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Rocks_91
Guest
What does Catholic teaching say that people who did more good works will enjoy greater blessings in heaven or everyone equally (like the story of the prodigal son?)??
- Status
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dshix
Guest
Communism and the verse you quoted are two completely different things.
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Jennifoo
Guest
You may want to look it up in the Catechism-this is a great way to grow in your understanding of Heaven. Keep in mind that our knowledge is limited. Heaven will always be mysterious to us on earth. But the idea that Heaven would be like communism is preposterous. Going forward, you may want to think before you post how things like this can sound bad. I’m sure you didn’t realize. 
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dshix
Guest
In answer to the OP’s question, if I ignore the comment about communism, here is the answer:
In Heaven we will all be overflowing with joy and happiness at our reward. The best analogy is that we will all be cups overflowing with joy. The difference is that those who had more merit on earth will have bigger cups; therefore they will have more happiness, but people with smaller cups will be no less happy. There will not be jealousy for others who have greater cups of joy, for we will all be content.
So the answer to the question is that people with more merit will BOTH have greater joy AND have the same overflowing amount, in different senses.
In Heaven we will all be overflowing with joy and happiness at our reward. The best analogy is that we will all be cups overflowing with joy. The difference is that those who had more merit on earth will have bigger cups; therefore they will have more happiness, but people with smaller cups will be no less happy. There will not be jealousy for others who have greater cups of joy, for we will all be content.
So the answer to the question is that people with more merit will BOTH have greater joy AND have the same overflowing amount, in different senses.
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Rocks_91
Guest
I meant in the sense whether everyone will have equal blessings. What is so preposterous about that? Didn’t Jesus say that two debtors owe their master 100 dinars and 1000 dinars each and if their creditor forgives both, who will love him more? Here if forgiveness means anything, then forgiveness means equal blessings or how can it be ‘forgiveness’? If anything, the man who did greater works should not be jealous (like the prodigal son’s brother), beacause love is never jealous and a holy man would probably have greater joy in giving, for his brother receiving the same blessings, because that, I believe, is how God’s love works.You may want to look it up in the Catechism-this is a great way to grow in your understanding of Heaven. Keep in mind that our knowledge is limited. Heaven will always be mysterious to us on earth. But the idea that Heaven would be like communism is preposterous. Going forward, you may want to think before you post how things like this can sound bad. I’m sure you didn’t realize.
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Elizabeth502
Guest
LOL…
And I’m not mocking the OP; I’m laughing at how we in the modern culture seem to need to import political systems into everything, now even into Heaven!
I think what the OP is asking is, ‘Will everybody in Heaven equally partake of the joy of the Beatific Vision?’ (Or, implicitly, will some be “less” joyful than others, depending on the degree of sinfulness of their earthly life?)
The way it has been explained to me in the past, and continues to be explained in the present, is that everyone in Heaven has already been purified of their past sins – some “briefly” in Purgatory, some “lengthily” in Purgatory, and a very few have so been purified in this life that they are ready to enter Heaven unencumbered by any moral blindness (inability to partake of that Vision). Purgation is the “leveler,” if you will.
Nevertheless, there are (apparently – we assume, because we learn from mystics) degrees of the fullness of joy, if that’s possible. But there will not be a sense of loss or pain by those who are not experiencing the same “degree.” Each will experience the maximum joy capable for that person.
Try to think of it this way, in earthly contexts:
Someone who was never educated may live a completely fulfilled life on earth as a gardener. He may enjoy the heck out of gardening and not imagine an even more fulfilled life. (Seriously, I know such a person, and this person I consider a Saint. This person is spending extremely little time in Purgatory, if any.)
Supposing such a person, at some point in his gardening career, does become educated, and discovers even more to be fulfilled in (in addition to gardening). He develops joys of intellect and perhaps other physical pursuits besides gardening. His joy, and pleasure, is then increased, even though as a gardener he was never aware of any greater joy than that. He never suffered or experienced loss or remorse as a gardener; his joy was “complete,” within his awareness.
We are told that as our capacity for (holy) joy expands on earth, we will bring that enlarged capacity to Heaven.
Does that make sense? (It’s the only way I understand it.)
OTOH, I’ve heard of some theologians talk about expanding our joy even in Heaven. (“growing” in Heaven). I’ll leave that to others to speculate about.
But in any case, God does not withhold. We cannot know more than the fullness of His love while in Heaven, unless that fullness does (mysteriously) multiply. Since we will have been purged of the Capital Sins (including Envy, of course), we will not experience any consciousness that other souls “have more than us.” Each of us will experience that we are partaking of the maximum of God’s love. Perhaps how each of us “understands” or apprehends or perceives that love will vary by individual, but we will not be conscious of any differences which will trouble us. If we are conscious of any differences, we will be delighted and awed by those differences because that’s what it means to be in the presence of pure, abundant, overflowing love.
When you enter the Catholic Church, you will be privileged to partake of the sacraments, which confer sanctifying grace. When you are conscious of fully being in a state of grace, at those moments you want only to share that grace with others and enfold others in the love of God. There’s no such consciousness within you of who does have “more” or who “should” have “less,” – that is, if you are fully present to that grace. And that is because you are, in that state of grace, literally sharing in the life of God, intimately and concretely. And God’s essence does not “measure.”
