My wife lost 2 babies very early in pregnancy and the doctor said one of the pregnancies could have been twins, so possibly 3 babies. It is my greatest desire that they are in Heaven with God. Your words as to the mercy of God in this situation gives me Great Joy that they are with God. Thank You Father.
@@Shotgun_Only Humans think they can really understand God. No, he's so beyond our brain power, we can only try to grasp straws, and some religous have hurt people with false teachings, and making things up like limbo and then taking it back, just say "you don't know" It's okay to not know.
"Our salvation is not dependent on our actions, it is dependent on the mercy of God" Someone please tell our evangelist brothers and sisters this as they are convinced we believe it is works that lead to salvation.
ST. TERESA OF LISIEUX: “It is not because I have been preserved from serious sin that I lift up my heart to God in trust and love. I am certain that even if I had on my conscience every imaginable sin, I should lose nothing of my confidence, but would throw myself, my heart broken with sorrow, into the arms of my Savior.”
Thank you for your videos. You and a few other RUclipsrs present such great evidence for Catholicism. I went to my local parish and spoke with the priest. I begin OCIA Tuesday. Please pray for me, as this will not come without a cost.
Thank you Father Casey for this and many talks you have covered. Your talks are simple and quite easy to understand. I was a lapsed Catholic for 38 years. Is through watching all these Christian videos talks that give me the confidence to go back to church and confessions. Many thanks from Singapore.
Wonderful explanation. I'm Catholic and was told in grade school by a nun that if you had a mortal sin on your soul and died before you were able to get to confession, if you had the firm and sincere intention of going, but was not able to get there you would be okay and not end up in hell. However that doesn't mean we should take any unnecessary risks. I look forward to meeting family members and friends when I pass through those purlly gates. And seeing the Holy Trinity in all Its glory. In actuality God does not send us to heaven or hell, we do that ourselves by our actions. This video gave me the hope I needed and tears to my eyes when thinking of the infinite mercy of God. I love being Catholic.
Cradle catholic,but with some doubts sometimes,I don,t worry or think a lot about afterlife,,I think to see again my father,my family,my friends,,but I think Faith is very important in this life,to try to live like a Christian,to avoid bad ways of life,to try to love the others,to have strenght in difficulties and confort in sorrows,My husband died 6 months ago after 35 years of kidneys disease,,our life hasn,t been very easy, but we were together and have had a daughter,my great help and love,Now I have time for me and ,often I go to a great franciscan church in Bologna to attend Mass and Vespers in the late afternoon,I come home very relieved and serene!Excuse my english,I am Italian and I taught French for 40 years,,,for Italian people is easier than English,,,when you put subtitles I can understand very wel,,,only spoken it is difficult
In relation to the question "Is there a moment where it's too late for God's salvation?" brings to mind an old Irish proverb (which any horse enthusiasts will like) - "The mercy of God is to be found between the saddle and the ground."
Father Casey, you are my go to guy. You answer the questions I want answered in a way that I understand. I'm halfway through the RCIA programme and hope to be baptised this Easter, I cant tell you how much I rely on you to help my understanding as Im going through this process. Thank you!!
Oh my gosh he answered my Great Divorce question!!!!!! I love the book too, I read it every year and I’m always so challenged to keep the right things in focus and over the years I find myself relating to different characters, and it’s so helpful to read the story and remind myself of where my heart and hope should be. Thanks for answering!
Thank you Father Casey. I hope my pets are there waiting for me. This is a difficult question, but I trust God has a reward for every creature in His creation.
Wether pets are in heaven is irrelevant as you will be perfectly happy with or without pets. Don't judge your happiness on Earth to what will be in heaven
I hope my cat will be with me, as he is my best friend on earth. I love him like a brother. Ignore others who don't understand our true friendship with our pets.
Your explanations are comforting! A few years ago, I learned that Hell is total separation from God. I also read "The Great Divorce." I still sometimes wonder where my late husband is, and I pray for him. He loved me but he was no angel. (I guess none of us are!) I'm sure that if he's not already in Heaven, he is learning and healing in Purgatory.
I struggled to get through CS Lewis's The Great Divorce. He says it much more clearly in The Last Battle, which is a much easier read, packed with philosophy and ideas. But one of his points he makes is that hell is ultimately a choice. Aslan demonstrates this to Lucy by trying to rescue the rebel dwarves from the hell they have created for themselves. He takes them out, gives them good food and wine and good things but they refuse to see it, and instantly scurry back to their own hell, fighting one another over what they believe to be worthless scraps. "You see" said Aslan "They will not let us help them. They have chosen cunning instead of belief. Their prison is only in their own minds, yet they are in that prison and so afraid of being taken out that they cannot be taken out."
Thank you Fr. Casey! I enjoy watching your RUclips videos. Please never stop. Finding one’s purpose, is it really that clear or that blurred? Do missed chances influence one’s present? To what extent is the foster family responsible when they take a child? What happens when they get preoccupied with their own lives and neglect the child and the child messes up? What kind of sins are these?
I doubt there's a human being who loved their pet more than I did, but I do not worry abt resurrection for pets. I am concerned for salvation for human beings!
Just a thought, but please review the documents carefully. My dad did that about 12 years before he died. He was in his late 80s so I'm sure the funeral parlor did think he would last that long. When he passed,.the original funeral director had already passed as well and those that were now in charge said it was only an estimate - not a pre-payment. They did give us a slight discount - but definitely not a full pre-payment as I am presuming my father thought he was signing.
Why we would want to exclude anyone from Heaven? Rather, let us pray that all may come into heaven: O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell; lead all souls to heaven especially those who are in most need of Your mercy. Amen
The Great Divorce is short and easy to read. The latter part mostly consists of Lewis listening to conversations between a person who was in hell and someone that they know who has been in heaven. The saved individual is trying to convince the other to walk with them toward God, but they all give some reason why heaven probably isn’t that great. Those exchanges are very interesting
I majored in English at UC Berkeley, and I love the epic poem “Paradise Lost,” by John Milton. When Milton said, “It is better to reign in hell than to serve in Heaven,” he was speaking through the mouth of Lucifer, in hell, after his fall from Paradise. Milton did not say that for himself, and it is inadvisable to agree with the Devil’s sentiments. Thank you, Fr. Casey. May God bless you.
My understanding of resurrection is that not the body in the physical sense but a special "resurrection body" will resurrect (I read that decades ago in a book, I think it was Rahner or Ratzinger). The resurrection body represents the entire personality and indivdiuality of a person, not the material - there are no atoms in heaven, not even time. Considering that the individuality of a person is to some extent influenced by the physical gender, in so far the gender is recognisable from the "resurrection body". But there are no classes in heaven, just individuals. That means, the first impression is not, oh, he is tall, a man, has a handicap, but oh, he is he (ignore the gender). The problem is that we talk about a situation which we cannot imagine, no atoms, not even time, just love. And those who do not like that love, who choose to turn away from the love, they are in the hell. Hell is the absence of god and accordingly of any love, total loneliness. How should people living in a time where even the concept of time was not known, explain heaven other than by showing people walking around and being happy? However, it is a nice picture and more intuitive than any discussion of spaces of infinite dimensions beyond our space-time-continuum.
