I’m sorry you don’t claim the gifts of God that He clearly has said were gifts to us. Praise His name!
You see, you illustrate the differences again. Catholics do not name it and claim it. They accept the freely given Grace of God.
We don't grab it; we don't wrest it; we don't snatch it; we don't demand it; and we certainly don't claim it.
We are beggars at God's banquest and we humbly beg Him for what He may bestow upon us. We do not prate of our salvation for that is only His to give. Rather, we accept whatever the Righteous Judge decides to give to us:
Luke 11: 11Then he said, “A man had two sons, 12and the younger son said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of your estate that should come to me.’ So the father divided the property between them. 13After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings and set off to a distant country where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation.g 14When he had freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he found himself in dire need. 15So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the swine. 16And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any. 17Coming to his senses he thought, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger. 18I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.”’ 20So he got up and went back to his father. While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him. 21His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.’
We are the prodigal sons. We deserve nothing and throw ourselves upon the mercy of the Merciful One. We pray for salvation.
This is a beautiful post. The Prodigal son is one of my faves.
Another parable that I really appreciate is the householder who hires his laborers in his vineyard. Matthew 20: 1-16
Some came at the beginning of the day, others at the middle, even others at the end. And he paid them all the same.
That’s me. The worker in the middle and Christ gave me the same wage. How merciful is God. He brought me to the Catholic Church and every single day I thank Him for that.
Matthew 20:1-16
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition (DRA)
Matthew 20
1The kingdom of heaven is like to an householder, who went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard.
2And having agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
3And going about the third hour, he saw others standing in the market place idle.
4And he said to them: Go you also into my vineyard, and I will give you what shall be just.
5And they went their way. And again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did in like manner.
6But about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing, and he saith to them: Why stand you here all the day idle?
7They say to him: Because no man hath hired us. He saith to them: Go you also into my vineyard.
8And when evening was come, the lord of the vineyard saith to his steward: Call the labourers and pay them their hire, beginning from the last even to the first.
9When therefore they were come, that came about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.
10But when the first also came, they thought that they should receive more: and they also received every man a penny.
11And receiving it they murmured against the master of the house,
12Saying: These last have worked but one hour, and thou hast made them equal to us, that have borne the burden of the day and the heats.
13But he answering said to one of them: Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst thou not agree with me for a penny?
14Take what is thine, and go thy way: I will also give to this last even as to thee.
15Or, is it not lawful for me to do what I will? is thy eye evil, because I am good?
16So shall the last be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen.
Looks like your playing word games to me.
Claim – to receive what has been given.
>>We pray for salvation.<<
Over and over? Salvation was already given on acceptance of Jesus as Lord and Savior. Do you not believe you were given salvation when you accepted Christ?
Nice.
We are as happy as a beggar who sees his most generous patron coming, the one we told all the other beggars was wonderfully generous.
We cannot but ask, but we ask with joy because he so generously and reliably responds to our pleas.