Inability to merit after death

[poetryforjesus]

Hi, can anyone offer some explanation on the difference between a human being living on earth and one that’s passed away? I have the impression that once we die, we can no longer suffer, make sacrifices, or earn any merit. Why is that? I’m trying to understand the importance of taking advantage of our life on earth so that God’s graces won’t be wasted and we can live our lives in a most meritorious way.

How is the separation of body and soul so significant? How is physical suffering and struggling in this world so significant? How is it that spirits, as opposed to humans, cannot suffer and gain merit?

 

[NHInsider]

Hmm. Would you be frustrated if the answer was “because that’s the way God intended it?”

He created us as body-and-soul, to know, love and serve Him in this life and be happy with Him in the next. This life is like a test, just like Adam and Eve - will you choose to obey Me out of love, or will you choose to disobey and forfeit the friendship I have offered? Of course, thanks be to God, He has chosen to give us an ever-renewable way to choose Life, rather than a once-and-for-all-decision. But the decision must be made while we are living, body-and-soul. Once the soul leaves the body, the opportunity to choose has ended. (Hebrews 9:27)

I think you have mis-spoken, however, when you say that after death we cannot suffer. I think Scripture is pretty clear that after death we can suffer as a result of the choices we made during life. But this suffering will not change the judgment we have chosen.

 

[poetryforjesus]

Hmm. Would you be frustrated if the answer was “because that’s the way God intended it?”

He created us as body-and-soul, to know, love and serve Him in this life and be happy with Him in the next. This life is like a test, just like Adam and Eve - will you choose to obey Me out of love, or will you choose to disobey and forfeit the friendship I have offered? Of course, thanks be to God, He has chosen to give us an ever-renewable way to choose Life, rather than a once-and-for-all-decision. But the decision must be made while we are living, body-and-soul. Once the soul leaves the body, the opportunity to choose has ended. (Hebrews 9:27)

I think you have mis-spoken, however, when you say that after death we cannot suffer. I think Scripture is pretty clear that after death we can suffer as a result of the choices we made during life. But this suffering will not change the judgment we have chosen.

All right, sounds good.

More insights, please. Feels like there can be a lot of digging in here.

 

[Spencerian]

All right, sounds good.

More insights, please. Feels like there can be a lot of digging in here.

I can add a little regarding the nature of body and soul.

While angels, also a creation of God, are beings that are entirely spiritual (no body), humans are *both *body and spirit.

Death creates a separation of body and spirit. A human’s spirit yearns to return to his body because this is it’s natural state. Christ’s promise of resurrection of the body gives us this hope of unification with a glorified body (as His was at the Resurrection) on the condition that we live in Him (follow commandments and the like).

The Catholic Encyclopedia’s explanation of the General Resurrection (see “Dogma of the resurrection”) clarifies this, too, with sources from Church Fathers as well as Scripture resources.

 

[poetryforjesus]

Dear Spencerian,

Thanks for posting this link. It was very beneficial reading. Resurrection of the dead truly is the fulfillment of the ultimate human desire. How wonderful it is that Christ not only forgives our sins but also gives glory to our lowly bodies! It gives me tremendous freedom to know that my body is not to be shunned as something unspiritual but to be embraced as a beatifully natural gift, that Christ not only redeems my soul but also my body. Yeah!

 

[Ron_Conte]

Hi, can anyone offer some explanation on the difference between a human being living on earth and one that’s passed away? I have the impression that once we die, we can no longer suffer, make sacrifices, or earn any merit. Why is that? I’m trying to understand the importance of taking advantage of our life on earth so that God’s graces won’t be wasted and we can live our lives in a most meritorious way.

How is the separation of body and soul so significant? How is physical suffering and struggling in this world so significant? How is it that spirits, as opposed to humans, cannot suffer and gain merit?

The holy angels, prior to gaining the beatific vision of God, could merit, even though they are spirit without bodies. So the lack of a body is not, per se, what prevents one from merit.

The souls in Purgatory cannot merit because they are paying the temporal punishment due for their sins. If you owe me money, and they you give me some of the money that you owe to me, you cannot claim that it is a gift or a loan. It is what you owe. So the souls in Purgatory do not merit. But they can pray for other persons; this is part of making satisfaction for their sins. And their prayers are effective.

The person after death is judged by God, so the reason that there is no more merit is that you have complete the time for merit and now it is the time to be judged. Pencils down everyone, time for your tests to be graded. You can’t change any answers after the testing period is over. That would be cheating.

 

[CatholicGuy22]

Well we are more useful to God once we are dead. We are united with God and our prayer life well be better(of course ). Souls do suffer but not in the way humans do, a soul suffers when it is away from the light of God. Examples of this is purgatory and hell. Jesus did alot more for us when he resurected than alive.

 

[schatzi]

In life we are given God’s grace to achieve happiness in His Holy Will.

Grace ends with death. The soul is the sum of grace that we receive and accept in life. What comes next is God’s Judgment.

Place yourself in His Mercy and pray for the grace to live a holy life.

And then get on with living

“Above all the grace and the gifts that Christ gives to his beloved is that of overcoming self.”
St. Francis of Assisi

 

[Ron_Conte]

Grace ends with death. The soul is the sum of grace that we receive and accept in life.