Had a long reply typed out..... But no, I'm not converting to Catholic. That being said I'm not going to (try) convert to my way of thinking either. As stated I like the videos and hope he keeps making them. But it ends at that. Thanks.
I really recommend Michael Newton's books. I don't personally think they would conflict with Catholic beliefs, but I'm not sure if any Catholics might think differently.
Not Catholic here. When my dog had to be put down when my son was 3, he asked me if we'd see him in heaven. I told him that I know the God I serve and that if your hearts desire when you stand before him is to see our dog, God can make that possible. Do all dogs go to heaven? Can't say but God can make any dog be there.
Got a funny mental image of him showing up at St Peters gates still drenched in his own urine and everyone inside starts calling him “pee-pee Joe” and makes fun of him about it for the rest of eternity. That’d be a pretty funny ironic punishment.
Salvation isn't a zero-sum game. Stalin's victory would not be our defeat. And no victory will be "complete" as long as even one soul is lost to damnation, so i would LOVE to learn that Stalin did in fact repent!
I can’t imagine not being with my husband, family and loved ones. That doesn’t sound Like heaven to me. Also, I could never be at peace knowing someone I loved was suffering in Hell. Telling me I would no longer care or would forget about them is not the answer I want to hear. Thanks for your opinions. Everyone has a right to believe in their own way.
'not an answer I want to hear'. That's why Jesus was crucified: Because many did not hear from Him what they wanted to hear. 'Everyone has a right to believe in their own way.' Of course everyone has the right. But this does not make everyone's beliefs rational, or true.
You can't imagine because you already don't think about God and don't live your life for Him. The Earth horizon, the present horizon is the only one that matters to you. You can't imagine something different (don't worry, almost no one does, even among believers). We believe that the ultimate source of love is God, and that our loved ones in our life are just a way we can learn to love and to begin to know love, but they are not the end and ultimate goal of this learning journey. God is. When we learn this and strive for this, we are on the right path. Even if we still love our spouse, children, parents, this love is seen differently: like a stage of our journey towards God, and like people that God put in our life to show us His love. Purgatory, in this matter, is also the purification from this kind of attachment to creatures, not to forget them or stop loving them, but to loving them through God's love. Paradoxically, this is a way to love more freely our loved ones, to let them free of being, because we're not attached to them, because our happiness doesn't depend on them anymore.
@@sandorhujber in my opinion your beliefs aren’t “rational or true” but I respect your right to believe as you chose, as you should respect mine. I recently have been watching a lot of Muslim videos. They think their beliefs are the true ones, so do Hindus, Mormons, Jewish, Amish, etc. I didn’t say I was right. I just stated how I feel. Every religion thinks it’s the true way. Nobody really knows. If what you believe brings you peace and comfort then that’s what matters.
@@SharonPadget of course I respect your freedom for belief in whatever manner you see it fit, I am sorry if it seemed that I don't. 'Every religion thinks it's the true way' - obviously. Yet, for example I am well acquainted with Buddhism and Daoism, find them to be very wise, and yet came to the conclusion through deduction and logic, that Christianity (Catholicism to be specific) contains the fullness of truth. Other people (eg. a devout Hindu) might know Christianity, but have come to the conclusion through their own thinking and deduction that Hinduism contains the fullness of truth. The important thing is, that religion can be known rationally and examined rationally, and thus debated rationally. Some beliefs are clearly more logical than others: For example monotheism is simply philosophically more sound than politheism or henotheism. A belief about a flat Earth is clearly inferior to the scientifically proven fact of a geoid/round Earth. ' If what you believe brings you peace and comfort then that's what matters' - I beg to disagree, quite strongly. Belief in Christ has brought me lots of challenges and sometimes considerable discomfort (besides obviously peace and comfort at other times). Holding yourself to a certain moral standard should involve difficulty, hardship and tears sometimes. I don't desire peace and comfort, but Truth. Christ Himself states that he did not come to bring peace, but to bring a sword - a sword between father and son, between sin and truth. I know that the current Anglo-Saxon cultural mainstream, in general Western thought teaches a self-centered worldview where everything is good if it feels good to the individual, and the only moral commandment is 'just to be nice to one another'. But this is a fake, cheap and parodistic thought about humanity, and neither of the very very wise and ancient religions you mentioned teach such platitudes. Our life should be about so much more than ourselves and our own 'peace and comfort', our desires and good feeling. We are pilgrims here, wanderers, and this is not our final station. It does matter how we behave on this long road, as (again a teaching reinforced by every major religion) we will be judged when it ends.
@@sandorhujber Everyone had 2 parents, all the the good and the bad. So by that standard are all the good and bad in heaven, is the standard their mother wanted them in heaven.
POPE BENEDICT XVI: “People should not fear God, thinking he is always ready to punish, but rather they should love him because he is always ready to forgive. God is not a relentless sovereign who condemns the guilty, but a loving father whom we must love not out of fear of punishment, but because of his goodness. The Lord is a God who is just, but always ready to reveal himself as merciful and compassionate.God loves us in a way that we might call “obstinate” and enfolds us in his inexhaustible tenderness. The anger and mercy of the Lord alternate in a dramatic sequence, but love triumphs in the end, for God is love. God’s passionate love for his people - for humanity - is at the same time a forgiving love. It is so great that it turns God against himself, his love against his justice.”
Just a question: would it be wise to say that someone with unrepentant mortal sin can go to heaven? Since mortal sin requires us making the active decision to choose us over goodness itself, and being unrepentant means actively continuing to choose ourselves over goodness itself, wouldn’t it be impossible to go to heaven since we are still actively choosing something else over ultimate goodness with full knowledge? I’m sure if someone doesn’t have full knowledge, or if someone doesn’t have full will, and ultimately is unrepentant with those conditions, they could go to heaven since we trust in God’s mercy, but actively choosing something over God with full knowledge and full will seems to indicate that this person has rejected the gift of heaven itself. Am I potentially missing/misunderstanding something?
Father Casey, I would like to settle a debate between me and my friend. Were angels originally created in heaven or were they also separated from God for their own trial of obedience? If so, what is the original abode called, maybe the angelic/spiritual realm? My take is that initially they were all excluded from the beatific vision, for if they hadn't been, the evil angels couldn't have sinned while being in heaven where the will is perfectly aligned with God forever. After that the good angels were admitted to heaven, whereas the those who rebelled were cast down to hell. Is my thinking correct? Thank you!
Will there be musical instruments in Heaven? I find music to be central in all of Christianity, (and I think, in general, Catholics and all Christians should have more regard for and embrace it more.) Playing hymns on instruments is a very important form of worship to me, and I always connect it to Heaven. Thanks! (Sorry, I'm late!😅)
ive seen purgatory being referred to as punishment in the works of saint thomas aquinas while you said its not punishment, whats the church consensus on that?
'Do not call yourselves teachers. You are all brothers and sisters. You have One Teacher - The Christ.' 'Only God is good..' 'Heaven and earth will pass away but My words will never pass away.' Words of Jesus.
