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glinNC
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| Posted: April 15 2009 at 8:41pm | IP Logged
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I understand that there are different "levels" of heaven, based on one's spiritual life/love of God while on earth.
If this is true, does a plenary indulgence (ex., obtained at Divine Mercy Sunday) put everybody who attends the devotion, all on the same "level" should they all die at the same time?
I hope this makes sense ... I think I may have 2 questions going on .... 1) Are there many degrees of heavenly happiness? ... We can't compare ourselves to Mother Teresa of Calcutta in spirituality, so wouldn't she have "more" happiness (higher "level") than us?
2) Do indulgences affect our "levels"?
With Divine Mercy Sunday upon us this weekend, I am hoping a better understanding will allow me to encourage somebody to receive God's mercy.
Thanks in advance!
glinNC
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JennGM
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| Posted: April 16 2009 at 7:41am | IP Logged
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Complicated question. I'm wondering if you're thinking of a Dante type of levels of heaven?
It's hard to describe a spiritual state of soul with a physical mind. I've heard it explained that the beatific vision is greater depending on the love of the soul, so that's what I think of "levels". I think St. Therese the Little Flower describes it as a cup. Our cup will be to overflowing, and we won't know anything less, nor will we be comparing others. We will be eternally happy. But those that loved greater, have a "larger cup" and will have a more intense vision, so to say.
I just don't know what to think about indulgences in this kind of question. I think that would be a wrong approach to teach one about mercy. Indulgences wipe our soul clean, so no marks are left from the sin. We would get to heaven faster, without remission due to sin. And if this is purifying us, making our love for God greater, than yes, in a simplistic fashion, it could make our beatific vision greater. But the goal isn't "to go higher" but to love greater, if that makes any sense. His mercy is removing impediments to make us drink deeper and love more at a faster pace.
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stellamaris
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| Posted: April 16 2009 at 7:55am | IP Logged
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The definition of an indulgence in the CCC is:
"... a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven...An indulgence removes either part or all of the temporal punishment due to sin." (CCC 1471)
So to answer your question about indulgences, they purify our souls and lessen the suffering we have to experience in Purgatory. This really has nothing to do with our "level" in heaven, but more to do with the completion of the process of becoming holy. As Jennifer mentioned above, the holier we become, the greater is our capacity for receiving God. The greatest saints have "stretched" their hearts and in heaven will have, as it were, "more" of God because they have that capacity. We will have as much as we can hold of God, and everyone will be perfectly happy. As far as happiness/joy/fulfillment are concerned, every soul is heaven will be completely fulfilled and perfectly happy. The teaching of the Catechism on Heaven is in paragraphs 1023-1029. It makes no reference to "levels".
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Caroline
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Loren
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| Posted: April 16 2009 at 8:33am | IP Logged
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I think it was St. Teresa of Avila who spoke about levels of heaven in The Interior Castle. She said that some people will be in the "courtyard" while some will be in the "throne room" and the rest will be scattered around (or maybe stuffed in) the other five levels.
St Thérèse of Liseux, when she was a little girl, was troubled by this and asked her older sister who used the cup analogy by pointing out that Thérèse could fill her thimble with water and she could fill her own tumbler with water and neither one would be any fuller than the other.
As far as indulgences are concerned, they come with requirements. To receive any indulgence, one must perform the act (Divine Mercy chaplet), go to confession and receive absolution, receive Communion, and pray for the intentions of the Pope. One must also intend to receive that indulgence. A plenary indulgence that removes all temporal punishment also requires a "complete detachment from sin."
OK, I checked that last paragraph, and it seems that it is not completely accurate. EWTN has something to say about gaining this indulgence.
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JennGM
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| Posted: April 16 2009 at 8:45am | IP Logged
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Quote:
a plenary indulgence, granted under the usual conditions (sacramental confession, Eucharistic communion and prayer for the intentions of Supreme Pontiff) to the faithful who, on the Second Sunday of Easter or Divine Mercy Sunday, in any church or chapel, in a spirit that is completely detached from the affection for a sin, even a venial sin, take part in the prayers and devotions held in honour of Divine Mercy, or who, in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament exposed or reserved in the tabernacle, recite the Our Father and the Creed, adding a devout prayer to the merciful Lord Jesus (e.g. Merciful Jesus, I trust in you!");
A partial indulgence, granted to the faithful who, at least with a contrite heart, pray to the merciful Lord Jesus a legitimately approved invocation. |
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I didn't know there was a decree, so this is helpful. The detachment from sin is just so key -- and hard. 
I was thinking "levels" as in stories or floors in a building, not the Jesus' mansions or Teresa of Avila's rooms of prayer...since they are one level.
And later Therese said that when your cup was full and then it felt like you weren't getting anywhere in your prayer it was because your cup just got larger, and your capacity to love was increased. So we're always growing.
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Sarah M
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| Posted: April 16 2009 at 10:08am | IP Logged
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Mormons believe in 3 distinct levels of Heaven.
It is my understanding that the Catholic Church does not teach levels in Heaven at all- looking at my CCC....not seeing anything about "levels"- just that the holier we are in our temporal life here on earth may decrease the purifying we need to undergo in Purgatory.
Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong - I'm no apologist.
This may be a good question for Catholic Answers.
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stellamaris
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| Posted: April 16 2009 at 3:42pm | IP Logged
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My understanding from reading The Interior Castle is that St. Theresa was referring to the levels we experience in our spiritual pilgrimage here on earth, not in heaven. The "outer courtyard", for instance, refers to those who are still in sin, not possible in heaven! This analogy helps us understand our level of progress here on earth, but doesn't have anything to do with "levels" in heaven, which are not taught by the Church. There is a reference in Paul's writings to him being "taken up to the third heaven", here he is referring to the highest heaven where God is as opposed to the heaven of the stars, etc. or the atmosphere of earth (this was an ancient conception of the heavens). So, again, this can't be used to support the idea of "levels". Capacity to receive the full grace of God is a better way to think of it. Thinking of it like this helps us see why Mary is the highest saint; she by virtue of her lack of original and actual sin has the greatest capacity to receive grace. Ave Maria, gratia plena!
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Caroline
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JennGM
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| Posted: April 16 2009 at 4:09pm | IP Logged
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Perhaps Our Lord's words "My house has many mansions" and the St. Paul quote gives the idea of levels, but I agree, the Catechism does not show this as an element of Faith.
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Cay Gibson
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| Posted: April 18 2009 at 12:24am | IP Logged
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What a timely thread this is. I began reading St. Teresa's "Interior Castle" before Easter and am really trying to grasp and analyze this.
Keep talking...please.
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glinNC
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| Posted: April 18 2009 at 7:53pm | IP Logged
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I have been asking this question of many intelligent Catholic woman that I have talked to this week, and one lady gave me this explanation:
"It has often been explained that, yes, we die with different capacities for love, different levels of spiritual maturity and grace...so it stands to reason we will be rewarded accordingly...however, that is all the glory of which each is capable, there is no comparing.... a priest once said his mom had a great explanation....she said in Heaven everyone has a front seat.....but we all have a different view...."
I am getting a different picture in my head now about this topic ... I certainly appreciate everybody's feedback to my question! And, I need to get my copy of Interior Castles off my bookshelf and read it!
God bless!
glinNC
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4Real Forums : Domestic Church
Topic: "Levels" in Heaven?
