Is having a miserable life a requirement for us to get to heaven?

[Julie_de_Sales]

It seems that the only way to get to heaven is to carry the cross (today’s Gospel). It seems to me that one is not really a Christian if one is not suffering. Suffering / “the cross” is a trademark of authentic Christianity.

I read a lot of the lives of the Saints. That being said, most of the Saints had painful and challenging lives. Many died as martyrs. That being said, is having a miserable life a requirement for us to get into Heaven? Ironically, most of them also had joy. Unlike me I complain about my crosses.

If we are happy, is that an indication that we are not carrying our cross well enough?

Does God want us to completely forgo happiness on Earth to have eternal happiness with him in Heaven?

I just want to chill, be content, to relax and be happy in this world as well; will I not be good enough for Heaven then?

I don’t believe we have to endure great sufferings in order to enter Heaven, the important thing is to follow the teachings of Christ. At the final judgment He will not ask us how much have we suffered, but if we did the right thing. And if the pain we will have to endure, more or less, will be united to that of Jesus, I think it’s enough. In my opinion, especially in the past, there was too much emphasis put on the cross and the idea that if you don’t suffer it means you are not “special” in the eyes of God and you should even inflict pain upon yourself. Some lives of the saints are painful to read because of their mortifications and I doubt this is the way to go.

 

[scrupulousrvrt]

Happiness is not for this world, it is only for the next world - if one makes it.

But if you don’t “make it”, wouldn’t that make a lifetime of suffering pointless?

 

[Methos]

But if you don’t “make it”, wouldn’t that make a lifetime of suffering pointless?

If you “offered” it for the conversion of sinners, you’d had helped someone else get to Heaven. Maybe that will be of some comfort for those of us who don’t make it or a torture of what could have been.

 

[Lost_Sheep]

If you “offered” it for the conversion of sinners, you’d had helped someone else get to Heaven. Maybe that will be of some comfort for those of us who don’t make it or a torture of what could have been.

That and a dollar will get you a cup of coffee at 7-Eleven. How is having done “something good” going to offer any comfort when spending eternity in Hell?

 

[Viki63]

If you “offered” it for the conversion of sinners, you’d had helped someone else get to Heaven. Maybe that will be of some comfort for those of us who don’t make it or a torture of what could have been.

This conversation is becoming silly.
God wants everyone to get to heaven, and if we ask him to help us make it, he will.
He encourages us to take up our cross, whatever responsibilities or pain we have, and follow him. If we don’t have severe pain, we should thank him; life is complex and difficult enough even for those of us blessed with no pain or current trials.
If we do have pain, we should offer it in reparation for our sins and those of others.

It’s really not rocket science.

.

 

[Lost_Sheep]

This conversation is becoming silly.
God wants everyone to get to heaven, and if we ask him to help us make it, he will.
He encourages us to take up our cross, whatever responsibilities or pain we have, and follow him. If we don’t have severe pain, we should thank him; life is complex and difficult enough even for those of us blessed with no pain or current trials.
If we do have pain, we should offer it in reparation for our sins and those of others.

Then if a miserable life helps you get to Heaven then I should be a shoe-in.

 

[LoveJesus13]

This is an excellent question! Thank you so much for asking this, a question that I have been pondering lately.

I feel the same, maybe the more suffering we have, the quicker we can get to heaven?

 

[catholic_gal]

It seems that the only way to get to heaven is to carry the cross (today’s Gospel). It seems to me that one is not really a Christian if one is not suffering. Suffering / “the cross” is a trademark of authentic Christianity.

I read a lot of the lives of the Saints. That being said, most of the Saints had painful and challenging lives. Many died as martyrs. That being said, is having a miserable life a requirement for us to get into Heaven? Ironically, most of them also had joy. Unlike me I complain about my crosses.

If we are happy, is that an indication that we are not carrying our cross well enough?

Does God want us to completely forgo happiness on Earth to have eternal happiness with him in Heaven?

I just want to chill, be content, to relax and be happy in this world as well; will I not be good enough for Heaven then?

I hear what you’re saying. Personally, I’ve found the deeper I’ve grown in my faith and to Christ, the more a stranger I feel to the world. I remember the days of “fitting in” - drugs and sex and all sorts of debauchery. Back then, it was easy because the life I was living was “approved of” by the world’s standards. Now, not so much.

Standing up for the faith and the Truth (as taught by Christ and upheld by the Church) almost makes you a freak. My circle of friends has gotten significantly smaller, but I’ve found the people I DO surround myself with to be wonderful.