Father Casey, I have a very serious question to ask. What if a person loses a limb ( Arm, leg...etc) in a medical setting. I am not sure what happens in such cases ( I am told the limb is incinerated).... what happens after death if that limb is " just discarded" by the medical setting?
Jesus rides a white horse in Heaven. So if there is a horse, then there probably are other animals too. I hope to meet my much loved cat Sammy after meeting Jesus.
@@Anon.5216 I often think if any cat would be brave enough to sit on Christ's thrown when he gets off to go some where. I expect they'll all be well behaved. I also had a cat name Sam. Black n white, part Siamese. We have hope.
Father I lost my grandma 4 mnths ago and its still very painful.. Especially bc we couldnt even say goodbye. She was a devout Catholic and taught us to praybthe rosary.. My question is.. Is she sleeping now until Jesus comes or is she in heaven already? Im confused bc in the Bible it says we all will be judged (the dead and living) when Jesus comes
The answers you can get for this question will vary depending on the person’s denomination. The Catholic church teaches that we are judged individually after we pass away. Most Protestants I have read about believe we are asleep until the day of the final judgement. Personally, I align with the Catholic churches’ belief.
The way I usually get my fellow protestants to be open to purgatory is ask if we're going to be Stepford Wives the instant we enter heaven, or if there's probably going to be an adjustment period where we grow from the sinners we are now to being fully redeemed. Doesn't always work. Granted, not because they'll argue that this adjustment period is different from purgatory in any meaningful way. Instead, when it fails it's usually because the person thinks that sin is no longer a factor in their life or (worse in my opinion) they're fine with some plastic, wash-out parody of them being saved instead of the real them.
As a catholic I believe we in heaven forget ourselves, our pets and our families and we are going to be focused only to God and Jesus. Because scriptures say, there in heaven are no bad thoughts, no sad memories etc. And every bond with your existence keeps moments of joy and moments of sadness, regret and anger. Because of that I hope for being separated from this valley of tears and being completely focused at god and his glory.
I don't think so... I mean if we forget all of our history, and family, and pets, and friends, would we still really be "ourselves"? I mean, it would be like a person waking up with a total amnesia...What remains of yourself once you forget everything you are and everybody you know? Not much, IMHO..And I can't figure Heaven that way, it doesn't sound a happy place to me. I believe we'll still remember things and people, but memories won't be painful anymoreans we'll have overcome in God all our differences that made our relationships complicated and negative
Father Casey, I am a convert so I can't speak to this from experience, but did the church not hold a position that they referred to as "Limbo" regarding babies? Also, why does so much of the medieval art portray purgatory as a place of flames and suffering? Why do we pray for the people in purgatory? (BTW, I like your explanation a lot better)
Limbo of our Fathers is Church teaching. Limbo of babies is not. The difference may not matter. We pray for the souls in purgatory, which is called an indulgence, as a work of faith. Our prayers bring us and the departed closer to God. 2 Maccabees 12:38 address this.
We may not be too late for salvation, but we will still need to atone for our sins. And like hell, purgatory may be be a very long time for some of us.
Yes my parish priest used the crucified criminal argument in a similar discussion some time ago - and of course, Hitler’s name came up. I simply don’t understand how people can jump to the conclusion that just because one criminal who perhaps killed a couple of people (we don’t even know that) in his lifetime would be considered by God to be on the same scale as someone who directly eliminated over 6 million and worldwide caused untold more millions of deaths by his actions. In other words, we are assuming that repentance for some sins is equivalent to repentance for what people like Hitler, Stalin, and Mao did. Of course we don’t know how God reasons, but this is another reason why we can’t assume that he puts all of these things on the same scale and treats them all in the same way.
CCC 1861 Mortal sin is a radical possibility of human freedom, as is love itself. It results in the loss of charity and the privation of sanctifying grace, that is, of the state of grace. If it is not redeemed by repentance and God's forgiveness, it causes exclusion from Christ's kingdom and the eternal death of hell, for our freedom has the power to make choices for ever, with no turning back. However, although we can judge that an act is in itself a grave offense, we must entrust judgment of persons to the justice and mercy of God.
I have a thought lingering that pets can maybe partly share in our human nature by having their relations with us, as we can share partly in God's nature by having a relation with Him. I mean, through domestication their appearance and behavior have already become more adjusted to us. Compare a wild wolf with an average pet dog and you see clearly the differences. So maybe they will share also some way in our immortality when they die.
I've often wondered if ghosts are just flashes of the dead in purgation. As long as we don't seek them with ritual to come back to us I imagine they can reappear as God allows just as Moses and Elijah did on Mt. Tabor with our Lord.
@@RedRiverMan We are supposed to pray on the behalf of the departed! Which as Abraham petitioned G-d for Lot, Moses the Hebrews, etc., we might be the departed last hope! I hope others will pray for me!
Is there a point where it is too late for salvation? I want a more clear answer on this some people say that at our death we still have one last chance as we stand before God to please forgiveness and other say that is the moment of our death the fate is sealed
As far as I understand, after death, if you have a mortal sin on your soul, you go straight to hell. However, physical death and actual death may be different, and there may be means of salvation before the point of actual death, even after physical death.
Father, you teach me about my religion and I feel like I'm opening up more and more. Like a flower receiving more buds. I just did a study on Rudolph Hoss, the commander of Auschwitz. Before he was hung his last words were; I hope that in time God will forgive me I believe that the Lord could grant him mercy after a long time in hell Do you think the greatest mass murderer of all time could be forgiven???
Does Jesus confirm that ghost exist when he appears to the apostles after his resurrection? He states and demonstrates that he is not a ghost but somewhat admonishes the apostles for first thinking so.
Father Casey, you don't sound like the priests we had when we were kids, who were very clear about unforgiven mortal sins and the prospects of going to heaven. Were they just meaner priests or we they instructed that way to hold Catholics in fear of damnation if they did not attend mass on holy days of obligation? Also, when the church changed the rule about eating meat on Fridays to not being a mortal sin, did God change His mind and let those who committed that sin to be released from hell or because it was a sin punishable by hell at the time it was committed, are they still in hell? Why did the old priests tell us that there was a great deal of suffering in Purgatory and our prayers had a great deal to do with getting them early release from there and their sufferings. If you are correct, when did this all change? Are you sure you and a lot of priests today aren't just a lot more liberal than the old days? If God doesn't change, why did the church change, if the Catholic Church is the true representative of God?
But how can you be sure that they were in Hell? Judgment is God's only, and you CAN NOT be sure that someone is in Hell, no matter what a priest or even the Pope says. The Church can point out that some actions put you out of God's grace, IF they are repeated and done in full conscience, but what happens after death is not Hers to decide. And our understanding of God's will and plans is progressive, so it is understandable that some moral views can change.
@@Laurelin70 I didn't say I was sure they were in hell. If the Church had listened to what Jesus said in the Gospel of Matthew, when He said, "Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, that is what defiles a man." While He was condemning the religious people of His time for teaching as the commands of God those things that were merely the traditions of man. The Catholic church will always be teaching their own traditions as if they were God's commandments as long as they hold that their traditions are more important than the Very Word of God. Even though the Pope says he is the bridge between God and man because he claims to be the Pontiff.
