A friend asked me about purgatory Friday so I directed her to the online Catechism starting in paragraph 1030 with these instructions on using the online Catechism.
Here is the link to the online Catechism of the Catholic Church. If you enter 1030 in the search box, it will take you right to the section on Purgatory which begins at paragraph 1030. The Catechism is extensively cross-referenced and linked so if you click on the little numbers at the end of the sentences, it will show references to other church writings and Scripture passages that touch on the contents of each sentence. The larger numbers in parentheses at the end of each paragraph will take you to related paragraphs within the Catechism.
http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/what-we-believe/catechism/catechism-of-the-catholic-church/epub/index.cfm#
I also told her that I would write some of my thoughts on purgatory in my blog. So here goes.
The thing I have been finding about the Catholic teachings is that they kind of get down to the brass tacks, rubber meets the road, where are you really at with God sorts of questions. And purgatory is one of those teachings.
As a Protestant, I believed that when I died that God would take me wherever I was at and instantaneously complete the job of my conversion on the way to heaven so when I appeared before God I would be like Jesus in holiness. At least that is the impression I got. Bing! Instant holiness. He would override my remaining unholy desires and besides I would be covered by the righteousness of Christ through faith. Well, Jesus did pay so I could have a restored relationship with God and approach Him through the righteousness of Jesus by faith in time of need. That is very true. But to be in heaven before God in the final state, one still has to be actually holy, pure. Our will has to be wholly in line with His. We have to be one with Him. And we have to choose that. We can't be like Lot's wife looking wistfully back as we are entering heaven.
As the Catechism puts it in Paragraph 1030, "All who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven."
So purgatory is kind of God's finishing school in holiness for those of us who still have some unholy attachments to the things of this world. Martyrs usually go straight to heaven because they chose heaven over their life in this world.
So I am okay with purgatory if I need some of that to get to heaven. God is the one doing the purifying and I trust Him. There are Scriptures such as 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 and 1 Peter 1:7 that touch on it.
And actually the purgation process has already begun on us in this life, in case you haven't noticed.
And the Catholic Church also teaches that we can help the souls in purgatory with prayers and such. It is part of the communion of the saints, the all for one and one for all, the no one left behind solidarity.
Then why even bother with the Cross?
ReplyDeleteWasn't that enough? If not…then we are all in a heap of trouble. Methinks.
Hi Steve,
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by and the comment. Jesus died for us on the cross for many reasons. To show the Father's love for us, to conquer hate and death with love, to give us access to the Father, to the throne of grace to find help in time of need and temptation, to become a merciful and faithful high priest who understands our weakness, to save us from the eternal consequences of our sin.
But the scriptures say that He also came to save us from our sins. Consider also all the exhortations to choose God and life over sin and death in the New Testament. To put on the new man and put off the old, to walk according to the Spirit and not the flesh. It says that we were given to the right to become children of God, it is a process that requires faith, choice and action not sloth.
Through the many means of grace that God has provided for us, open doors to life that no one can shut, wells of living water springing up to eternal life, I am finding the resources to choose life and God over sin and death. Purgatory is for those of us who still have some baggage to let go of at the end of our earthly life. Nothing unholy can enter heaven but Jesus has and will cover all of our sins we have committed for which we could never pay the debt.