I who chose you

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irishcolleen45

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“It was not you who chose Me, but I who chose you” (John 15:16.
Why did Jesus choose me to be a Catholic? What a gift! Am I doing His will? This statement has been going on in my head for the past week.
 
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I’ve always felt I ended up Catholic largely by chance and this is such a different way of looking at it. I do sometimes think why me when there are others who have better skills for serving the faith.
 
As a convert, I am so glad that the Lord called me home to his Church.

Pray that all God’s children become Catholic.
 
I know some Calvinist pastors have said it’s a mystery why God chooses some and not others.
Any official Catholic Church teachings on this verse?
 
Calvinists also subscribe to the belief of predestination, where God creates some people for Heaven and others for Hell.

God calls all of us to be in union with Him. (John 10:16; John 17:17-23; Col 3:15)

God bless.
 
I’m a revert and considering my way of life before I came back, I’m also humbled and astonished that God chose me. Thank you, Lord!
 
My parents had four children including myself but were open for as many as God would allow. My Mom and Dad discussed various names for a fifth child but it was nothing serious. My Dad said one night he had a dream where he was surrounded by mist and from it came a cute seven year old girl. She asked,”Do you know who I am?” My Dad instantly knew and replied, “Yes, you’re Amanda”. She continued, “There are two places for me”. My Dad saw a scene where a happy little African girl was drawing in the dirt outside a shack. As it disappeared, he then saw a little white girl playing outside our house. She then asked my Dad, “Do you want me?” My Dad immediately said, “Of course I want you!” She calmly said, “Then act quickly father for time is running out “. She then disappeared back into the mist. Nine months later my little sister was born and my Dad said, years later, she looked every bit like his dream. After that my Mom couldn’t have anymore kids.
 
May God continue to bless you,
and the Holy Spirit inspire you always.
 
Hi all!

Cruciferi, thank you for your beautiful post. It brought me to tears. It’s wonderful to be wanted. For the longest time I’ve been struggling with the belief that I’m unacceptable to God. This thought had kept me away from the Church. I’m uncomfortable admitting this in public, but this topic hit home! I’m now attending Mass and participating in the service. I’m home once again.
 
Welcome back Stuart.
Many years ago, I expressed similar feelings about being unacceptable in the confessional. The priest said, “God doesn’t make junk.”

I wish I could say that his pithy statement brought me back around to the faith and I became a very committed Catholic (at that point I was missing Mass frequently due to anxiety and not being very good about going to confession regularly, among other things). Instead, for reasons unrelated to his statement, I didn’t go to confession again for about 18 years, after about a year quit going to Mass as well, and committed lots of big bad sins.

Nevertheless, what the priest said stayed in my mind and probably helped to eventually bring me back when I saw the light after a very long time.
 
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I’m sure many of the faithful get Scrupulous about whether or not they are doing his will. But remember, he made us different and even our Native American Saint had a life slightly different than other Saints. She walked in the snow with a cross professing her faith, some Saints have very different callings but it ends up the same. I even know Paul the Apostle had a change of heart in his life when he became more religious and inspired many!
 
And dear friend it is UP to you to answer it; knowing that God did so for a reason.

Pray very much for the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.

May God guide your path.

Patrick
 
Ive never question this, but it is a good question. Im not ready to look a gift horse in the mouth. I was blessed enough to be in a family with strong Catholic faith, in a neighborhood to grow up in where Catholics were the majority, and churchs were plentiful. But, geesh, that was living in Boston, now down South for many years, I see the same thoughts amongst the Baptists. I judge no religion, Im just greatful to have mine and wish everyone else was this fortunate
 
ATraveller said:
I know some Calvinist pastors have said it’s a mystery why God chooses some and not others.
Any official Catholic Church teachings on this verse?
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God bless you ATraveller and God bless every readers of the CAF.
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I try to do my best to help you with some related teachings of the Catholic Church and some related teachings of the Scripture.
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Matthew 19:25-26; (ESV)
25 … “Who then can be saved?”
26 But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible but with God all things are possible.”
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OUR SALVATION IS NOT OUR CHOICE BUT IT IS GOD’S CHOICE

Explaining Justification
The grace of God’s Justification CCCS 1990-1991; Justification is God’s free gift which detaches man from enslavement to sin and reconciles him to God.

Justification is also our acceptance of God’s righteousness. In this gift, faith, hope, charity, and OBEDIENCE TO GOD’S WILL are given to us.
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The Grace of God’s Call (1996-1998)
Justification comes from grace (God’s free and undeserved help) and is given to us to respond to his call.

This call to eternal life is supernatural, coming TOTALLY from God’s decision and surpassing ALL power of human intellect and will. End quote.
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Acts 13:48; … As many as were ordained to eternal life believed.

John 15:16; You did not chose Me, but I chose you.

John 6:65; … no one can come to Me unless it is granted to him by the Father.

John 6:44; No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him, …

As you see ATraveller; our salvation is 100 % God’s choice and 0 % our choice.
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Continuation
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The Catholic Church affirms predestination as a DE FIDE Dogma (the highest level of binding theological certainty).

CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA
THE CATHOLIC DOGMA. – The predestination of the elect.
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Consequently, the whole future membership of heaven, down to its minutest details, has

been IRREVOCABLY FIXED FROM ALL ETERNITY. Nor could it be otherwise. For if it

were possible that a predestined individual should after all be CAST INTO HELL or that

one not predestined should in the end REACH HEAVEN, then God would have been

MISTAKEN in his foreknowledge of future events; He would NO LONGER be omniscient.

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(2) The second quality of predestination, the DEFINITENESS of the number of the elect,

follows NATURALLY from the first. For if the eternal counsel of God regarding the

predestined is UNCHANGEABLE, then the number of the predestined must likewise be

UNCHANGEABLE and DEFINITE, subject NEITHER to ADDITIONS nor to

CANCELLATIONS. Anything indefinite in the number would eo ipso imply a lack of

certitude in God’s knowledge and would DESTROY His omniscience. End quote.
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THE THEORY OF PREDESTINATION prævisa merita

THIS THEORY, CHAMPIONED BY all Thomists and a few Molinists (as Bellarmine, Francisco Suárez, Francis de Lugo):

Asserts that God, by an absolute decree and without regard to any future supernatural merits, predestined from all eternity certain men to the glory of heaven, and then, in consequence of this decree, decided to give them all the graces necessary for its accomplishment. End quote.
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As we see above God’s election into heaven into the Bride of Christ coming TOTALLY from God’s decision and surpassing ALL power of human intellect and will.
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As Cthompson explained in post # 6, God calls all of us to be in union with Him. (John 10:16; John 17:17-23; Col 3:15)

John 10:16; “And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.”
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From Ez.36:25-28; Dan.7:13-27; CCC 677, etc. it is clear:

One fold is the Heavenly class, the Bride of Christ, the other fold is all the nations.

All the Nations will live forever in the Recreated New Earth, and when Christ will come down from heaven with His Bride, Christ will rule over all nations with His Bride.
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All WILL BE SAVED is NOT a heresy, it is the Eternal Design/Plan and the Eternal WILL OF GOD!!!

God’s will is to save everyone, 1 Tim.2:4; 2 Pet.3:8-9; Eph.1:9-11; Col.1:20; Ez.36:25-28.
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The way God saved EVERYONE in Nineveh (Jonah 4:11), the same way God will save everyone in the whole world for HIS GLORY and because of His Love and Justice.
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Christ will come down from heaven with His Bride (CCC 677), for to rule over all the nations with His Bride (Dan.7:13-27; etc.).
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The salvation of the “other sheep/all Nations” just as important as the salvation of the Bride of Christ.
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If the Nations are in hell, then where Christ rules over the Nations with His Bride, in hell???
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FR. WILLIAM MOST TEACHES THE SAME ABOVE THEOLOGICAL FACTS as the DE FIDE Dogma Predestination of the elect.

Tuesday, April 2, 2013 Fr. William Most

What does the Catholic Church teach on Predestination?

Predestination is gratuitous: For even before God considers human merits, He predestines, and because the sole and total cause of predestination is the goodness and love of the Father which moves spontaneously WITHOUT stimulus, merit, or condition.

Meaning, man does NOTHING and can do NOTHING to enter the state of Initial Justification. – Theological FACT.
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John 15:5; “… for without Me you can do nothing.”
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Strictly speaking only a person in the STATE OF GRACE can merit, as defined by the Church (Denzinger 1576, 1582).
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COUNCIL OF TRENT Session 6 Chapter 8
. . . None of those things which precede justification - whether faith or works - merit the grace itself of justification.
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AS WE SEE ABOVE
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When God calls and draws an un-regenerated/carnal man into His service/salvation WITHOUT stimulus, merit, or condition and without regard to any future supernatural merits, His calling is backed up with an ABSOLUTE DECREE.

And in consequence of this DECREE, God gives them all the graces necessary for its accomplishment. – DE FIDE Dogma. + Infallible teachings of the Trent. + God’s free gift of Justification CCCS (1990-1991). + The Grace of God’s Call CCCS (1996-1998).
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At Initial Justification God’s special grace The Gift of Final Perseverance given to EVERY initially Justified which grace INFALLIBLE makes sure every Initially Justified dies in the state of grace. – DE FIDE Dogma. + Infallible teachings of the Trent.

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AS WE SEE ABOVE NO GOD’S CHILD/ELECT LOSE SALVATION IN CATHOLIC THEOLOGY.
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Initial Justification (Recreation/Born Again). + God’s call to Salvation (which is coming TOTALLY from God’s decision). + The Gift of Final Perseverance (Rom.14:4; Phil.1:6; Phil.2:13; De Veritatis 22:9; etc.) given to EVERY Initially Justified. = Everlasting Life for the Glory of God.
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RIGHTEOUSNESS AND MERIT by James Akin

Quote: One is saved the moment one is initially justified.

Of course, a Calvinist can say (as a Thomistic Catholic would say) that both cooperations in the giving and the embracing of the eternal call are themselves produced (not just enabled) by God’s grace, and this is perfectly fine.

A Calvinist and a Catholic alike can say that our cooperation is produced (not just enabled) by God’s operation. No problem at all. End quote.
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