@@richardsemione7012 Ah right. Because there are some Churches that don't teach their traditions like commandments of God? Be aware that even Scriptures ARE traditions, because they were written a long time ago, by different men and in different social and political and technological etc, environment than today, then they were translated and passed on through generations and in different regions of the world. Even if they are divinely inspiired, they still are traditions, because they were not dictated, just inspired. And even if they were dictated by God, they would be translated and adapted and passed on anyway: still traditions.
Interesting observation: Heaven has people who have no evil (or sins) in them because of Purgatory, while Hell has people who have rejected God but nevertheless contain some good.
I see, but doesn't that give way to argue that evil is a positive thing (as opposed to an absence of good)? If we understand Purgatory as a place that purges/removes evil, rather than filling you up, if you will, with good, then evil must be a thing in itself.
Hitler was an animal lover. I would argue that wouldnt get him into heaven. All people are made in the image and likeness of God and are inherently good. Choices we make lead to sin and the disruption of our relationship to god. Ultimately, that relationship can be severed forever at death leading to hell. I like to think of hell as a door locked from the inside, to paraphrase Bishop Barron.
@@BenNelsonillegalnumbers That is a good point. While it's rather pessimistic to think that damned people still have some good in them, that juts underlines the role personal agency plays in our destinies. That said, calling Hell "locked from the inside" strikes me as inaccurate, as this means it should still be unlockable. From the inside or outside, it's locked, and God has thrown away the key forever.
@@BreakingInTheHabitactually the particular judgement is immediately after you die, and the final judgement is at the end of time. So everyone including those in heaven and in hell will be judged. CCC 1038
@@whatsup3270 that’s absolutely not how that question is worded. “If a person goes to heaven, will he partake in the final judgement at the end of time?” So the person is already in heaven according to the question. And “end of time” means just that, end of time.
on the unbaptised children bit: how does that make sense? if i recall we are born with sin (original sin of adam and eve), that sin separates the child from god (no matter how much he loves them they are separated because of that sin), baptism washed away the sin and takes in the child in the Christian community. so it is either: 1. god can forgive sin out side of jesus' sacrifice (begging the question what is the point of the sacrifice then?) 2. sin does not separate people from god (which seems to fly in the face of what defines sin) 3. or it is a sort of Calvinist predestination where god know which souls are saved or damned (which flies in the face of catholic teaching)
Unbaptized people of all ages go through the same process as the baptized. The difference is the unbaptized are not shielded by the Church. Babies likely do not need shielding, they have the propensity to sin (Original Sin) yet is unlikely manifested. Adults are far more likely to have manifested sin. Additionally, there are other forms of baptism, one is of desire which may cover babies, we just do not know. Christ's sacrifice opened the gates of Heaven to us and all. Sins separate us from God in that the sinner has violated the human principles and put their fate at jeopardy, however the Church has always taught the final judgement is immediate at death, and god's mercy decides regardless of our thoughts that we control anything. The Church teaches Jesus and God, as well as the Holy Spirit are one (Trinity). Forgiveness is a request from us, not an order from god. Predestination is real but typically over applied in our understanding. For example is our death predestine, yes, is our every step predestined, no.
I think there is an issue with option 1, all redemption is through Jesus's sacrifice, regardless of how it manifests. I guess the flip side has to do with the question about 'is it ever too late for Gods mercy?' If it can never be too late, then it can never be too early- rather God provides all people, at all times, a way to accept him and receive salvation. God is bound to the sacraments, not by them.
I am a lapsed Catholic for 38 years. I had committed countless number of mortal sins all these years until I have forgotten most of them. Seven years ago, by the grace and mercy of God, I have repented and come back to church. For all my unconfessed mortal sins, if I will to die now, can I still be saved?
Regarding ghosts, what of the testamonies of saints (Padre Pio comes to mind) where they encounter souls of the deceased? Is this materially distinct from what we commonly lable "ghosts?" What do you PERSONALLY believe about such saintly issues, Fr?
Correction : If you die with mortal sin on your soul, you will go to Hell. It’s a Dogma of the Faith. Go to Confession ! It’s where the Mercy of God is available to you.
My wife lost 2 babies very early in pregnancy and the doctor said one of the pregnancies could have been twins, so possibly 3 babies. It is my greatest desire that they are in Heaven with God. Your words as to the mercy of God in this situation gives me Great Joy that they are with God. Thank You Father.
My prayers go out to you & your wife. 🙏🏼 Never give up on Christ & his teachings. ✝️ He is a merciful, loving and just God!! 🛐 ✌🏼
“When in doubt, trust in God’s mercy.” Absolutely succinct description of a lot of the church.
Basically what he is saying is he has no answer.
@@kevinkelly2162 of course he doesn’t. We are humans, that’s why science exists, to figure out what we don’t know
@@Shotgun_Only Humans think they can really understand God. No, he's so beyond our brain power, we can only try to grasp straws, and some religous have hurt people with false teachings, and making things up like limbo and then taking it back, just say "you don't know" It's okay to not know.
"Our salvation is not dependent on our actions, it is dependent on the mercy of God" Someone please tell our evangelist brothers and sisters this as they are convinced we believe it is works that lead to salvation.
ST. TERESA OF LISIEUX: “It is not because I have been preserved from serious sin that I lift up my heart to God in trust and love. I am certain that even if I had on my conscience every imaginable sin, I should lose nothing of my confidence, but would throw myself, my heart broken with sorrow, into the arms of my Savior.”
Thank you for your videos. You and a few other RUclipsrs present such great evidence for Catholicism. I went to my local parish and spoke with the priest. I begin OCIA Tuesday. Please pray for me, as this will not come without a cost.
Thank you Father Casey for this and many talks you have covered. Your talks are simple and quite easy to understand. I was a lapsed Catholic for 38 years. Is through watching all these Christian videos talks that give me the confidence to go back to church and confessions. Many thanks from Singapore.
Wonderful explanation. I'm Catholic and was told in grade school by a nun that if you had a mortal sin on your soul and died before you were able to get to confession, if you had the firm and sincere intention of going, but was not able to get there you would be okay and not end up in hell. However that doesn't mean we should take any unnecessary risks. I look forward to meeting family members and friends when I pass through those purlly gates. And seeing the Holy Trinity in all Its glory. In actuality God does not send us to heaven or hell, we do that ourselves by our actions. This video gave me the hope I needed and tears to my eyes when thinking of the infinite mercy of God. I love being Catholic.
Cradle catholic,but with some doubts sometimes,I don,t worry or think a lot about afterlife,,I think to see again my father,my family,my friends,,but I think Faith is very important in this life,to try to live like a Christian,to avoid bad ways of life,to try to love the others,to have strenght in difficulties and confort in sorrows,My husband died 6 months ago after 35 years of kidneys disease,,our life hasn,t been very easy, but we were together and have had a daughter,my great help and love,Now I have time for me and ,often I go to a great franciscan church in Bologna to attend Mass and Vespers in the late afternoon,I come home very relieved and serene!Excuse my english,I am Italian and I taught French for 40 years,,,for Italian people is easier than English,,,when you put subtitles I can understand very wel,,,only spoken it is difficult
In relation to the question "Is there a moment where it's too late for God's salvation?" brings to mind an old Irish proverb (which any horse enthusiasts will like) - "The mercy of God is to be found between the saddle and the ground."