Grace does not end with death. If it did, then the Virgin Mary would no longer be filled with grace, nor would she be able to be the Mediatrix of grace. And she is like us in all things but sin.

The soul is distinct from grace. Grace is an effect in the soul of the presence and power of God.

 

[schatzi]

Grace does not end with death. If it did, then the Virgin Mary would no longer be filled with grace, nor would she be able to be the Mediatrix of grace. And she is like us in all things but sin.

The soul is distinct from grace. Grace is an effect in the soul of the presence and power of God.

The Blessed Mother, by virtue of her glorious Assumption, was taken, body and soul, to Heaven.

I agree that the soul is distinct from grace. As the receptacle of grace, which, when acted on, floods the soul, it is the measure of our life of grace on earth.

From “This Rock” magazine, I found this: The purification that takes place in purgatory is purely a work of God’s grace, since there is no chance for merit after death, and the judgment of each individual is based solely upon their earthly life. But regardless of where Christ purifies men, it is precisely because his sacrifice was sufficient that each believer can be perfected.

Catholic Answers has many good articles on grace. Here’s one: catholic.com/library/Grace_What_It_Is.asp

The work of grace is to perfect nature. While we are mortal, and open daily to temptation and the inclination to sin that is concupiscence, we need to seek God’s Grace, and pray to die a holy death.

 

[Tomster]

Hi, can anyone offer some explanation on the difference between a human being living on earth and one that’s passed away? I have the impression that once we die, we can no longer suffer, make sacrifices, or earn any merit. Why is that? I’m trying to understand the importance of taking advantage of our life on earth so that God’s graces won’t be wasted and we can live our lives in a most meritorious way.

How is the separation of body and soul so significant? How is physical suffering and struggling in this world so significant? How is it that spirits, as opposed to humans, cannot suffer and gain merit?

Restored by the grace of Christ to the condition of sons of God, we remain none the less subject to those ills which are the penalty of original sin. The sting of concupiscence reminds us that, sons of God though we be, we are still children of Adam. Pain and suffering are our daily lot in this life, though we are destined to a joy of which no man can tell. And before that joy can be ours all must suffer the penalty of death.

But while our Redeemer has not freed us from these evils, yet he has transformed them. The rebellion of the senses has no terrors for the Christian who is strong in the grace of Christ; for in overcoming temptation by the help of God, which is never lacking, he wins a more glorious crown. Suffering and death, since Christ has suffered and died, have taken on a new meaning. Uniting his suffering and his death with the Passion and Death of Christ, the Christian appropriates the atonement of the Savior and becomes more and more formed to his likeness; like St. Paul he glories in his tribulations for Christ’s body, which is the Church.

At length, then, the body, worn out with age and disease, is unable any longer to co-operate with the soul in its vital functions; and the immortal soul departs from it, leaving it to crumble in the dust. The time of trial, the time during which, by struggling with temptation and corresponding with God’s grace, we may store up merit of eternal life, finishes with death. At the moment of dissolution man has already made his final and irrevocable decision; after death there is no repentance. He has chosen as his sovereign good either God or the creature. If the former, then he is in the state of grace, and he has merited his eternal reward. If the latter, then he is in the state of sin, supernaturally dead, and he can have no part in the inheritance of the sons of God. In that moment the disembodied soul is judged; its eternal doom is pronounced.

 

[poetryforjesus]

Restored by the grace of Christ to the condition of sons of God, we remain none the less subject to those ills which are the penalty of original sin. The sting of concupiscence reminds us that, sons of God though we be, we are still children of Adam. Pain and suffering are our daily lot in this life, though we are destined to a joy of which no man can tell. And before that joy can be ours all must suffer the penalty of death.

But while our Redeemer has not freed us from these evils, yet he has transformed them. The rebellion of the senses has no terrors for the Christian who is strong in the grace of Christ; for in overcoming temptation by the help of God, which is never lacking, he wins a more glorious crown. Suffering and death, since Christ has suffered and died, have taken on a new meaning. Uniting his suffering and his death with the Passion and Death of Christ, the Christian appropriates the atonement of the Savior and becomes more and more formed to his likeness; like St. Paul he glories in his tribulations for Christ’s body, which is the Church.

At length, then, the body, worn out with age and disease, is unable any longer to co-operate with the soul in its vital functions; and the immortal soul departs from it, leaving it to crumble in the dust. The time of trial, the time during which, by struggling with temptation and corresponding with God’s grace, we may store up merit of eternal life, finishes with death. At the moment of dissolution man has already made his final and irrevocable decision; after death there is no repentance. He has chosen as his sovereign good either God or the creature. If the former, then he is in the state of grace, and he has merited his eternal reward. If the latter, then he is in the state of sin, supernaturally dead, and he can have no part in the inheritance of the sons of God. In that moment the disembodied soul is judged; its eternal doom is pronounced.

Thank you, Tomster, very good explanation. It seems that God truly takes pity on our frailties being bogged down by our bodily necessities and trials of this life. Therefore He bears with us patiently as we struggle along in our human weaknesses. Our soul is made for God, who is infinitely grander than our creaturely glory. Therefore, it seems that we ought to always look beyond the goodness and confines of the visible world and stretch toward the supernatural good, which is revealed in Jesus Christ.