For Catholics Only. Is Mary & Jesus the only ones in heaven right now.?

Question

When Jesus died he told the guy on the cross next to him that they would be in paradise that night? I think this is the only thing I'm confused about. well that & indulgences, feel free to shed some light on that for me too.

Thank you Father K & spiritro..., You actually answered my question. I had been thinking about it for a couple of days.

Answer 1

No.

+ Saints +

There are millions of saints living in heaven.

There are some saints being purged (in purgatory)

There are millions of saints living on Earth.

Catholics share the belief in the Communion of Saints with many other Christians, including the Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, Episcopal, and Methodist Churches.

The Communion of Saints is the belief where all saints are intimately related in the Body of Christ, a family. When you die and go to heaven, you do not leave this family.

Everyone in heaven or on their way to heaven are saints, you, me, my deceased grandmother, Mary the mother of Jesus, Mother Teresa and Pope John Paul II.

As part of this family, you may ask your family and friends living here on earth to pray for you. Or, you may also ask the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint Andrew, or your deceased grandmother living in heaven to pray for you.

Prayer to saints in heaven is simple communication, not worship.

Asking others to pray for you whether your loved ones on Earth or your loved ones in heaven is always optional.

http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt1sect2chpt3art9p5.htm#946

+ Purgatory +

To discuss indulgences, first we have to talk about Purgation (or Purgatory).

Are you perfect now? Most people would say no.

Will you be perfect in heaven? Most people believe yes.

Purgatory (or purgation) is the process of God's love changing our imperfect selves into perfect beings. Depending on the amount of change needed by different people this can be an easy or slightly harder process.

Everyone in purgatory is on their way to heaven. I don't think Mother Teresa of Calcutta had a very hard time of it.

+ Indulgences +

The concept is that a person can do acts of penance now on earth to make purgation easier.

Penance is internally turning one's heart toward God and away from sin in hope in divine mercy and externally by fasting, prayer, and almsgiving.

A corruption grew in the Church many years ago where rich people would give enough alms (money to the Church) to essentially buy an easy way to heaven. This was one of Martin Luther's protests (hence Protestants) and shortly thereafter the Catholic Church cleaned up this practice.

In 1567 Pope Pius V canceled all grants of indulgences involving any fees or other financial transactions.

But remember because everyone in purgatory is already on their way to heaven, indulgences do not get you into heaven. They just make purgation easier.

I guess if you did not believe in purgatory then there would be no reason to worry about indulgences.

With love in Christ.

Answer 2

Jesus and Mary are not the only ones in heaven. Read the book of Revelations. Heaven is loaded with saints and angels.

Indulgences have to do with our entry to heaven. Our whole lives are a conversion to become more and more the persons God wants us to be. Indulgences are a type of reparations.

Answer 3

Those who through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or His Church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart, and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do His will as they know it through the dictates of their conscience - those too may achieve eternal salvation.
{Vatican II: Constitution on the Church, I, 16; cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1257-1261}

In other words, the thief was in this situation. He had the desire for salvation (and, one might say, for baptism), but obviously was in no shape to receive it! But generalizing from this case to everyone is clearly illogical. Furthermore, Paradise in this verse (Lk 23:43) about the thief on the cross (if interpreted literally) is not even referring to heaven, and indeed could not, since Jesus was not yet in heaven on that day ("today . . ."). He was crucified on Friday and didn't rise from the dead until Sunday. In fact, He didn't ascend to heaven until forty days after that (Acts 1:3,9-11; cf. Jn 20:17)!
Between Good Friday and Easter Sunday, He descended into Sheol, or Hades, the place of the dead (both righteous and unrighteous- see Luke 16:19-31) to preach to the captives (righteous dead). We know this from passages such as 1 Pet 3:19-20, 4:6, and Eph 4:8-10 (cf. Rom 10:7, Acts 2:27). So, then, Paradise in Lk 23:43 is referring to Sheol, not heaven. The conclusion is inescapable from cross-scriptural exegesis. E.g., Kittel's Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (an impeccable and standard Protestant linguistic source) holds to this view, which is not just Catholic belief, but that of conservative Protestants as well (see also the reputable Protestant reference New Bible Dictionary, ed. J.D. Douglas, Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1962 ed., p.935).