@@gscam0001 There are several ways in which that may be interpreted. I would be interested to hear what it usually means. And yes I am a horse person.
@@peterbeninger7068I THINK they just said that God's Mercy is.... "equin"ameous 😂
I would give up everything for God. I await the day Jesus Christ comes back and I hope to see our Blessed Mother Mary . I need a hug from her
Thanks Fr. Casey - I learn a lot from your videos. God bless & keep up the good work.
Father Casey, you are my go to guy. You answer the questions I want answered in a way that I understand. I'm halfway through the RCIA programme and hope to be baptised this Easter, I cant tell you how much I rely on you to help my understanding as Im going through this process. Thank you!!
I wouldn't count on 'holding out to the end' and then making an act of contrition with your last breath. God's mercy is great but he's not a fool.
Contrition has to be genuine in order to count.
I have been a Catholic my WHOLE life! And I want to thank you for explaining this to me! 😊😊
Oh my gosh he answered my Great Divorce question!!!!!! I love the book too, I read it every year and I’m always so challenged to keep the right things in focus and over the years I find myself relating to different characters, and it’s so helpful to read the story and remind myself of where my heart and hope should be. Thanks for answering!
God bless you, Fr. Casey, you are a true disciple of God. This has eased my heart. Thank you !🙏 ❤
Thank you Father. Your answers are always so helpful either as a reminder or as an explanation of topics we never got to.
Thank you so much for covering this. It helped so much. God bless 🙏🙏🙏
Thank you Father Casey.
I hope my pets are there waiting for me. This is a difficult question, but I trust God has a reward for every creature in His creation.
Wether pets are in heaven is irrelevant as you will be perfectly happy with or without pets. Don't judge your happiness on Earth to what will be in heaven
I hope my cat will be with me, as he is my best friend on earth. I love him like a brother. Ignore others who don't understand our true friendship with our pets.
:) same ♡🐾🙏💙
"You will have all you need" is the common reply.
Some NDE show them and believe them or not, I would like too ; )
What helpful and sensible answers to many interesting questions. Thank you, Father!
Your explanations are comforting! A few years ago, I learned that Hell is total separation from God. I also read "The Great Divorce." I still sometimes wonder where my late husband is, and I pray for him. He loved me but he was no angel. (I guess none of us are!) I'm sure that if he's not already in Heaven, he is learning and healing in Purgatory.
Thank you for clarifying so many of these points for we who are newly Catholic. This would be a wonderful video to be shared in RCIA classes.
Thank you. These Q&A have been very clear and informative.
I struggled to get through CS Lewis's The Great Divorce. He says it much more clearly in The Last Battle, which is a much easier read, packed with philosophy and ideas. But one of his points he makes is that hell is ultimately a choice. Aslan demonstrates this to Lucy by trying to rescue the rebel dwarves from the hell they have created for themselves. He takes them out, gives them good food and wine and good things but they refuse to see it, and instantly scurry back to their own hell, fighting one another over what they believe to be worthless scraps. "You see" said Aslan "They will not let us help them. They have chosen cunning instead of belief. Their prison is only in their own minds, yet they are in that prison and so afraid of being taken out that they cannot be taken out."
Thank you Fr. Casey! I enjoy watching your RUclips videos. Please never stop. Finding one’s purpose, is it really that clear or that blurred? Do missed chances influence one’s present? To what extent is the foster family responsible when they take a child? What happens when they get preoccupied with their own lives and neglect the child and the child messes up? What kind of sins are these?
I doubt there's a human being who loved their pet more than I did, but I do not worry abt resurrection for pets. I am concerned for salvation for human beings!
Bless you Fr Casey
Saved by grace, but with faith and good works. Last week's letter of James
LOL! Talk about timing. I just got a pre-paid funeral plan Advertisement here before this played :)
What kind of stuff did you choose for it?
Also, I think if I did that I would want to try laying in the casket before I pick it.
Just a thought, but please review the documents carefully. My dad did that about 12 years before he died. He was in his late 80s so I'm sure the funeral parlor did think he would last that long. When he passed,.the original funeral director had already passed as well and those that were now in charge said it was only an estimate - not a pre-payment. They did give us a slight discount - but definitely not a full pre-payment as I am presuming my father thought he was signing.
Why we would want to exclude anyone from Heaven? Rather, let us pray that all may come into heaven:
O my Jesus, forgive us our sins,
save us from the fires of hell;
lead all souls to heaven especially those who are in most need of
Your mercy. Amen
The Great Divorce is short and easy to read. The latter part mostly consists of Lewis listening to conversations between a person who was in hell and someone that they know who has been in heaven. The saved individual is trying to convince the other to walk with them toward God, but they all give some reason why heaven probably isn’t that great. Those exchanges are very interesting
Great set of questions and answers!
Will you do a part 2? Enjoyed the video!
Thank you for teaching us.
Thank you father Casey for another great video.
A truly thought provoking video, thank you.
I majored in English at UC Berkeley, and I love the epic poem “Paradise Lost,” by John Milton. When Milton said, “It is better to reign in hell than to serve in Heaven,” he was speaking through the mouth of Lucifer, in hell, after his fall from Paradise. Milton did not say that for himself, and it is inadvisable to agree with the Devil’s sentiments. Thank you, Fr. Casey. May God bless you.
Thank you for explaining the context of this quote. I'm hoping that viewers didn't think Father Casey was endorsing this sentiment.
Thank you, Father, thank you.
Yes when you die. Always remember that God is also Justice.
My understanding of resurrection is that not the body in the physical sense but a special "resurrection body" will resurrect (I read that decades ago in a book, I think it was Rahner or Ratzinger). The resurrection body represents the entire personality and indivdiuality of a person, not the material - there are no atoms in heaven, not even time. Considering that the individuality of a person is to some extent influenced by the physical gender, in so far the gender is recognisable from the "resurrection body". But there are no classes in heaven, just individuals. That means, the first impression is not, oh, he is tall, a man, has a handicap, but oh, he is he (ignore the gender). The problem is that we talk about a situation which we cannot imagine, no atoms, not even time, just love. And those who do not like that love, who choose to turn away from the love, they are in the hell. Hell is the absence of god and accordingly of any love, total loneliness. How should people living in a time where even the concept of time was not known, explain heaven other than by showing people walking around and being happy? However, it is a nice picture and more intuitive than any discussion of spaces of infinite dimensions beyond our space-time-continuum.
Very nice video, God bless you father
God bless you amen
I'm not a Catholic but I do like your videos and keep the videos coming.
FWIW...
You're not a Catholic *yet*. :D
Had a long reply typed out.....
But no, I'm not converting to Catholic.
That being said I'm not going to (try) convert to my way of thinking either.
As stated I like the videos and hope he keeps making them. But it ends at that.
Thanks.
