Merit
Is merit a preoccupation for you in your spiritual life?
I’m more accustomed to viewing everything as a grace, unmerited, dispensed through God’s mercy. It’s the Thereseian influence in my life, that directs my attitude. Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face often said she presented to God empty handed, without regard for her self, trusting in His merciful love.
St. Faustina and the devotion to the Divine Mercy has also influenced me deeply. Having lived a sinful life, anything good I may appear to do, seems to me to be the result of the Divine Mercy and grace.
For instance, if I perform a good action, I never evaluate it, or say to God, “I did this good deed, so you must reward me.” Rather, I recall Our Lord’s words in the Gospel in response to his disciples. After fulfilling one’s duty, he tells them, “Say, ‘We are useless servants, we have only done our duty.’”
Therese cautioned her novices that their good deeds were often filled with self-seeking, motivated by self-love. Therefore, in my limited understanding, the preoccupation one might have to accumulate merit seems to involve a great deal of self love.
Nevertheless, our prayers are always focused upon the ultimate merit, that of attaining heaven, hence we pray, “Make us worthy of the promises of Christ.” Or, “Pray for us now and at the hour of our death.” Naturally, we are concerned about meriting heaven, eternal life - that is our goal. Of course we must labor and work towards our ultimate goal, cooperating with the grace of God, trusting in the merits of Jesus Christ.
Today, a friend mentioned to me that a non-Catholic, or a soul in mortal sin cannot merit anything through their good works. In the strict theological sense, I expect this is true. However, when one is told it is useless to pray, to do good or perform charitable works, because they cannot gain merit, this seems in error. It is my understanding that Grace precedes merit, while it disposes, or inspires one to pray or perform an act of charity. This would seem to me to be the case even in the state of natural goodness. Consider the case in the Old Testament of Rahab the harlot (Joshua: 6); she was obviously a sinner, yet was blessed for her faith and good deeds.
St. Teresa of Avila wrote, “Prayer is the trap door out of sin.” If a soul prays he is certain to be heard, especially when it concerns his salvation. Just so, I would think that good works, and charity would be weighed in the balance of one’s life at the final judgement.
I’m certainly no theologian, however, New Advent has a great segment on “Merit” while Catholic Answers has something more concise, a section of which I reprint here:
“Paul tells us: “For [God] will reward every man according to his works: to those who by perseverance in working good seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. There will be . . . glory and honor and peace for every one who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. For God shows no partiality” (Rom. 2:6–11; cf. Gal. 6:6–10).In the second century, the technical Latin term for “merit” was introduced as a synonym for the Greek word for “reward.” Thus merit and reward are two sides of the same coin.Protestants often misunderstand the Catholic teaching on merit, thinking that Catholics believe that one must do good works to come to God and be saved. This is exactly the opposite of what the Church teaches. The Council of Trent stressed: “[N]one of those things which precede justification, whether faith or works, merit the grace of justification; for if it is by grace, it is not now by works; otherwise, as the Apostle [Paul] says, grace is no more grace” (Decree on Justification 8, citing Rom. 11:6).The Catholic Church teaches only Christ is capable of meriting in the strict sense—mere man cannot (Catechism of the Catholic Church 2007). The most merit humans can have is condign—when, under the impetus of God’s grace, they perform acts which please him and which he has promised to reward (Rom. 2:6–11, Gal. 6:6–10). Thus God’s grace and his promise form the foundation for all human merit (CCC 2008).” - Catholic Answers
Go to the sites highlighted if you are confused. And consider what John of the Cross said, ‘in the evening of life we will be judged on love alone.’
Prayer obtains all. That is why total consecration to Our Lady, committing our salvation along with any merits, to her, for her to take care of, is enough for me. But I am indeed a useless servant, only doing my duty, and not very well at that.
Never discourage a soul from prayer or good works, Jew, Muslim, Protestant, Catholic, or a public sinner - God alone knows the soul and judges accordingly.
