I agree completely. I do believe that God loves everyone more than what I can possibly imagine. Less, however, does not make any sense. I know exactly how and why I would forgive everyone if I were God. I am not God, though, but it simply does not make any sense that God would withhold forgiveness in a case where a mere human does not. Do you see what I mean?
I know what you mean when you say
“I know exactly how and why I would forgive everyone if I were God. I am not God, though, but it simply does not make any sense that God would withhold forgiveness in a case where a mere human does not.”
Responding from my position, I believe that God is the “Maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.” (Creed professed at the Sunday Holy Sacrifice of the Mass) Therefore, I believe that God determines the manner in which He shares His life with humans. It does not bother me that He has created a human nature which unites both the material and spiritual worlds because that nature is what gives me the opportunity to share in God’s life. (
CCC, 355-357;
CCC, 1730)
Are saying that God only forgives if someone participates in the Sacraments? That leaves out a lot of people, Catholic and non-Catholic.
My post did not say or imply the word “only”. Here is what I said regarding the individual Catholic Sacrament of Confession and Reconciliation aka the Sacrament of Penance.
“This granny cannot assume that her unconditional forgiveness eliminates God’s conditions for the Sacrament of Confession and Reconciliation.”
To begin at the beginning.
In the beginning … God created the unique human person biblically known as Adam. As the first human, Adam is unique because the whole human race is in Adam as one body of one man. (St. Thomas Aquinas,
De Malo 4, 1;
CCC, 404) This unity of mankind is addressed in
CCC, 360 along with the cross-references in the margin. The small print (refer to
CCC, 20-21) is below.
“O wondrous vision, which makes us contemplate the human race in the unity of its origin in God. . . in the unity of its nature, composed equally in all men of a material body and a spiritual soul; in the unity of its immediate end and its mission in the world; in the unity of its dwelling, the earth, whose benefits all men, by right of nature, may use to sustain and develop life; in the unity of its supernatural end: God himself, to whom all ought to tend; in the unity of the means for attaining this end;. . . in the unity of the redemption wrought by Christ for all.” (From Pius XII, encyclical,
Summi Pontificatus 3; cf. NA 1;
CCC, 360)
Please note the last line – “the unity of the redemption wrought by Christ for all.” All means all. To explain how all refers to all humanity,
CCC, 1260 begins with this essential sentence. I put in bold a key teaching of the Catholic Church.
"Since Christ died for all, and since all men are in fact called to one and the same destiny, which is divine, we must hold that
the Holy Spirit offers to all the possibility of being made partakers, in a way known to God, of the Paschal mystery."
The Paschal mystery refers to the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
(CCC, Glossary, Paschal Mystery/Sacrifice, page 891) At the dawn of human history, this Salvific Mission of Jesus Christ was promised to all of us. God did not abandon Adam and Eve and their descendants. (Genesis 3:15;
CCC, 410-411)
To answer your question – Am I saying that God only forgives if someone participates in the Sacraments? – I am not saying that. As you can tell from the evidence I presented, all includes Catholics and non-Catholics.
I do recognize that you referred to someone who participates in the “Sacraments”. May I respectfully point out that I specified the Sacrament of Confession and Reconciliation and not the Seven Sacraments. Since I was specific, in turn, I can refer to the basic condition or fundamental requirement for a valid Catholic Sacrament of Confession and Reconciliation. Contrition is necessary for the reception of the Catholic Sacrament of Confession and Reconciliation. Contrition is sincere sorrow for our sins because they disobeyed our Creator Whom we love above all else. It is our love for God and our sincere desire to be in the State of Sanctifying Grace that we voluntarily seek God’s forgiveness. We detest our sins and we resolve not to commit them because we love God with our total being. We want to return to union with Him.
(
CCC, Glossary, Sanctifying Grace, page 898; Mortal Sin, page 889; Contrition, page 872;
CCC, 356-357;
CCC, 1730; Those who are ignorant of the Gospel of Christ and of his Church,
CCC, 1260; *CCC *847, small print)
I agree with Clem, in that we are not to limit God’s loves to our projections. However, we are not to limit God’s love by using the CCC either. I somewhat counterpointed Clem’s statements in that we humans can certainly try to forgive unconditionally, and we can certainly do so in time.
I put the sentence in bold because I am having a hard time understanding it. Please accept my sincere apology. I have no clue what this sentence from post 290 means.
"
However, we are not to limit God’s love by using the CCC either."
My frozen brain needs a break. I will respond to the rest of post 290 later. :snowing:
Links to the universal
Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition.
usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/what-we-believe/catechism/catechism-of-the-catholic-church/
scborromeo.org/ccc.htm
