- What did you discover in the Catechism that is most helpful to you?
- Can you say confidently that you would go to heaven if you died right now (even if your salvation includes purgatory before heaven — which we’ll discuss in Week Two), and if so, why?
- What does your love for God now indicate about your future salvation?
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June 25th, 2007 at 5:26 pm
I have never posted anywhere before so hope this works. I have just finished Lesson 1 and would like to post my reflections on the questions.
1. What did I discover that was most helpful? I was reminded that “God’s Plan is one of benevolent Love”. I have a slightly new perspective about God from the O.T. — by giving up His Son, He reveals Himself to be rich in mercy. I usually think of mercy related to Jesus - even though I really do know that there is one God - so He would have to be merciful also. The other parts that struck me were Paragr. 1058 which says that the Church prays that no one should be lost and that God “desires all men to be saved”. I have many family members who have left the Faith and I tend to worry, especially about my children. Also, the insights in the section on mortal sin were helpful, too - specially, regarding the gravity of sin and “consent sufficiently deliberate to be personal choice” and the promptings of feelings can diminish the voluntary & free character…as can external pressures or pathological disorders.” It reminds me not to judge others as I can only see what’s on the surface and also reminds to entrust my children and family members to God’s love and mercy.
2. Can I say confidently that I would go to Heaven if I died right now? Relying on God’s mercy, and that I believe I am in a state of grace, I would say yes - with definitely time in Purgatory. But it makes me feel presumptuous and “un-humble” to say a definite yes. Also, lately my sins of omission weigh heavily on me and I can hear my Mother’s voice saying, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions”.
3. What does my love for God now indicate about my salvation? I am reminded of the very first part that said, “In this is Love - not that we loved God, but that HE loved us.” He also said, “If you love me, keep my Commandments” and I am trying hard to do more than the basics - keeping the Spirit of the Law and not just the Letter of the Law.
June 26th, 2007 at 2:40 pm
Pat, remember this: If you’ve been to the Sacrament of Confession for your sins of omission, then they are not interfering with getting to heaven. You have been reconciled with God. Forgive yourself. God has forgiven you, and if you hold your confessed sins against yourself, it’s like telling God that he should not have forgiven you, that you know better than he does about it and that he should not be merciful to the you, even though it is his very nature to be merciful to you.
Also, rest assured that it is not un-humble (i.e., prideful) to believe and profess that you are going to heaven someday. It is because of Jesus that you are going to heaven, and therefore you are boasting about Jesus, not yourself.
November 30th, 2007 at 5:03 am
1) What did I discover in the Catechism that helped me the most?
-I really enjoyed the introduction to the Catechism. It taught me the history and helped in answering questions about how to use the Catechism in my daily walk with Christ. I was raised baptist until I took R.C.I.A. classes when I was 25 yrs. old. I even attended a baptist university in North Carolina and was very active in campus organizations that were geared toward inspiring my Christian growth.
-Also I feel more equipped in terms of my ability to learn the deeper history and meaning of the Catholic church with new knowledge of how to use the Catechism.
-The thought of losing my salvation is a new school of thought in that I was never confronted with the idea of such growing up in the baptist faith. Paragraph 837 shed light on these ideas and have intrigued me to study deeper.
2) Can I say confidently that I would go to heaven if I died right now?
-Well before I would say without a doubt…YES! However, after studying the catechism a little bit in this lesson, I am not sure. You see in the 15 years of being a Catholic I have never received the sacrament of reconciliation. I never have felt the need to confess my sins to a priest. I guess my baptist upbringing taught me that I confess my sins to God and seek His forgiveness through confession and prayer to Him alone. Now that I am more open to the teachings of the Catholic faith, I feel more of a “need” to delve deeper into this sacrament due to concerns regarding my mortal sins which seem to bring separation between God and I.
3) What does my love for God now indicate about my future salvation?
-My growing love for the Lord makes me want to seek a deeper, intimate relationship with Him through the teachings of the Catechism. I really feel like I am embarking on a new journey of discovery through the election to take this course. (Which I am so grateful to have the opportunity to participate in) I have always felt like there was “something more” to learn and know about my relationship with the Lord. I always felt like there was something missing. As if I hadn’t turned over enough stones toward discovery of God’s true will for me in my life. I now see that the “void” I have felt is being fulfilled through a better understanding of the Catechism and it’s lessons of the church.
April 3rd, 2008 at 9:39 pm
1)What did I discover in the Catechism that is most helpful to me?
That God wants all of us to be saved. I am realizing that God the Father has an active interest in me, not just as an observer of the workings of Jesus and me. God wants really does want to show his love for all of us, and by sending his Son, Jesus, He sent someone who has experienced every human emotion possible and can identify with whatever we are going through. That alone makes it easier to ask for understanding of whatever trials I am undergoing.
2)Can I confidently say I am going to Heaven if I die right now?
Not with confidence, because I know my salvation is not assured forever, if I do not follow the way Jesus taught. Purgatory is probably a stopping point along the way for me, on the way to Heaven.
I try to live with as little sinning as possible and am going to Confession more than I did as a child. It has been only 15 years that I am actively involved in my faith. I grew up in a family that went to church every Sunday and holy day and we went to Confession every few months. That was the norm in my society before Vatican II. I regret the lost years of opportunity to teach my children about Catholicism while they were still at home. All I can do now is pray for their return to the faith, and hope their turning their backs on Jesus is not going to be a hindrance to my getting into Heaven.
3)What does my love for God indicate about my future salvation?
