Protestants Focus on This Life, Catholics on the Next

[Nap66]

Hey now, don’t forget about God’s grace and mercy. God can take our suffering and turn it into something great by giving it redemptive value when we unite our sufferings with Christ.

In this world or the next? In my previous post about grace, mercy and blessings there is discussion that Job’s blessings that were given to him in the end in this world for his sufferings were just a metaphor. If the book of Job was in the New Testament then his blessings/rewards would have been in the next life, not this one. I find that hard to believe, but that is Catholic teaching - God’s mercy and grace is for the next life, not this one.

Even Jesus, the perfect sinless God-man, suffered immensely. Remember Jesus. Maybe if you remember Jesus, you’ll have more peace in your suffering.

Yes Jesus suffered in this life, only to be redeemed in the next life. I look at Jesus’ life and wonder if he ever enjoyed his time here. If he ever expected to. Did Jesus come to help us live better lives here on earth and enjoy some goodness here before we die? I hope so.

 

[lilypadrees]

As a cradle Catholic, I believe that God doesn’t give us more than we can handle in this life. We don’t suffer any more than non-Catholics.

I also believe that He wants us to live our lives to the best of our ability while focusing on Him and sharing His Love with all we meet. We aren’t to walk around being miserable all the time but be joyful in Him. We aren’t to waste our time here on this earth but to be productive in any way He wishes us to be.

Then when our mission on this earth is complete, we will hear those wonderful words, “Well done, My good and faithful servant. Enter now into the joy of your Master.”

 

[metanoia1]

No matter what path we’re on we can only attain heaven, enlightenment or whatever we wish to call it if we’re focused on being good and helping others during this physical life we are living at the moment. Live in this moment. Step by step and breath by breath.

 

[JonNC]

No matter what path we’re on we can only attain heaven, enlightenment or whatever we wish to call it if we’re focused on being good and helping others during this physical life we are living at the moment. Live in this moment. Step by step and breath by breath.

We only attain salvation by grace, not by what we do. What we do is a response to grace, the result of receiving grace and hearing His call and command.

 

[AugustTherese]

We only attain salvation by grace, not by what we do

Why separate grace from what we do? Christ will not judge anyone by their grace on Judgement Day, but will judge every single soul according to their conduct. Hence: “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.”

 

[AugustTherese]

He came here and suffered so that we could have life, and have it more abundantly.

Amen!!! Well stated!

Jesus did not come here so that we may enjoy life.

I may be misunderstanding your intention of this statement. However, even though much suffering, agony, and sorrow comes with being in communion with Christ and in following Him, that does not mean we cannot enjoy every bit of that communion, especially suffering with Him, in Him, and through Him.

 

[metanoia1]

In responding to grace are we not doing something? Responding is an action.

 

[mrsdizzyd]

In fact, if you focus on living the good life on earth as a Catholic you will probably not get to heaven because you did not “suffer” enough and all eyes should be on the next life, not this life on earth.

Well as someone who is converting to Catholicism from Protestantism I have to tell you that this is not how I understand or experience the Catholic Church. I find the structure of the Church freeing. When I was a Protestant that incessant “feel good” message left me feeling completely adrift.

 

[mrsdizzyd]

You deserve the struggles and punishments in life because you are a sinner and will always be, and should anything good happen to you, you better not embrace it in this life because there are people worse off than you and you are still a sinner. Get thee to a confessional ASAP!

Again, this is not how I understand or experience Catholicism. Some of the most joyful people I know are Catholic while some of the most hateful people I know are Protestant.

I guess you’ve yet to experience a hell and damnation fire and brimstone Protestant sermon.

Sounds like you are being wooed by non-denominational Protestantism. Guard your hearing my friend, not everything they teach is biblical.

 

[JonNC]

Why separate grace from what we do?

I didn’t. You used a snippet of what I said.

 

[AugustTherese]

AugustTherese:

I may be misunderstanding your intention of this statement. However, even though much suffering, agony, and sorrow comes with being in communion with Christ and in following Him, that does not mean we cannot enjoy every bit of that communion, especially suffering with Him, in Him, and through Him.

I was thinking that enjoyment is different from peace. We have peace in Christ, but not necessarily enjoyment. But perhaps that’s just a false dichotomy that I’ve made without thinking.

Perhaps by ‘enjoy’ you meant that enjoyment the secular world experiences; that feel-good, pain-free, fluffy no-cross-bearing enjoyment?

