sick person to the passion of Christ, for his own good and that of the whole Church; the strengthening, peace, and courage to endure in a Christian manner the sufferings of illness or old age; the forgiveness of sins, if the sick person was not able to obtain it through the sacrament of penance; the restoration of health, if it is conducive to the salvation of his soul; the preparation for passing over to eternal life" (CCC 1532).

Does a person have to be dying to receive this sacrament? No. The Catechism says, “The anointing of the sick is not a sacrament for those only who are at the point of death. Hence, as soon as anyone of the faithful begins to be in danger of death from sickness or old age, the fitting time for him to receive this sacrament has certainly already arrived” (CCC 1514).

But the hope is relying on God’s divine mercy that she may be in purgatory, awaiting her final cleansing of her sins. That is why you should continue to pray for her.
 
Firstly, let me extend my condolences at your family’s loss. It’s very tragic to see such a promising life end. 😦

Funerals are really for the living. It allows people an opportunity to remember and honor their loved one, serves as a gathering place for family and friends for emotional support and encourages mourners express their feelings as well as to help them cope with their grief, bringing closure to their loved one’s death. Funerals are not intended to be a declarative statement as to the condition of the soul or to define Catholic doctrine. The priest understands this explicity and implicitly, so that’s why he said what he said.
 
Let me put it this way…I fear she is not in heaven…(from what the Bible says)
If you think about it, her being hooked on a drug is not as bad as these guys.

2 Maccabees 12:38-46
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition (DRA)

38So Judas having gathered together his army, came into the city Odollam: and when the seventh day came, they purified themselves according to the custom, and kept the sabbath in the place.
Code:
39And the day following Judas cam with his company, to take away the bodies of them that were slain, and to bury them with their kinsmen, in the sepulchres of their fathers.

40And they found under the coats o the slain some of the donaries of the idols of Jamnia, which the law forbiddeth the Jews:

41Then they all blessed the just judgment of the Lord, who had discovered the things that were hidden.

42And so betaking themselves to prayers, they besought him, that the sin which had been committed might be forgotten. But the most valiant Judas exhorted the people to keep themselves from sin, forasmuch as they saw before their eyes what had happened, because of the sins of those that were slain.

43And making a gathering, he twelve thousand drachms of silver to Jerusalem for sacrifice to be offered for the sins of the dead, thinking well and religiously concerning the resurrection,

44(For if he had not hoped that the that were slain should rise again, it would have seemed superfluous and vain to pray for the dead,)

45And because he considered that the who had fallen asleep with godliness, had great grace laid up for them.

46It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins.
NAB

36
After Esdris and his men had been fighting for a long time and were weary, Judas called upon the Lord to show himself their ally and leader in the battle.
37
Then, raising a battle cry in his ancestral language, and with songs, he charged Gorgias’ men when they were not expecting it and put them to flight.
38
Judas rallied his army and went to the city of Adullam. As the week was ending, they purified themselves according to custom and kept the sabbath there.
39
On the following day, since the task had now become urgent, Judas and his men went to gather up the bodies of the slain and bury them with their kinsmen in their ancestral tombs.
40
But under the tunic of each of the dead they found amulets sacred to the idols of Jamnia, which the law forbids the Jews to wear. So it was clear to all that this was why these men had been slain.
41
They all therefore praised the ways of the Lord, the just judge who brings to light the things that are hidden.
42
7 Turning to supplication, they prayed that the sinful deed might be fully blotted out. The noble Judas warned the soldiers to keep themselves free from sin, for they had seen with their own eyes what had happened because of the sin of those who had fallen.
43
He then took up a collection among all his soldiers, amounting to two thousand silver drachmas, which he sent to Jerusalem to provide for an expiatory sacrifice. In doing this he acted in a very excellent and noble way, inasmuch as he had the resurrection of the dead in view;
44
for if he were not expecting the fallen to rise again, it would have been useless and foolish to pray for them in death.
45
But if he did this with a view to the splendid reward that awaits those who had gone to rest in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought.
46
Thus he made atonement for the dead that they might be freed from this sin.
 
Sinrap, I am so sorry for your family’s loss.

My prayers are for you.
 
The Priest said “Rest assured she is in heaven.” He was confident she was.
Is there a possibility that she received the sacrament of what is known as “Last Rites” when she was in the hospital? If this is the case then it is generally assumed that she will go to heaven. The sacrament forgives sins at the time of death and the person is then in a state of grace. Of course the end result is always up to God, and no one really knows, but generally if someone received this final sacrament it is assumed they will be going to heaven, if not via a long term stay in Purgatory.

I am so very sorry for your loss. I will pray for her soul, that she will indeed rest in the peace of Christ.

Never give up, and never stop praying for her, even though she is gone from this life. Eternity is outside of our understanding of time and space, and the workings of God are beyond our understanding. Always have hope, walk by Faith and not by sight.