When some Protestants claim that baptism isn't necessary at all, they are in clear violation of scriptural injunctions or examples (e.g., Mt 28:19, Col 2:11-12, Jn 4:1-2, Eph 4:5, Acts 10:48, Gal 3:27). All Christians (excepting Quakers and the Salvation Army) have held to the necessity of baptism (if not regenerative baptism). There is no option for the believer on this point, provided he is able to be baptized (which the thief was not). Furthermore, baptism is explicitly tied in with salvation in several passages: Acts 2:38, 1 Pet 3:21 (cf. Mk 16:16, Rom 6:3-4), Jn 3:5, Acts 22:16, 1 Cor 6:11, Titus 3:5. These constitute proofs for baptismal regeneration, which is held not only by Catholics, but also by Eastern Orthodox, Lutherans, Methodists, Anglicans, Churches of Christ, and Disciples of Christ. It is certainly as necessary for a Christian to be baptized, as it is to "receive Jesus into your heart" (which cannot be found in the Bible in those terms), whether or not it is considered regenerative.

Answer 4

No! God the Father is there with a great cloud of witnesses. All of the redeemed who have died in Christ are there in Paradise. The Angels of heaven rejoice continually around the Throne of God.

When Jesus said to the Thief, "Today thou shalt be with Me in Paradise", Jesus was saying right now dude. Because you have believed in Me you will be where I am.

Please don't take this wrong, but look at what was said. Right now. Today. Tonight, thou shalt be in with Me in Paradise. The thief did not have to come down from the cross and become a member of some Church. The thief did not have to perform Penitence. The thief did not have to be voted on by a Church to become a member or be accepted. The thief did not have to be immersed or sprinkled with water. Just as soon as the thief believed in Jesus, he was forgiven of his sins and went to be with Jesus. This event cannot be questioned.
Christ adds to the Church, not man. It is going to be a sad day on the second coming of Christ. Why? A lot of ministers have deceived thousands of people into believing that they have to full fill man made laws to be assured of going to heaven. The thief is one happy dude right now living in the likeness of God the Father. This cannot be denied.

Answer 5

I'm sorry, I just had to jump in. It should be "are" Mary and...
but then, everytime a punch spell check it finds a dozzen, or does that only have one z?

As for Catholic weirdness, yea I dano.
I say steer clear of those strange dressed people and go straight to the source of life. That being God the father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Gypsy Priest

Answer 6

That is a very contreversial topic. Some people believe that when you die you go straight to heaven. Others believe that when you die it is as the rapture has occured and everyone ever created is in heaven or hell. I think that many people are in heaven, not only Mary and Jesus.

(For one God the Father definatly)

Answer 7

Well everyone before who was alive "before Jesus came down to earth" they went to a place called paradise where they could have a second chance to go to heaven to be with him.

Answer 8

Jesus' sacrifice on the cross was meant to open heaven to all SOULS who deserved to go there because it was closed by sin. Jesus ascended into heaven (body and soul) and he couldn't stand the idea of his mother's body being corrupted in death so he was granted the permission to bring her (body and soul) to heaven. They are the only two who got to keep their bodies. Everyone else is just their soul. That's what they taught me anyway.

Answer 9

One must remember the gates of heaven were closed until Jesus died and resurrected

When Jesus died on the cross he went to Hell/Paradise/Purgatory(the thief also went there) to preach to those who had died before He was born. read the story of the Rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16.After Jesus resurrected and walked the earth for another 40 days when He ascended to heaven He took those He preached to in hell with Him that believed.As shown in the verses below

Ephesians 4
1I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

2With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

3Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

4There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

5One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

6One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

7But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

8Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.

Answer 10

There are MANY people in heaven... it's not just Mary and Jesus...