 

[JonNC]

Christ will not judge anyone by their grace on Judgement Day, but will judge every single soul according to their conduct.

Fortunately, He will judge us based on His grace
That said, we, the regenerate, are clearly judged for our works. But those works do not save. Grace does, through faith, a living active faith that does the good works He has prepared for us to do.

 

[mcq72]

Why separate grace from what we do?

Then it wouldn’t be grace.

Christ will not judge anyone by their grace on Judgement Day, but will judge every single soul according to their conduct

Which judgement? The White Throne? The judgement seat of Christ for believers…

I thought the only ones judged by their works (for salvation/justification) are those who desire it by refusing God’s grace…whose names are not written in the book of life.

The rest are justified and are judged only for rewards and their purity (of our works in Christ).

 

[MikeFr]

I only read the first few posts in this thread so I apologize if this is now off topic. The idea that “Protestants” all think the same way is incorrect. To imply that “Protestants” have the same viewpoint across all denominations is a false premise that, at least in my opinion, makes the entire thread questionable in it’s value. It would be the same as “Protestants” making sweeping statements about Catholics without really knowing Catholic theology IMO.

I have been a member of several different non Catholic congregations in my life. None of them ever professed anything close to that idea at all. While you might be able to find some “Protestant” groups focusing only on this life my guess as a lifelong non-Catholic is that very few are like that, especially among the conservative non Catholic Christian groups.

On a broader note, it is my major pet peeve that folks in one Christian group sometimes express their beliefs about other Christian groups without really understanding those groups. Catholics understand this well - people outside Roman Catholicism say things that are flat out wrong about Catholics and Catholic Theology sometimes.

That same thing happens here. I don’t have the time in my life to spend recounting examples of this, but please, especially if you are a Roman Catholic, do not make statements using such broad terms like “Protestant”. It is not helpful IMO. There are many times that I have attempted to help my fellow “Protestants” understand Catholic Theology better, when I know enough to do that.

It makes me sad to see Catholics who lack a complete understanding of Theology outside the Catholic Church create threads like this. It is part of the reason why I now limit my visits here. And it is a stumbling block for me (among several) to finding my way toward the Roman Catholic Church.

Mike

 

[Aulef]

I really like this young lady

 

[mrsdizzyd]

It makes me sad to see Catholics who lack a complete understanding of Theology outside the Catholic Church create threads like this. It is part of the reason why I now limit my visits here. And it is a stumbling block for me (among several) to finding my way toward the Roman Catholic Church.

Mike

Mike, I wholeheartedly agree with you. You have correctly identify the problem. They do not have a correct view of Catholicism (or Protestantism). These are straw man arguments. Do not let these folks cause you to stumble.

Focus on the actual teachings of the church. Get one of any number of approved Catechisms available on the market and go from there. I particularly like the USCCB US Catechism for Adults because it takes the whole CCC and puts it in an easier to digest form. You still need a CCC, but it is good to have a supplement. Reading the apologists are also quite helpful. Scott Hahn and Steve Ray are my go tos at present. They are both converts, so their style is easier for me to digest. Study and pray. Study and pray. Lastly, it was really beneficial to me to hear stories from other converts. The EWTN show “The Journey Home” is an amazing resource. All of the episodes are available on YouTube.

 

[AugustTherese]

Fortunately, He will judge us based on His grace

And, you get this from whom/where?

Do you mean He will judge us by our works, and those works are from cooperation with grace?

 

[AugustTherese]

Then it wouldn’t be grace

Grace empowers; however, we have the will to allow grace to empower, or, to reject grace whereby it gets gifted to someone else.

Which judgement? The White Throne? The judgement seat of Christ for believers

Judgement Day, like I said.

I thought the only ones judged by their works (for salvation/justification) are those who desire it by refusing God’s grace

Where do you get this from?

 

[Tulitas]

OP, I think it might be time to deal with your depression. Your threads are full of doom and hopelessness. I will pray for you. Being upset with God ain’t gonna to help.

I say this in a all charity.
Speak to a good and kind priest.
The internet is not going to give you what you seek.

 

[BartholomewB]

Catholics focus on the next life, and not expecting to live a good life here on earth.

Having no recent experience of Protestant preaching, I am unable to comment on your comparison of one with the other, but when you say ”Catholics focus on the next life, and not expecting to live a good life here on earth,” I don’t recognize that as a description of any Catholic homily I have ever heard in twenty years of regular attendance at Sunday Mass. On the contrary, the focus is entirely on the here and now. Always.