Teaching on The Degrees of glory/Degrees of bliss etc

[Wilshire]

Is it mandatory for a Catholic to believe in the Degrees of Glory/Degrees of bliss etc. teaching OR you don’t have to believe it as a Catholic?

Is the teaching on The Degrees of Glory/Degrees of bliss etc. considered public OR private revelation?

 

[JerryZ]

Here are a few passages that may help you:

I Corinthians 3:8 Now he who plants, and he who waters, are one. But each shall receive his proper reward, according to his labors.

II John 1:8 Be cautious for yourselves, lest you lose what you have accomplished, and so that, instead, you may receive a full reward.

Peace!

 

[Wilshire]

I get puzzled about degrees of reward because since there is no jealousy or envy in heaven, will we be forced to accept our reward even though we might look at a more attractive reward another soul has and want what he/she has instead of what you have then? I don’t see how this can be happiness of heaven.

 

[JerryZ]

We will not be jealous, can’t be. Each one will be filled to the measure we can accept. And we will see the justice of it all. We will see all through the eyes of love from GOD. Remember IF we make to Heaven it means we are perfect. No jealousy, hate, envy etc. None of the vices that afflict our earthly life will manifest when we are there.
Peace!

 

[Wilshire]

Is God’s justice the same as our justice where we assume that the more works we do the greater degree of reward OR is it different?

 

[JerryZ]

Hmmm! perhaps the words of Jesus can clarify this for you:

Matthew 25:15 And to one he gave five talents, and to another two, yet to another he gave one, to each according to his own ability. And promptly, he set out.
25:16 Then he who had received five talents went out, and he made use of these, and he gained another five.
25:17 And similarly, he who had received two gained another two.
25:18 But he who had received one, going out, dug into the earth, and he hid the money of his lord.
25:19 Yet truly, after a long time, the lord of those servants returned and he settled accounts with them.
25:20 And when he who had received five talents approached, he brought another five talents, saying: ‘Lord, you delivered five talents to me. Behold, I have increased it by another five.’
25:21 His lord said to him: ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. Since you have been faithful over a few things, I will appoint you over many things. Enter into the gladness of your lord.’
25:22 Then he who had received two talents also approached, and he said: ‘Lord, you delivered two talents to me. Behold, I have gained another two.’
25:23 His lord said to him: ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. Since you have been faithful over a few things, I will appoint you over many things. Enter into the gladness of your lord.’
25:24 Then he who had received one talent, approaching, said: ‘Lord, I know that you are a hard man. You reap where you have not sown, and gather where you have not scattered.
25:25 And so, being afraid, I went out and hid your talent in the earth. Behold, you have what is yours.’
25:26 But his lord said to him in response: ‘You evil and lazy servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered.
25:27 Therefore, you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and then, at my arrival, at least I would have received what is mine with interest.
25:28 And so, take the talent away from him and give it to the one who has ten talents.
25:29 For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he shall have in abundance. But from him who has not, even what he seems to have, shall be taken away.
25:30 And cast that useless servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

And here

Matthew 10:41 Whoever receives a prophet, in the name of a prophet, shall receive the reward of a prophet. And whoever receives the just in the name of the just shall receive the reward of the just.
10:42 And whoever shall give, even to one of the least of these, a cup of cold water to drink, solely in the name of a disciple: Amen I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.”

So as you see there are many works that have been set aside for us and if we do them we will merit a reward. A reward not here on Earth but in Heaven.
The Church teaches and calls this “Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy”. Check the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Peace!

 

[Wilshire]

Well, I just don’t believe how we will all be satisfied.

 

[Wilshire]

Wait I change my mind. I see where you’re trying to get at.

 

[Vico]

Is it mandatory for a Catholic to believe in the Degrees of Glory/Degrees of bliss etc. teaching OR you don’t have to believe it as a Catholic?

Is the teaching on The Degrees of Glory/Degrees of bliss etc. considered public OR private revelation?

It is a dogma of faith that “A just man merits for himself through each good work an increase of sanctifying grace, eternal life (if he dies in a state of grace) and an increase of heavenly glory.” (Ludwig Ott, Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma, p. 267.)

• hell: “yet to be punished with different punishments”
• heaven: “yet according to the diversity of merits, one more perfectly than another”

Council of Lyons II – 1274 A.D. (from Denzinger)

464 … However, the souls of those who after having received holy baptism have incurred no stain of sin whatever, also those souls who, after contracting the stain of sin, either while remaining in their bodies or being divested of them, have been cleansed, as we have said above, are received immediately into heaven. The souls of those who die in mortal sin or with original sin only, however, immediately descend to hell, yet to be punished with different punishments. …

Council of Florence – From the Bull “Laetentur coeli,” July 6, 1439 A.D. (From Denzinger)

693 [De novissimis] * … And that the souls of those, who after the reception of baptism have incurred no stain of sin at all, and also those, who after the contraction of the stain of sin whether in their bodies, or when released from the same bodies, as we have said before, are purged, are immediately received into heaven, and see clearly the one and triune God Himself just as He is, yet according to the diversity of merits, one more perfectly than another. Moreover, the souls of those who depart in actual mortal sin or in original sin only, descend immediately into hell but to undergo punishments of different kinds [see n.464].

Council of Trent Session VI, Jan. 13, 1547 A.D. (Denzinger)

842 Can. 32. If anyone shall say that the good works of the man justified are in such a way the gifts of God that they are not also the good merits of him who is justified, or that the one justified by the good works, which are done by him through the grace of God and the merit of Jesus Christ (whose living member he is), does not truly merit increase of grace, eternal life, and the attainment of that eternal life (if he should die in grace), and also an increase of glory: let him be anathema [cf. n. 803 and 809].