And become Catholic yourself so you can offer your own Holy Masses for her soul!! 🙂

~Liza
 
Thank you for your response. Let me say this as a reply to other posters, Of course I want her to be in heaven. It would give us all great comfort but I don’t want false comfort. The priest had no other knowlege of Stephanie. He didn’t know her. He knows some of the family . I have a problem with him saying that to the family even knowing he was trying to comfort them. I would like to believe this is true but have a hard time believing it under the circumstances.(and because of what the bible says) I am the type of person who wants to trust in my pastor
and follow his directions. I don’t want to have to sift through truths and mistruths.
Do you know what I mean?
Thank You
My dear only God can judge the heart of your Stephanie, If she at such a tender age was a drug addict you must understand she was not in control of her life as you are. Her mind and body was very sick indeed. For a persons soul to be dead from sin, they must, for one thing, have full knowledge and be completely aware of the wrong and give total and free consent to the action, Drug addicts of what ever kind are not always capable of doing that. Peace, Carlan
 
Thank you for your response. Let me say this as a reply to other posters, Of course I want her to be in heaven. It would give us all great comfort but I don’t want false comfort. The priest had no other knowlege of Stephanie. He didn’t know her. He knows some of the family . I have a problem with him saying that to the family even knowing he was trying to comfort them. I would like to believe this is true but have a hard time believing it under the circumstances.(and because of what the bible says) I am the type of person who wants to trust in my pastor
and follow his directions. I don’t want to have to sift through truths and mistruths.
Do you know what I mean?
Thank You
I hope I can help a little as I was brought up in a protestant church and converted to Catholicism.

You say that the priest knows some members of the family. He may of got his information that makes him think that your niece is in heaven from them. Is it possible that he might have met your niece without your knowledge, through a drugs program for example?

You say that you have a hard time believing that she is in heaven because of what the Bible says and you mention your pastor and say you want to trust him and his directions. Could I ask what passages from the Bible are making you think this? I assume from your message that your pastor has said that she isn’t (apologies if I’m wrong on this). If you distrust what the Catholic priest, who you think didn’t know your niece, what is it that makes you trust your pastor’s statements if he didn’t know her either? Are you reasons for doubting that she’s in heaven due to her drug addiction or the fact that she didn’t attend church (as far as you know)?

I hope this doesn’t come across as attacking you, I’m just trying to understand your reasons for thinking this about your niece. I also want to express my deepest sympathy and promise prayers for you, your niece and all her family and loved ones
 
Are you reasons for doubting that she’s in heaven due to her drug addiction or the fact that she didn’t attend church (as far as you know)?
I would like to add to this. God does not judge on the basis of one period in a persons life - particularly a relatively short period. The teenage years that are arguably the most difficult time in our lives, and a particularly difficult time in terms of faith development. If we were all judged purely on the basis of what we got up to in our teens, and our view of God and faith in our teens, how many of us could stand? It has also been said that the relationship between parent and child during the teenage years is the most difficult. It changes in later years. Some of us have been fortunate enough to live past those years and sort out a lot of the mess of the teenage years. Others are not that fortunate and they don’t get that chance. Does God not know what a person would have done had they had the chance? Is salvation all about timing and how we were living our lives at the moment of death?

My brother died in an accident when he was 22. He wasn’t particularly religious and was pretty wild. He was also pretty messed up for lots of reasons. I don’t know if he is in heaven, purgatory or hell. What I do know, is that God knows all things and I believe God does not judge in the way humans do, and does not judge in the way some people think he does. Did Jesus not say to the thief on the Cross, ‘you will be with me in paradise?’ Note he didn’t say heaven. But he did say paradise.

Loosing a child must be the hardest thing any parent could face and handing your child over in death into the hands of God places a huge demand on faith. However, with faith there is also hope. Our loved one’s do not die with no hope. We may not have certainty, but we do have hope - in a God of mercy and forgiveness who Himself became human.
 
One of my priests told me that the “Paradise” reference is because Jesus was referring to “today”. Heaven had not yet been opened, so the thief went to the place referred to as the bosom of Abraham in the parable of Lazarus and the rich man.

I think that the thief went to heaven when Christ opened it. I read a great description of the good thief in a book by FJ Sheed, that it was a remarkable deathbed conversion and confession, especially considering the ‘bed’ he was dying on.

My sympathies on your brother’s death. You are so right about the fact that some of us get to live long enough to correct our mistakes, while others are not so fortunate. I can’t believe that God, who is love, would send someone to Hell for this. I am sure that He sees not what or who we are or were but what or who we would be.
 
I would like to add to this. God does not judge on the basis of one period in a persons life - particularly a relatively short period. The teenage years that are arguably the most difficult time in our lives, and a particularly difficult time in terms of faith development. If we were all judged purely on the basis of what we got up to in our teens, and our view of God and faith in our teens, how many of us could stand? It has also been said that the relationship between parent and child during the teenage years is the most difficult. It changes in later years. Some of us have been fortunate enough to live past those years and sort out a lot of the mess of the teenage years. Others are not that fortunate and they don’t get that chance. Does God not know what a person would have done had they had the chance? Is salvation all about timing and how we were living our lives at the moment of death?

My brother died in an accident when he was 22. He wasn’t particularly religious and was pretty wild. He was also pretty messed up for lots of reasons. I don’t know if he is in heaven, purgatory or hell. What I do know, is that God knows all things and I believe God does not judge in the way humans do, and does not judge in the way some people think he does. Did Jesus not say to the thief on the Cross, ‘you will be with me in paradise?’ Note he didn’t say heaven. But he did say paradise.

Loosing a child must be the hardest thing any parent could face and handing your child over in death into the hands of God places a huge demand on faith. However, with faith there is also hope. Our loved one’s do not die with no hope. We may not have certainty, but we do have hope - in a God of mercy and forgiveness who Himself became human.
👍:)Peace, Carlan
 
Thank you everyone for all your kindness. You are all truly a blessing. I will take what you all have said and try to sort through them so I understand them.
Thanks again,
Cindy
 
Thank you everyone for all your kindness. You are all truly a blessing. I will take what you all have said and try to sort through them so I understand them.
Thanks again,
Cindy
If you ever sort it all out can you let me know? 😃
 
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