, we have no right or
claim to any reward for good works, because we are enemies of God. For
this reason alone we should never remain even for a short time in mortal
sin, since it is important for us to have all the merit we can. Even
when we will not repent and return to Him, God rewards us for good works
done by giving us some temporal blessings or benefits here upon earth.
He never allows any good work to go unrewarded any more than He allows
an evil deed to go unpunished. Although God is so good to us we
nevertheless lose very much by being in a state of mortal sin; for God's
grace is in some respects like the money in a bank: the more grace we
receive and the better we use it, the more He will bestow upon us. When
you deposit money in a savings bank, you get interest for it; and when
you leave the interest also in the bank, it is added to your capital,
and thus you get interest for the interest. So God not only gives us
grace to do good, but also grace for doing the good, or, in other words,
He gives us grace for using His grace.

233 Q. How many kinds of indulgences are there?
A. There are two kinds of indulgences--plenary and partial.

234 Q. What is a plenary indulgence?
A. A plenary indulgence is the full remission of the temporal punishment
due to sin.

"Full remission"; so that if you gained a plenary indulgence and died
immediately afterwards, you would go at once to Heaven. Persons go to
Purgatory, as you know, to have the temporal punishment blotted out; but
if you have no temporal punishment to make satisfaction for, there is no
Purgatory for you. Gaining a plenary indulgence requires proper
dispositions, as you may understand from its very great advantages. To
gain it we must not only hate sin and be heartily sorry even for our
venial sins, but we must not have a desire for even venial sin. We
should always try to gain a plenary indulgence, for in so doing we
always gain at least part of it, or a partial indulgence, greater or
less according to our dispositions.

235 Q. What is a partial indulgence?
A. A partial indulgence is the remission of a part of the temporal
punishment due to sin.

*236 Q. How does the Church by means of indulgences remit the temporal
punishment due to sins?
A. The Church by means of indulgences remits the temporal punishment due
to sin by applying to us the merits of Jesus Christ, and the
superabundant satisfactions of the Blessed Virgin Mary and of the
saints, which meri