Punishment

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I believe He does. Take a look at Genesis chapter 3.

Clearly Adam was punished for his sin and his punishment was to toil with farming so he could eat and then death. For Eve, her punishment was to have painful childbirth and death. Of course, there were other punishments as well I think which would include sickness and death among other things but I think it is quite clear from Scripture that we can be punished for our sins here on earth.

There are also numerous times in Scripture where a person is punished for a particular sin with death. See the following verses:

Then Judah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother’s wife, and perform the duty of a brother-in-law to her, and raise up offspring for your brother.” But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his; so when he went in to his brother’s wife he spilled the semen on the ground, lest he should give offspring to his brother. And what he did was displeasing in the sight of the LORD, and he slew him also.
(Genesis 38:8-10 RSV)

Now the company of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things which he possessed was his own, but they had everything in common. And with great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles’ feet; and distribution was made to each as any had need. Thus Joseph who was surnamed by the apostles Barnabas (which means, Son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, sold a field which belonged to him, and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
(Acts 4:32-37 RSV)

Continued →

But a man named Anani’as with his wife Sapphi’ra sold a piece of property, and with his wife’s knowledge he kept back some of the proceeds, and brought only a part and laid it at the apostles’ feet. But Peter said, “Anani’as, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back part of the proceeds of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? How is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.” When Anani’as heard these words, he fell down and died. And great fear came upon all who heard of it. The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him. After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. And Peter said to her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much.” And she said, “Yes, for so much.” But Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? Hark, the feet of those that have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” Immediately she fell down at his feet and died. When the young men came in they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. And great fear came upon the whole church, and upon all who heard of these things.
(Acts 5:1-11 RSV)
 
This is, probably, what I’m talking about. We will pay for every sin we commit “either here on Earth, or in Purgatory, or forever in Hell if you don’t repent.”

So we, undoubtedly, will be punished, somehow, either here on Earth or Purgatory, or if Hell (for the unrependted). So, if I lose my job, it’s bacuse I sinned too much, or maybe just once too much to not have my punishment wait till Purgatory,right?

When we have a lot of healthy children, don’t we say “God has blessed us”? Well, if we do say this, why don’t we be consistent, and say if we cannot have children due to some physiological reason, God has “**punished” **us?? We are “blessed” by God by having many healthy kids, but “punished” by Him when we don’t. 🤷
Purgatory is not a place of punishment.
 
Thank you for all your respnses. You see, I’m asking these questions for my wife. She grew up and is still influenced by her Mexican Catholic upbringing which constantly reminded her that she cannot have children because God is punishing her. God has not “blessed” her with children because she is a “bad person”. And, unfortunatley, I have to constantly teach her that the notion is not true for some of the reasons you guys gave here. Remember all the Saints who were tortured and murdered? Christ, Himself, was crucified, died and was buried.

Now my wife is going blind at 31 , due to her diabetes. Now we can say “offer it up” and “we must suffer” a million times my friends–but could you tell that to my sweet 31 year old wife? Easy for you to say! You are not the one who will be deprived of the beautiful gift of seeing the world, of seeing the faces of her son and mother and friends and husband anymore. Could you tell her that she must “offer it up”?
Well offer it up is not something you say lightly… you truly mean it from the heart… and do it from the heart…

Yes I could say it… but you have to mean it, both of you from the heart… and then you understand it’s alright and the Passion of Christ.

There was a young man who came to St. Padre Pio who was blind, and the saint asked him which he prefered… “Do you want to have your sight restored or to save your soul?” and the man responded, “If it is a strict choice, I should rather save my soul.” “It is a strict choice,” said the saint. It was a bitter and hard thing for the man to accept. The saint healed others who were blind… but not that young man.

In Heaven one can see. On this earth we have but brief lives. The little time we have here if we offer up to God becomes eternal treasure in Heaven, which if we on earth now appreciated the value of we would never give it up for – we would be asking to become blind if it would gain us greater treasure for all eternity, rather than brief benefits here.

God punishes people yes, with hardships… for justice’s sake and for medicinal sake… But in general, the unjust are punished in the next life, forever… and the just in this life suffer for the sake of Christ, that is… so that they can help others through suffering with Him…

That is, not only do they make up for their own sins, and gain merit in Heaven from suffering with a pure intention to please God… but they aid so many other souls, in this life, and in the next, that is purgatory… by embracing their cross.

And in this way God brings good out of the hardships of this life, good that one cannot gain in Heaven where there is no suffering any longer, which makes it something precious however hard.
 
Some quotes and prayers…

‘Let us remember that every act of mortification is a work for heaven. This thought will make all suffering and weariness sweet.’

‘The sufferings endured for God are the greatest proof of our love for Him.’

‘The brightest ornaments in the crown of the blessed in heaven are the sufferings which they have borne patiently on earth.’

St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori

‘It is in loving the cross that one discovers His Heart, for divine Love does not exist without suffering.’

‘I shall spend every moment loving. One who loves does not notice her trials; or perhaps more accurately, she is able to love them.’

‘Why must we suffer? Because here below pure Love cannot exist without suffering. O Jesus, Jesus, I no longer feel my cross when I think of yours.’

St. Bernadette Soubirous

‘If the love of God is in your heart, you will understand that to suffer for God is a joy to which all earthly pleasures are not to be compared.’

St. Ignatius of Loyola

‘If God causes you to suffer much, it is a sign that He has great designs for you, and that He certainly intends to make you a saint. And if you wish to become a great saint, entreat Him yourself to give you much opportunity for suffering; for there is no wood better to kindle the fire of holy love than the wood of the cross, which Christ used for His own great sacrifice of boundless charity.’

St. Ignatius of Loyola

Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want; he maketh me to lie down in green pastures. He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul. He leadeth me in paths of righteousness for his name sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies; Thou anointest my head with oil, my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

The Twelfth Prayer of St. Bridget

O Jesus! Mirror of Truth, Symbol of Unity, Link of Charity, remember the multitude of wounds with which Thou was covered from head to foot, torn and reddened by the spilling of Thy adorable Blood. O Great and Universal Pain which Thou didst suffer in Thy virginal flesh for love of us! Sweetest Jesus! What is there that Thou couldst have done for us which Thou hast not done! May faithful remembrance of Thy Passion, and may Thy love increase in my heart each day, until I see Thee in eternity, Thou Who art the treasury of every real good and every joy, which I beg Thee to grant me, O Sweetest Jesus, in Heaven.
 
Does God “punish” us on Earth for the sins we have committed? If something bad happens to us on Earth, such as, an accident, sickness, poverty, or not being able to have children, for example, is it because we are being “punished” by God?
Keepitreal

I never fornicated for 14 years: Then in 1996 i got involved for about a year with somebody who did not believe in marriage and also was not a believer in Christ: I should have known better from what i understood in the bible. In August 1997 i was diagnosed with bowel cancer. So now i absolutely fear fornication.:eek:
 
Thank you all for your responses. Could you please pray for my wife. Could you please pray for St. Lucy to intercede for her. Thank you very much.
 
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