If one of your children missed the annual family reunion, ... would you consider them disinherited ?
It is not important of what I think, but how that person feels about missing the reunion. I would love the person whether they showed up or not. But if they separated themselves from the family without any good excuse - that they willingly knew that they were wanted there but refused to go, then THEY are disinheriting THEMSELVES, I am not disinheriting them. Again, apply this analogy to what God does. WE disinherited ourselves when we sin mortally (as 1 John says).
What I believe I hear you saying ... (and, please do correct me if I am mistaken ...) ... is that it is not so much the act (i.e. of missing Mass) ... as it is the attitude of the heart.
So ... it would seem that it will not so much be our catalogue of works which will be judged by God in our time of passing from this world, ... but rather,
... the attitude of our hearts (i.e. whether inclined toward God or not) ... which will be the deciding factor per our livng eternally with Him (or not).
With such I would agree.
Certainly it was the heart attitudes which distinguished the two thieves at the crucifixion ... rather than their catalogue of works (which one would assume were rather criminal).
Yes, our attitude of the heart is of the ultimate importance. And since our bodies and minds and hearts are one amalgamation, our actions display our hearts (as Pope John Paul II was so clear in stating when he discussed his theology of the body). Thus, we cannot JUST have warm fuzzies inside of us! Love demands action, a giving of oneself. When we love, we naturally do - we give of ourselves to the other, as Christ did on the Cross. That is what I meant by "works of love" are necessary for salvation when I posted that yesterday.
Certainly it was the heart attitudes which distinguished the two thieves at the crucifixion ... rather than their catalogue of works (which one would assume were rather criminal).
True, but be careful. The "good" thief ALSO did "works" (I prefer deeds, as people tend to take on Paul's definition of the word). He first believed that Christ was something more than a criminal. He came to repent of his sin. He realized he had done wrong and was being justly punished. He rebuked the other crinimal. Thus, he also has a "catalog" of deeds where he showed his love of Christ. All of this, of course, was because God was working inside of this man - and the man chose to cooperate with God, being pleasing to Him. Thus, in the end, the man was pleasing to God - and was declared righteous before God - because of his faith and deeds.
Brother in Christ