Although God’s love is never “earned,” there is a sense of entering Heaven having “earned” (again, only through Purgation) the Beatific Vision. Thus, it’s not as if we arrive at some symbolic “door” and God gets a measuring cup out. Our punishments were taken care of in purgatory: they were the punishments we did to ourselves on earth (we earned those all by our little lonesomes), and which God allows us to redeem in purgatory; He cleanses us there and readies us to see His face.
And I’m not mocking the OP; I’m laughing at how we in the modern culture seem to need to import political systems into everything, now even into Heaven!
I think what the OP is asking is, ‘Will everybody in Heaven equally partake of the joy of the Beatific Vision?’ (Or, implicitly, will some be “less” joyful than others, depending on the degree of sinfulness of their earthly life?)
The way it has been explained to me in the past, and continues to be explained in the present, is that everyone in Heaven has already been purified of their past sins – some “briefly” in Purgatory, some “lengthily” in Purgatory, and a very few have so been purified in this life that they are ready to enter Heaven unencumbered by any moral blindness (inability to partake of that Vision). Purgation is the “leveler,” if you will.
Nevertheless, there are (apparently – we assume, because we learn from mystics) degrees of the fullness of joy, if that’s possible. But there will not be a sense of loss or pain by those who are not experiencing the same “degree.” Each will experience the maximum joy capable for that person.
Try to think of it this way, in earthly contexts:
Someone who was never educated may live a completely fulfilled life on earth as a gardener. He may enjoy the heck out of gardening and not imagine an even more fulfilled life. (Seriously, I know such a person, and this person I consider a Saint. This person is spending extremely little time in Purgatory, if any.)
Supposing such a person, at some point in his gardening career, does become educated, and discovers even more to be fulfilled in (in addition to gardening). He develops joys of intellect and perhaps other physical pursuits besides gardening. His joy, and pleasure, is then increased, even though as a gardener he was never aware of any greater joy than that. He never suffered or experienced loss or remorse as a gardener; his joy was “complete,” within his awareness.
We are told that as our capacity for (holy) joy expands on earth, we will bring that enlarged capacity to Heaven.
Does that make sense? (It’s the only way I understand it.)
OTOH, I’ve heard of some theologians talk about expanding our joy even in Heaven. (“growing” in Heaven). I’ll leave that to others to speculate about.
But in any case, God does not withhold. We cannot know more than the fullness of His love while in Heaven, unless that fullness does (mysteriously) multiply. Since we will have been purged of the Capital Sins (including Envy, of course), we will not experience any consciousness that other souls “have more than us.” Each of us will experience that we are partaking of the maximum of God’s love. Perhaps how each of us “understands” or apprehends or perceives that love will vary by individual, but we will not be conscious of any differences which will trouble us. If we are conscious of any differences, we will be delighted and awed by those differences because that’s what it means to be in the presence of pure, abundant, overflowing love.
When you enter the Catholic Church, you will be privileged to partake of the sacraments, which confer sanctifying grace. When you are conscious of fully being in a state of grace, at those moments you want only to share that grace with others and enfold others in the love of God. There’s no such consciousness within you of who does have “more” or who “should” have “less,” – that is, if you are fully present to that grace. And that is because you are, in that state of grace, literally sharing in the life of God, intimately and concretely. And God’s essence does not “measure.”
Although God’s love is never “earned,” there is a sense of entering Heaven having “earned” (again, only through Purgation) the Beatific Vision. Thus, it’s not as if we arrive at some symbolic “door” and God gets a measuring cup out. Our punishments were taken care of in purgatory: they were the punishments we did to ourselves on earth (we earned those all by our little lonesomes), and which God allows us to redeem in purgatory; He cleanses us there and readies us to see His face.
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Ignatius
Guest
No, communism is more like hell where people are constantly frustraited and receive no reward for their good works.
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Elizabeth502
Guest
LOL.
Yes, I think you express the practice of Communism, as opposed to the theory of Communism.
Even the theory of Communism, however (as you undoubtedly know) is about measurement, because it is “to each according to his need.” That’s measuring.
God, OTOH (this to the OP, again) does not measure His love. We have varying capacities to receive that Love, depending on the state of our souls and to whatever capacity we have enlarged those souls on earth. God will not be measuring out His love in Heaven.
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cap76
Guest
Not sure exactly how the ‘prodigal son’ story depicts communism.
But it is interesting when you look at the book of Acts and see how the brethren at Jerusalem sold everything they had in order to help the new converts which were visiting to remain and be edified in the Faith.
However, in that case, it was a matter of the church giving by the compulsion of love as opposed to enforcement by law.
Acts 2.44-46, “And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people.”
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zz912
Guest
Probably need to re-read the parable of the talents. And then look to virtually every discussion about the last judgment, how everyone will be judged according to our works. God in His infinite and eternal abundance can and will most certainly reward more to those who prepare themselves for Him. As another noted, we can make our “cups” larger to be able to receive more grace.
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Elizabeth502
Guest
…and relative to the gifts, talents, resources, knowledge, circumstances we have individually been blessed with, or conversely, limited by.
(“From whom much is given, much will be expected.”) We will not all be judged on the same standard, of course. Hopefully the OP understands that in his/her journey toward The Faith.- Status