@@jpoppinga8417Follow your conscience.
The pet question, it'll never be answered until Jesus comes again!!
Yes we won’t know . I miss my kitty so badly . I would be joyful to see him again 🙏
Could you make a video explaining how celibacy works for lay people in catholic theology? Learning a lot from you! God bless!!!
I love your videos, Fr. Casey! Thank you.
I really recommend Michael Newton's books. I don't personally think they would conflict with Catholic beliefs, but I'm not sure if any Catholics might think differently.
Feliz dia de francisco 800 años estigmas hermano casey.
Bro your videos are awesome! I've already taken ao many notes😂
Not Catholic here. When my dog had to be put down when my son was 3, he asked me if we'd see him in heaven. I told him that I know the God I serve and that if your hearts desire when you stand before him is to see our dog, God can make that possible. Do all dogs go to heaven? Can't say but God can make any dog be there.
Thank you for sharing.
There is some thought that Stalin could have repented while he was lying on the floor of his dacha after a stroke. That would be something.
Got a funny mental image of him showing up at St Peters gates still drenched in his own urine and everyone inside starts calling him “pee-pee Joe” and makes fun of him about it for the rest of eternity.
That’d be a pretty funny ironic punishment.
Salvation isn't a zero-sum game. Stalin's victory would not be our defeat. And no victory will be "complete" as long as even one soul is lost to damnation, so i would LOVE to learn that Stalin did in fact repent!
Very good video....thank you.
Thanks for this video!
I can’t imagine not being with my husband, family and loved ones. That doesn’t sound Like heaven to me. Also, I could never be at peace knowing someone I loved was suffering in Hell. Telling me I would no longer care or would forget about them is not the answer I want to hear. Thanks for your opinions. Everyone has a right to believe in their own way.
'not an answer I want to hear'. That's why Jesus was crucified: Because many did not hear from Him what they wanted to hear. 'Everyone has a right to believe in their own way.' Of course everyone has the right. But this does not make everyone's beliefs rational, or true.
You can't imagine because you already don't think about God and don't live your life for Him. The Earth horizon, the present horizon is the only one that matters to you. You can't imagine something different (don't worry, almost no one does, even among believers). We believe that the ultimate source of love is God, and that our loved ones in our life are just a way we can learn to love and to begin to know love, but they are not the end and ultimate goal of this learning journey. God is. When we learn this and strive for this, we are on the right path. Even if we still love our spouse, children, parents, this love is seen differently: like a stage of our journey towards God, and like people that God put in our life to show us His love.
Purgatory, in this matter, is also the purification from this kind of attachment to creatures, not to forget them or stop loving them, but to loving them through God's love.
Paradoxically, this is a way to love more freely our loved ones, to let them free of being, because we're not attached to them, because our happiness doesn't depend on them anymore.
@@sandorhujber in my opinion your beliefs aren’t “rational or true” but I respect your right to believe as you chose, as you should respect mine. I recently have been watching a lot of Muslim videos. They think their beliefs are the true ones, so do Hindus, Mormons, Jewish, Amish, etc. I didn’t say I was right. I just stated how I feel. Every religion thinks it’s the true way. Nobody really knows. If what you believe brings you peace and comfort then that’s what matters.
@@SharonPadget of course I respect your freedom for belief in whatever manner you see it fit, I am sorry if it seemed that I don't. 'Every religion thinks it's the true way' - obviously. Yet, for example I am well acquainted with Buddhism and Daoism, find them to be very wise, and yet came to the conclusion through deduction and logic, that Christianity (Catholicism to be specific) contains the fullness of truth. Other people (eg. a devout Hindu) might know Christianity, but have come to the conclusion through their own thinking and deduction that Hinduism contains the fullness of truth. The important thing is, that religion can be known rationally and examined rationally, and thus debated rationally. Some beliefs are clearly more logical than others: For example monotheism is simply philosophically more sound than politheism or henotheism. A belief about a flat Earth is clearly inferior to the scientifically proven fact of a geoid/round Earth.
' If what you believe brings you peace and comfort then that's what matters' - I beg to disagree, quite strongly. Belief in Christ has brought me lots of challenges and sometimes considerable discomfort (besides obviously peace and comfort at other times). Holding yourself to a certain moral standard should involve difficulty, hardship and tears sometimes. I don't desire peace and comfort, but Truth. Christ Himself states that he did not come to bring peace, but to bring a sword - a sword between father and son, between sin and truth.
I know that the current Anglo-Saxon cultural mainstream, in general Western thought teaches a self-centered worldview where everything is good if it feels good to the individual, and the only moral commandment is 'just to be nice to one another'. But this is a fake, cheap and parodistic thought about humanity, and neither of the very very wise and ancient religions you mentioned teach such platitudes. Our life should be about so much more than ourselves and our own 'peace and comfort', our desires and good feeling. We are pilgrims here, wanderers, and this is not our final station. It does matter how we behave on this long road, as (again a teaching reinforced by every major religion) we will be judged when it ends.
@@sandorhujber Everyone had 2 parents, all the the good and the bad. So by that standard are all the good and bad in heaven, is the standard their mother wanted them in heaven.
POPE BENEDICT XVI: “People should not fear God, thinking he is always ready to punish, but rather they should love him because he is always ready to forgive.
God is not a relentless sovereign who condemns the guilty, but a loving father whom we must love not out of fear of punishment, but because of his goodness.
The Lord is a God who is just, but always ready to reveal himself as merciful and compassionate.God loves us in a way that we might call “obstinate” and enfolds us in his inexhaustible tenderness. The anger and mercy of the Lord alternate in a dramatic sequence, but love triumphs in the end, for God is love.
God’s passionate love for his people - for humanity - is at the same time a forgiving love. It is so great that it turns God against himself, his love against his justice.”
Thanks so comforting ❤
My only question, will romantic love still exist? Like between marriaged people, or maybe people who couldnt marriage in Earth still feel that love?
Just a question: would it be wise to say that someone with unrepentant mortal sin can go to heaven? Since mortal sin requires us making the active decision to choose us over goodness itself, and being unrepentant means actively continuing to choose ourselves over goodness itself, wouldn’t it be impossible to go to heaven since we are still actively choosing something else over ultimate goodness with full knowledge? I’m sure if someone doesn’t have full knowledge, or if someone doesn’t have full will, and ultimately is unrepentant with those conditions, they could go to heaven since we trust in God’s mercy, but actively choosing something over God with full knowledge and full will seems to indicate that this person has rejected the gift of heaven itself. Am I potentially missing/misunderstanding something?
This was very interesting. Thank you very much
Father Casey, I would like to settle a debate between me and my friend. Were angels originally created in heaven or were they also separated from God for their own trial of obedience? If so, what is the original abode called, maybe the angelic/spiritual realm? My take is that initially they were all excluded from the beatific vision, for if they hadn't been, the evil angels couldn't have sinned while being in heaven where the will is perfectly aligned with God forever. After that the good angels were admitted to heaven, whereas the those who rebelled were cast down to hell. Is my thinking correct? Thank you!
