The Catholic view of merit

Aquinas, Etc.

Many (or most, or bunches of) Protestants have the false idea in their heads that the Catholic Church teaches we are saved by our works: that we can merit entrance into heaven somehow based upon something we do. This is so common a mistake that it is practically assumed by lots of them to be an accurate thumbnail depiction of how things really are. Unfortunately someone hit that thumb with a hammer, and so the picture is completely distorted and swollen. And it hurts like heck.

Here is what the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church has to say about the subject:

In general merit refers to the right to recompense for a good deed. With regard to God, we of ourselves are not able to merit anything, having received everything freely from him. However, God gives us the possibility of acquiring merit through union with the love…

View original post 670 more words