If God wills all men to go to heaven, then does that mean those who achieve this goal, do so because of "regular" grace (for lack of a better term)? Or rather, does God give them "extra" grace?

If God wills all men to go to heaven, then does that mean those who achieve this goal, do so because of "regular" grace (for lack of a better term)? Or rather, does God give them "extra" grace?

I don't know that the Church has ever taught that most will be damned. I think, unlike some of our friendly neighborhood universalists, that there is no room for plausible doubts about the fact that our Lord taught that some would be damned. I think what you need to remember is that God is both far more just and far more loving than you are, so if it makes sense to him, it certainly makes sense. There's nothing depressing about that. Remember, nobody could possibly deserve heaven. Think how gratuitous it all is.

But even as a thought exercise, let’s suppose the number of damned is low (< 5%), the idea that if God could provide extra graces to help them not be damned, if He loves them, why wouldn’t He just do that?

So I’m just working through this subject cautiously…but as I do I get bummed and concerned.

Have you ever read Dante?

I dunno. It's the same God who came to suffer and die for our sins that we're talking about here. I kind of feel like I don't have to understand why he'd allow some to be reprobate. I don't hesitate to suggest to you, if you're finding this subject worrisome, that you find a new subject.

It’s just something I’m working through. As the father of six, when half of them have left the faith they were raised, you start to think about things.

I hear you, but there's no reason for you to suppose they'll be among the reprobate, whatever it may look like to you now from the outside.

I haven’t.

I would recommend it. Last year I did 100 days of Dante ( 100daysofdante.com ) and found it a great experience. Most of the cantos are short and the lectures are generally about 10 minutes so it is broken into something that can be taken in bites. (also most of the lecturers though not all Catholic were good - a couple not so much but I expect you will know them when you see them ).

For me one of the big takeaways was how different the souls in the Inferno were from those in Purgatorio. All sinners, the same sins, but the utter lack of repentance in the Inferno, how the souls made a choice to pursue whatever sin and still clung to it even in the midst of the eternal suffering earned by that choice, was to me striking. It helped me feel more comfortable with the kind of questions you are asking here.

Just a thought.

At least IMHO, this is the biggest unresolved question in theology.

Do you see any indication it will be answered?

The more I read, the more I find I’m not the only person troubled. I’ve even found Protestants who struggle with this subject (primarily Presbyterian).

No. I don't think that God has revealed enough. It might be something that's beyond our capacity to understand.