Will there be musical instruments in Heaven? I find music to be central in all of Christianity, (and I think, in general, Catholics and all Christians should have more regard for and embrace it more.) Playing hymns on instruments is a very important form of worship to me, and I always connect it to Heaven. Thanks! (Sorry, I'm late!😅)
It will have music and it be better than any music and any kind of thing you can comprehend.
ive seen purgatory being referred to as punishment in the works of saint thomas aquinas while you said its not punishment, whats the church consensus on that?
'Do not call yourselves teachers. You are all brothers and sisters. You have One Teacher - The Christ.' 'Only God is good..' 'Heaven and earth will pass away but My words will never pass away.' Words of Jesus.
I thought all children upto the age of 7 are innocent as in the feast of inocents we celebrate in January. Would that not include the unborn?
All are entrusted to God. It is hard to see how children and the unborn would be rejected.
Ask the families at Sodon
Father Casey, I have a very serious question to ask. What if a person loses a limb ( Arm, leg...etc) in a medical setting. I am not sure what happens in such cases ( I am told the limb is incinerated).... what happens after death if that limb is " just discarded" by the medical setting?
And what about first-class relics of the saints?
In his epistle, St. James cautions that faith without works is dead.
Thankyou for reading my question re pets. I have hope.
Same 🙏💙
I love NDE that tell they saw pets....I'm a softy and it makes me happy. It has nothing to do with Jesus not being enough, it's adding to the joy.
Jesus rides a white horse in Heaven. So if there is a horse, then there probably are other animals too. I hope to meet my much loved cat Sammy after meeting Jesus.
@@Anon.5216 I often think if any cat would be brave enough to sit on Christ's thrown when he gets off to go some where. I expect they'll all be well behaved. I also had a cat name Sam. Black n white, part Siamese. We have hope.
Father I lost my grandma 4 mnths ago and its still very painful.. Especially bc we couldnt even say goodbye. She was a devout Catholic and taught us to praybthe rosary.. My question is.. Is she sleeping now until Jesus comes or is she in heaven already? Im confused bc in the Bible it says we all will be judged (the dead and living) when Jesus comes
I am confused too.
The answers you can get for this question will vary depending on the person’s denomination. The Catholic church teaches that we are judged individually after we pass away. Most Protestants I have read about believe we are asleep until the day of the final judgement. Personally, I align with the Catholic churches’ belief.
This is finally a very good video.
The way I usually get my fellow protestants to be open to purgatory is ask if we're going to be Stepford Wives the instant we enter heaven, or if there's probably going to be an adjustment period where we grow from the sinners we are now to being fully redeemed. Doesn't always work. Granted, not because they'll argue that this adjustment period is different from purgatory in any meaningful way. Instead, when it fails it's usually because the person thinks that sin is no longer a factor in their life or (worse in my opinion) they're fine with some plastic, wash-out parody of them being saved instead of the real them.
Yes. We will see our pets in heaven. That's it.
As a catholic I believe we in heaven forget ourselves, our pets and our families and we are going to be focused only to God and Jesus. Because scriptures say, there in heaven are no bad thoughts, no sad memories etc. And every bond with your existence keeps moments of joy and moments of sadness, regret and anger. Because of that I hope for being separated from this valley of tears and being completely focused at god and his glory.
I don't think so... I mean if we forget all of our history, and family, and pets, and friends, would we still really be "ourselves"? I mean, it would be like a person waking up with a total amnesia...What remains of yourself once you forget everything you are and everybody you know? Not much, IMHO..And I can't figure Heaven that way, it doesn't sound a happy place to me. I believe we'll still remember things and people, but memories won't be painful anymoreans we'll have overcome in God all our differences that made our relationships complicated and negative
@4:50 it doesnt say all exisrong marriages will be dissolved either. If there is no marriage then what significance would gender have in eternity?
Father Casey, I am a convert so I can't speak to this from experience, but did the church not hold a position that they referred to as "Limbo" regarding babies? Also, why does so much of the medieval art portray purgatory as a place of flames and suffering? Why do we pray for the people in purgatory? (BTW, I like your explanation a lot better)
Limbo of our Fathers is Church teaching. Limbo of babies is not. The difference may not matter. We pray for the souls in purgatory, which is called an indulgence, as a work of faith. Our prayers bring us and the departed closer to God. 2 Maccabees 12:38 address this.
@@whatsup3270 Thank you - I will look into this.
We may not be too late for salvation, but we will still need to atone for our sins. And like hell, purgatory may be be a very long time for some of us.
I don’t have six packs abbs now!! I’m in where do I sign up 😂
Through Pax et bonem. Shortest way to Heaven.
Purgatory is suppose to be a place where there are flames similar to hell but souls are eventually released to heaven. Saying that there is pain.
Yes my parish priest used the crucified criminal argument in a similar discussion some time ago - and of course, Hitler’s name came up. I simply don’t understand how people can jump to the conclusion that just because one criminal who perhaps killed a couple of people (we don’t even know that) in his lifetime would be considered by God to be on the same scale as someone who directly eliminated over 6 million and worldwide caused untold more millions of deaths by his actions. In other words, we are assuming that repentance for some sins is equivalent to repentance for what people like Hitler, Stalin, and Mao did. Of course we don’t know how God reasons, but this is another reason why we can’t assume that he puts all of these things on the same scale and treats them all in the same way.
Whatever you answer about an afterlife, is whatever you imagine it to be.
CCC 1861 Mortal sin is a radical possibility of human freedom, as is love itself. It results in the loss of charity and the privation of sanctifying grace, that is, of the state of grace. If it is not redeemed by repentance and God's forgiveness, it causes exclusion from Christ's kingdom and the eternal death of hell, for our freedom has the power to make choices for ever, with no turning back. However, although we can judge that an act is in itself a grave offense, we must entrust judgment of persons to the justice and mercy of God.
I'm gonna bring up the 6 pack abs question next time I see my priest.
Could use sources such as the catechism or bible verses to support points.
I have to agree with you Father regarding "The Great Divorce". Also, it's about the only thing from Lewis that I can follow.😂
I have a thought lingering that pets can maybe partly share in our human nature by having their relations with us, as we can share partly in God's nature by having a relation with Him. I mean, through domestication their appearance and behavior have already become more adjusted to us. Compare a wild wolf with an average pet dog and you see clearly the differences. So maybe they will share also some way in our immortality when they die.
Where is Father Patrick? I miss him!😢
St. Thomas definitely feared Jesus thinking he was a ghost. All that time together, they surely had to mention paranormal at some point!
I've often wondered if ghosts are just flashes of the dead in purgation. As long as we don't seek them with ritual to come back to us I imagine they can reappear as God allows just as Moses and Elijah did on Mt. Tabor with our Lord.
@@RedRiverMan We are supposed to pray on the behalf of the departed! Which as Abraham petitioned G-d for Lot, Moses the Hebrews, etc., we might be the departed last hope! I hope others will pray for me!
Is there a point where it is too late for salvation? I want a more clear answer on this some people say that at our death we still have one last chance as we stand before God to please forgiveness and other say that is the moment of our death the fate is sealed
As far as I understand, after death, if you have a mortal sin on your soul, you go straight to hell. However, physical death and actual death may be different, and there may be means of salvation before the point of actual death, even after physical death.