Christ said, “In this world, you will have trouble,” and “If the world hates you, remember it hated me first.” In other words, He warned us we were gonna have a rough time of it. Whenever I feel like a “freak” by the world’s standards, I remember these words. It tells me I’m at least on the right track.

But still, I don’t think God wants us to be miserable (sometimes, life can just feel like one, long wait for death to HOPEFULLY receive our reward and be happy). There’s lots of stuff you can do to feel more fulfilled: think of something you’re passionate about and find a way to volunteer, join a group at your parish, and take at least 1 vacation per year (even if it’s by yourself…I went to the UK all alone, and found it very refreshing).

If you think you might be depressed, maybe talk to your doctor? There are also natural ways to help “lighten the mind.” St. John’s Wort is pretty effective; try to fall asleep with the lights completely off (to build melatonin, which supplies seratonin…the happy chemical); turn off the social media a little more, or clean out the negative stuff.

Also, look into amino acids. You can find them in the vitamin isle…totally natural. They’re a by-product of proteins in our food, but of course, the food supply is totally jacked up, so we’re not getting as much as we should, and a lot of people are getting depressed because of it. If you’re feeling sluggish/apathetic, L-Dopamine. If you’re feeling sad/melancholy, 5-HTP. If you’re too anxious, L-GABA. There’s a great book out there called “The Mood Cure” if you want to know more.

Good luck, and I’ll say a prayer for you!

 

[frankyfive]

This is a Gr8 question…Lol! See what I did there. I crack myself up.
Just really dig the OPs handle.

I wish I could quote scripture but I’m just a revert…so a noob in my walk. I’ll just share my ‘Feelings and Opinions’.

To me it’s about the “Standard”. God’s standard vs the Worlds standard. I don’t see misery as what God wants for us. He sent his Son down to die for all our sins and misery, and he is going to come again! and on that day he is going to take a way every tear. I believe that he wants total joy for us right now, right here…AND we can experience Heaven on Earth.

As I read and study God’s words and spend time in prayer I see that most, maybe even all of my pain, my suffering…which is real to me… is because of how i feel and perceive how the World around me is judging me.
God doesn’t want that for me at all. He wants me to have true and lasting peace, comfort, happiness. The more I dig in, the more i realize, I’m his son also. I am worthy by His standard. He loves me unconditionally and no matter what I do His Mercy is boundless.

Now that doesn’t give me free will to do what ever the heck I please. Nor does it take away the real pains of losing a loved one, sickness, financial burdens etc etc. Those are real, they hurt, they stress me out it is just makes me plain miserable. It sucks! I’m definitely not smiling in that moment. But I’m finding the more I dwell on that, the more miserable I am, and that just continues until I give that pain to God. For me that feeling is still there but more bearable. But I also think that the degrees of my pain and its duration is proportionate to the degree of faith I have in God.

Which brings me to think of St Maximilian Kolbe. How in the world could this guy pray and sing praises to God while being in prison for serving God! That just seems insane!
I look at him and it gives me perspective. What the heck am I crying about! But it also makes me reflect. Where is the JOY in this man’s heart coming from? All I can think of is that his faith in God is ABSOLUTE. His focus on God is at a degree I may never achieve myself. In our worldly eyes St. Maximilian’s life was nothing but pure misery. But to him, he had to…he must have felt, and truly believed that it was just a sacrifice. His cross to bear for all the love and joy he found in God! I just cant see any other way he or any saint or martyr can go through this.

So for me, its my perception of what misery is. Based on a Worldly standard not on God’s. God wants Joy for me and as my degree of faith in God grows my Joy in God grows. Perhaps one day I can be like St. Maximilian and see my misery in a different “Light”.

That’s my two cents.

Praise and Glory to God.

 

[Paganus]

This conversation is becoming silly.
God wants everyone to get to heaven, and if we ask him to help us make it, he will.
He encourages us to take up our cross, whatever responsibilities or pain we have, and follow him. If we don’t have severe pain, we should thank him; life is complex and difficult enough even for those of us blessed with no pain or current trials.
If we do have pain, we should offer it in reparation for our sins and those of others.

It’s really not rocket science.

.

Good post! Offer it up. No cross, no crown.

 

[Pat_Albertson]

First we have a miserable life, then most of us burn in hell forever. Things will always get worse, never better. Within the next couple of weeks or so I will be homeless. The best one can hope for in this life is a quick and early death. The best one can hope for in the next life is that one will not end up in the hottest place in hell.

