Author Topic: Praying for all sinners and non-Catholics (Read 1572 times)

MariaCatherine · « **Reply #15 on:** April 06, 2014, 12:53:33 PM »

Quote from: Exurge

What if you have a lot of family members and you know a lot of people, should you mention them all by name or just saying that you're praying for all the people that you know, is enough?

Similarly, if you say you pray for the conversion of sinners and non-Catholics, is that enough to cover all the people you know, or will it make a difference if you specifically name some people?

It's best to pray for people by name. But since it's not practical to pray for everyone we want to by name, we have to decide who will be named and who won't.

I worked on this for a very long time, making changes and tweaking it occasionally, until I finally got it to a routine I'm happy with.

Exurge · « **Reply #16 on:** April 06, 2014, 12:56:49 PM »

Quote from: soulguard

Quote from: Exurge
Quote from: soulguard
Quote from: Matto
I think prayers are helpful even if the person you pray for isn't saved. Your prayers could help make his eternity in hell a little less bad.

This is a heresy. Once someone goes to hell they are beyond all help.

I'm sure he meant praying for someone you didn't know went to Hell, not consciously praying for a damned person.

Well he was very clear "could help make his eternity in hell a little less bad".

It is good to provide Catholic pieces of doctrine to other posters so they dont go astray.

What i understood was that because you prayed for someone whom you didn't know went to Hell anyways, maybe God at least made it less severe for the person at his judgment because of your prayers, not that your prayers would still be making Hell less worse for the person even after being sent there.

MariaCatherine · « **Reply #17 on:** April 06, 2014, 12:58:35 PM »

Quote from: soulguard

no amount of time is more meritorious than accompanying prayers with genuine emotion.

What enhances prayer is perfect faith, hope and charity. These have nothing to do with emotion. Maybe what you mean is something close to that.

soulguard · « **Reply #18 on:** April 06, 2014, 12:59:00 PM »

Quote from: Exurge

Quote from: soulguard
Quote from: Exurge
Quote from: soulguard
Quote from: Matto
I think prayers are helpful even if the person you pray for isn't saved. Your prayers could help make his eternity in hell a little less bad.

This is a heresy. Once someone goes to hell they are beyond all help.

I'm sure he meant praying for someone you didn't know went to Hell, not consciously praying for a damned person.

Well he was very clear "could help make his eternity in hell a little less bad".

It is good to provide Catholic pieces of doctrine to other posters so they dont go astray.

What i understood was that because you prayed for someone whom you didn't know went to Hell anyways, maybe God at least made it less severe for the person at his judgment because of your prayers, not that your prayers would still be making Hell less worse for the person even after being sent there.

But is he / she not judged the moment they die?

What good would praying for them after they die be to them, for they already burn?

I ask to seek knowledge, but what I understand of this is of the mind of the church.

MariaCatherine · « **Reply #19 on:** April 06, 2014, 01:00:03 PM »

Quote from: Exurge

Quote from: soulguard
Quote from: Exurge
Quote from: soulguard
Quote from: Matto
I think prayers are helpful even if the person you pray for isn't saved. Your prayers could help make his eternity in hell a little less bad.

This is a heresy. Once someone goes to hell they are beyond all help.

I'm sure he meant praying for someone you didn't know went to Hell, not consciously praying for a damned person.

Well he was very clear "could help make his eternity in hell a little less bad".

It is good to provide Catholic pieces of doctrine to other posters so they dont go astray.

What i understood was that because you prayed for someone whom you didn't know went to Hell anyways, maybe God at least made it less severe for the person at his judgment because of your prayers, not that your prayers would still be making Hell less worse for the person even after being sent there.

That's what I understood too. Thanks, Matto. That was very encouraging.

soulguard · « **Reply #20 on:** April 06, 2014, 01:00:35 PM »

Quote from: MariaCatherine

Quote from: soulguard
no amount of time is more meritorious than accompanying prayers with genuine emotion.

What enhances prayer is perfect faith, hope and charity. These have nothing to do with emotion. Maybe what you mean is something close to that.

"What pleases the good God is not the deeds that we do, but the love with which we do them"
- St Therese

"A humbled and contrite heart thou o Lord wilt not despise"
- psalms

MariaCatherine · « **Reply #21 on:** April 06, 2014, 01:16:24 PM »

Quote from: soulguard

But is he / she not judged the moment they die?

What good would praying for them after they die be to them, for they already burn?

I ask to seek knowledge, but what I understand of this is of the mind of the church.

You're right that it's no good praying for the damned. No one is saying otherwise. I think what's meant here is that our prayers for the those who might seem to us like hopeless cases can bring enough grace to them - even perhaps conversion and many good works - before they lose it completely and die in mortal sin. Their eternal punishment might have been worse if not for that conversion, however brief, and good works, however few, before they fell forever.

MariaCatherine · « **Reply #22 on:** April 06, 2014, 01:20:10 PM »

Quote from: soulguard

Quote from: MariaCatherine
Quote from: soulguard
no amount of time is more meritorious than accompanying prayers with genuine emotion.

What enhances prayer is perfect faith, hope and charity. These have nothing to do with emotion. Maybe what you mean is something close to that.

"What pleases the good God is not the deeds that we do, but the love with which we do them"
- St Therese

"A humbled and contrite heart thou o Lord wilt not despise"
- psalms

That's all true. And it's also true that tears can be a gift. (I'm just trying to avoid the heretical position of judging someone's soul based on their mood. Carry on.)