Father, you teach me about my religion and I feel like I'm opening up more and more. Like a flower receiving more buds. I just did a study on Rudolph Hoss, the commander of Auschwitz. Before he was hung his last words were; I hope that in time God will forgive me
I believe that the Lord could grant him mercy
after a long time in hell
Do you think the greatest mass murderer of all time could be forgiven???
Everyone good human died they back to beginning :’ And the human evil ? The evil is belong to the evil 🙏🙏😇
Does Jesus confirm that ghost exist when he appears to the apostles after his resurrection? He states and demonstrates that he is not a ghost but somewhat admonishes the apostles for first thinking so.
Father Casey, you don't sound like the priests we had when we were kids, who were very clear about unforgiven mortal sins and the prospects of going to heaven. Were they just meaner priests or we they instructed that way to hold Catholics in fear of damnation if they did not attend mass on holy days of obligation? Also, when the church changed the rule about eating meat on Fridays to not being a mortal sin, did God change His mind and let those who committed that sin to be released from hell or because it was a sin punishable by hell at the time it was committed, are they still in hell? Why did the old priests tell us that there was a great deal of suffering in Purgatory and our prayers had a great deal to do with getting them early release from there and their sufferings. If you are correct, when did this all change? Are you sure you and a lot of priests today aren't just a lot more liberal than the old days? If God doesn't change, why did the church change, if the Catholic Church is the true representative of God?
Lots of good questions, especially for those of us who grew up in pre-V2.
But how can you be sure that they were in Hell? Judgment is God's only, and you CAN NOT be sure that someone is in Hell, no matter what a priest or even the Pope says. The Church can point out that some actions put you out of God's grace, IF they are repeated and done in full conscience, but what happens after death is not Hers to decide. And our understanding of God's will and plans is progressive, so it is understandable that some moral views can change.
@@Laurelin70 I didn't say I was sure they were in hell. If the Church had listened to what Jesus said in the Gospel of Matthew, when He said, "Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, that is what defiles a man." While He was condemning the religious people of His time for teaching as the commands of God those things that were merely the traditions of man. The Catholic church will always be teaching their own traditions as if they were God's commandments as long as they hold that their traditions are more important than the Very Word of God. Even though the Pope says he is the bridge between God and man because he claims to be the Pontiff.
@@richardsemione7012 Ah right. Because there are some Churches that don't teach their traditions like commandments of God? Be aware that even Scriptures ARE traditions, because they were written a long time ago, by different men and in different social and political and technological etc, environment than today, then they were translated and passed on through generations and in different regions of the world. Even if they are divinely inspiired, they still are traditions, because they were not dictated, just inspired. And even if they were dictated by God, they would be translated and adapted and passed on anyway: still traditions.
Interesting observation: Heaven has people who have no evil (or sins) in them because of Purgatory, while Hell has people who have rejected God but nevertheless contain some good.
Yes, because goodness is the state of all things; evil is less of a thing in itself as it the absence of good.
I see, but doesn't that give way to argue that evil is a positive thing (as opposed to an absence of good)? If we understand Purgatory as a place that purges/removes evil, rather than filling you up, if you will, with good, then evil must be a thing in itself.
@@orktv4673They have rejected God who is the source of all good; their definition of good differs from that of God.
Hitler was an animal lover. I would argue that wouldnt get him into heaven. All people are made in the image and likeness of God and are inherently good. Choices we make lead to sin and the disruption of our relationship to god. Ultimately, that relationship can be severed forever at death leading to hell. I like to think of hell as a door locked from the inside, to paraphrase Bishop Barron.
@@BenNelsonillegalnumbers That is a good point. While it's rather pessimistic to think that damned people still have some good in them, that juts underlines the role personal agency plays in our destinies. That said, calling Hell "locked from the inside" strikes me as inaccurate, as this means it should still be unlockable. From the inside or outside, it's locked, and God has thrown away the key forever.
Wait…..flirting is sinful? I need clarification. Honest request!
If a person goes to Heaven, will he partake in the final judgement at the end of time?
The final judgment occurs before heaven.
@@BreakingInTheHabitactually the particular judgement is immediately after you die, and the final judgement is at the end of time. So everyone including those in heaven and in hell will be judged. CCC 1038
Final judge, as referred to in that question is for those alive on Earth's last day.
@@whatsup3270 that’s absolutely not how that question is worded. “If a person goes to heaven, will he partake in the final judgement at the end of time?”
So the person is already in heaven according to the question. And “end of time” means just that, end of time.
We will all be at the final judgement. We'll get to find out the meaning of life and a whole host of things, it sounds like!
on the unbaptised children bit: how does that make sense? if i recall we are born with sin (original sin of adam and eve), that sin separates the child from god (no matter how much he loves them they are separated because of that sin), baptism washed away the sin and takes in the child in the Christian community. so it is either:
1. god can forgive sin out side of jesus' sacrifice (begging the question what is the point of the sacrifice then?)
2. sin does not separate people from god (which seems to fly in the face of what defines sin)
3. or it is a sort of Calvinist predestination where god know which souls are saved or damned (which flies in the face of catholic teaching)
1:00 Whenever in doubt... trust in God´s mercy.
Unbaptized people of all ages go through the same process as the baptized. The difference is the unbaptized are not shielded by the Church. Babies likely do not need shielding, they have the propensity to sin (Original Sin) yet is unlikely manifested. Adults are far more likely to have manifested sin. Additionally, there are other forms of baptism, one is of desire which may cover babies, we just do not know.
Christ's sacrifice opened the gates of Heaven to us and all.
Sins separate us from God in that the sinner has violated the human principles and put their fate at jeopardy, however the Church has always taught the final judgement is immediate at death, and god's mercy decides regardless of our thoughts that we control anything. The Church teaches Jesus and God, as well as the Holy Spirit are one (Trinity).
Forgiveness is a request from us, not an order from god.
Predestination is real but typically over applied in our understanding. For example is our death predestine, yes, is our every step predestined, no.
I think there is an issue with option 1, all redemption is through Jesus's sacrifice, regardless of how it manifests.
I guess the flip side has to do with the question about 'is it ever too late for Gods mercy?' If it can never be too late, then it can never be too early- rather God provides all people, at all times, a way to accept him and receive salvation. God is bound to the sacraments, not by them.
I am a lapsed Catholic for 38 years. I had committed countless number of mortal sins all these years until I have forgotten most of them. Seven years ago, by the grace and mercy of God, I have repented and come back to church. For all my unconfessed mortal sins, if I will to die now, can I still be saved?
@@AW-tc4hy i am an atheist so i can't say if your will or not. just describing what i was told from other catholics
Regarding ghosts, what of the testamonies of saints (Padre Pio comes to mind) where they encounter souls of the deceased? Is this materially distinct from what we commonly lable "ghosts?" What do you PERSONALLY believe about such saintly issues, Fr?
Correction :
If you die with mortal sin on your soul, you will go to Hell.
It’s a Dogma of the Faith.
Go to Confession !
It’s where the Mercy of God is available to you.