That God is more merciful than I can imagine and I must intensify my love for Him. I still need the grace of God for my salvation, but this class is helping me realize He will “work” with me towards this end, and is eager to do so! (Thank you, especially to the Holy Spirit and Jesus!)
April 8th, 2008 at 11:52 am
TRAYMAR SAYS: SALVATON TO ME MEANS EVERYTHING,JESUS GAVE HIS LIFE BY BEING CRUSIFIED ON A CROSS FOR AND THE WHOLE WORLD.THEREFORE I BELONG TO JESUS ALL THAT I AM ALL THAT I WILL BE IS HIS . I DO NOT BELONG TO MYSELF BUT TO HIM WHO DIED FOR ME.
April 8th, 2008 at 11:46 pm
what happens at the moment of our death:we are united with christ acording to scripture, to live is christ to die is gain, by dying we are really entering life to meet christ face to face .
April 10th, 2008 at 2:06 pm
do catholics in being ” born again”:when you truly understand the truth about baptism, then you really grasp thee meaning of being born again.so, do catholics believe in being again not all believe.
April 21st, 2008 at 8:14 pm
I am reminded of God’s love and mercy. That it is so important to focus on our treasures above(heaven)instead of placing our importance on the things of this world. At times this is so very hard to do. We live in an age where we are always rushing, keeping schedules, committments of one sort or another. The busy-ness of the world can consume us to the point of putting our thoughts and actions of the eternal life, with our Lord in His glory, on the bottom of our lists. The readings in the catechism helped me to be more focused on our eternal life. As a critical care nurse I am very often caring for the dying, I am faced with my mortality almost daily. It is so important to me that I live a life worthy of being accepted into Heaven. If I were to die this moment I only pray that through His mercy I would not be condemned to hell, I do not know of any mortal sins on my soul but I also do not feel I devote enough of my time to prayer,giving more of myself to others and to silence as I desire to do for Him. My love for God is but a drop in the ocean compared to the love He has for me, and for us all. I pray for the eternal salvation of my children(who do not practice the faith), family, friends, all those in the world and for my eternal salvation. I pray that through the prayers and intercession of our Blessed Mother and all the saints that we may all receive the gift of eternal salvation.
May 16th, 2008 at 2:33 am
1. I find the Catholic Catechism a goldmine. There is so much to learn about it. I believe that it has a high level for Christians to follow and obey just like Scripture. In this lesson, I find the words about baptism most interesting. Through baptism and the sinner’s prayer, I can have eternal life.
2. I know for certain that I would go to heaven if I died today. I have asked Jesus to come into my heart, and asked Jesus to wash me with His precious blood. Also I have been immersed in water for baptism to bury the old man who was spiritually dead.
3. My love for God keeps me in the vine (John 15). I know if I remain in the vine, I will inherit eternal life. My love for God motivates me to give my time and prayers for others so that they will become Christians and bear spiritual fruit for eternity.
June 12th, 2008 at 1:30 am
1.What did you discover in the catechism that is most helpful to you?
I discovered how out of tuned i was with the faith.I grew up as catholic, i always thought of myself as good catholic i pray i believe. After reading i realized that theirs so much more for me to learn and practice in my every day life.Especially now that i have a son i want to show him the way to our fairth and be a true catholic.I don’t want to give him any wrong information.I found the whole section about baptism really intresting i always thought i knew the meaning if baptism till i read the book. I never knew the full importance.In todays world it’s easy to forget what we have and what god had given up for us. “In this is love,not that we loved god but that he loved us and sent his son to be the expiation for our sins.”
2.Can you say confidenttly that you would go to heaven if you died right now?
This is a tough question for me to answer i had always believed that i would go to heaven when i die, but now i’m mot sure.I realized that i haven’t been living the true catholic ways,i pray that it doesn’t have an affect on me getting to heaven.”at the evening of life,we shall be juged on our love.” My heart is open to jesus and will always be.I do feel his love for me and my family
3.What does your love for god now indicate about your future salvation?
I learned that theirs more than just believing in and praying to god. i know that he will always be in my heart and he will forgive me for my relationship with him the past. I found i higher love with god.Cathecism has opened a better way for me and helped save my salvation for the future.
June 27th, 2008 at 8:29 pm
1.What did you discover in the Catechism that is most helpful to you? I bought my Catechism in the early 1990’s. Since then it has mostly collected dust in a bookshelf. Once in a while, I used it for a quick reference. Until now I have not use it to study a particular topic.
I have been getting your daily reflections for sometime. I don’t remember how I heard of your website. Maybe a friend forwarded the link. Anyway, each morning I use your reflections to help me understand better the scripture readings of the day. I also use Word among Us.
I enrolled on this e-course for two reasons: curiosity about E-Class (hoping there was no Chat Room) and to keep my beliefs in check and correct them if in error.
2.Can you say confidently that you would go to heaven if you died right now (even if your salvation includes purgatory before heaven — which we’ll discuss in Week Two), and if so, why? Yes, I love Jesus and I can’t imagine spending eternity without the presence of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I believe God loved us so much that He gave His only Son to die for our sins so that we can live with Him forever. Not only he died and rose for our sins but chose to stay in the Eucharist to feed us, strengthen us and help us in this journey of life and time. Each day I thank Him for everything He has given me and everything He has taken away. And I praise Him for He is a good God! His mercy is endless. I take a day a time relying on His help I try to do my best to live a life of love. I hope everyone makes it to heaven.
3.What does your love for god now indicate about your future salvation? I pray that Jesus keep me so close to His Sacred Heart that my future salvation is in His hands and nothing can separate me from Him.