I wear the brown scapular now, not that it will make any difference. I haven’t gone to confession as much as I wanted to, but at least I have not missed any masses in the past few weeks. And I have gone to communion every Sunday. Still, I see the way things are going, and I have realistic expectations.

Many potential people were never born and never existed, not even as foetuses to be aborted. Truly, those are the lucky ones.

 

[TK421]

If you “offered” it for the conversion of sinners, you’d had helped someone else get to Heaven. Maybe that will be of some comfort for those of us who don’t make it or a torture of what could have been.

Everybody that’s in hell wants everybody else to go to hell with them, including earthly relatives.

 

[Pat_Albertson]

Sorry for my rant yesterday, I’m just in utter despair in my search for employment. I thought I was really coming close to having a job but when I called them again yesterday they told me that the position had already been filled. I have pictures at an art gallery that would save me from homelessness if only someone would buy them, but that isn’t happening either. I pray all the time, but that doesn’t seem to be helping. I’m at my wits end; just don’t know what I can do any more . . .

 

[ffg]

Op, Might want to read some lives of the saints.

Someone posted the ewtn article here today about the saints of today.

Notice the lack of miserable.

Sorry you concluded such to drive the question.

 

[EmeraldOne]

There is a whole lot of negativity in this thread! While it’s certainly true that there is a massive amount of suffering going on in the world, there has always been. That suffering however is the product of sin and fallen human nature. God is not the author of evil, and only wants the best for us, He is both mercy and justice. We weren’t put here just to suffer and only suffer, that’s foolishness, He created this beautiful place for us to enjoy, the good in life is to be enjoyed! Enjoyed correctly, mind you, but enjoyed! Life is a joy. Every day that you wake up you’re given a new chance at it. I don’t want to come off as seeming like everything is peaches and cream though, life is often hard, we face big challenges everyday, some of which break us from time to time. The daily striving for holiness is challenge enough for even the most saintly, but it not like being a slave under the lash of a cruel master, no, not at all. It’s more like the pains of a good workout, building figurative muscle to become better under the stern but perfectly loving instructions of the best coach.

 

[Lost_Sheep]

There is a whole lot of negativity in this thread! While it’s certainly true that there is a massive amount of suffering going on in the world, there has always been. That suffering however is the product of sin and fallen human nature. God is not the author of evil, and only wants the best for us, He is both mercy and justice. We weren’t put here just to suffer and only suffer, that’s foolishness, He created this beautiful place for us to enjoy, the good in life is to be enjoyed! Enjoyed correctly, mind you, but enjoyed! Life is a joy. Every day that you wake up you’re given a new chance at it. I don’t want to come off as seeming like everything is peaches and cream though, life is often hard, we face big challenges everyday, some of which break us from time to time. The daily striving for holiness is challenge enough for even the most saintly, but it not like being a slave under the lash of a cruel master, no, not at all. It’s more like the pains of a good workout, building figurative muscle to become better under the stern but perfectly loving instructions of the best coach.

God may not be the author of evil in the sense that He is not the one causing it, but He could certainly prevent it if He wanted to (which apparently He does not).

 

[EmeraldOne]

God may not be the author of evil in the sense that He is not the one causing it, but He could certainly prevent it if He wanted to (which apparently He does not).

We must take it on faith and the experience of all the saints that if He does not, then it is to bring about a goodness that we may not yet understand. Job is a great biblical example. This life is transitory, as is pain, but His love is eternal.

 

[Methos]

There is a whole lot of negativity in this thread! While it’s certainly true that there is a massive amount of suffering going on in the world, there has always been. That suffering however is the product of sin and fallen human nature. God is not the author of evil, and only wants the best for us, He is both mercy and justice. We weren’t put here just to suffer and only suffer, that’s foolishness, He created this beautiful place for us to enjoy, the good in life is to be enjoyed! Enjoyed correctly, mind you, but enjoyed! Life is a joy. Every day that you wake up you’re given a new chance at it. I don’t want to come off as seeming like everything is peaches and cream though, life is often hard, we face big challenges everyday, some of which break us from time to time. The daily striving for holiness is challenge enough for even the most saintly, but it not like being a slave under the lash of a cruel master, no, not at all. It’s more like the pains of a good workout, building figurative muscle to become better under the stern but perfectly loving instructions of the best coach.

And in the end, may of us wil hear this:

“Many will say to me on that day,o ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?’ Then I will declare to them solemnly, ‘I never knew you.* Depart from me, you evildoers” --Matthew 7:22-23