I reject purgatory does not exits is not biblical is not written in the bible, ito ay theology nila or religious teaching. Purgatory this doctrine to pray those soul to be cleans from sin, no prayer can cleans us from sin, only the blood of Jesus can cleans from all sin. Wala pang dead na nakabalik to illustrate ang purgatory, dead people are sleeping in the grave. Jesus is the only way to heaven. This idea purgatory, soul will stay there, by the prayer they can be cleanse and enter to heaven. Winawalang kabuluhan ng theory na ito si Jesus Christ! Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven, kaya sinabi niya i am the way if that so, kung ang mga soul na sinner na nasa purgatory they can cleans from their sin by prayer sa atin love ones. Why Jesus will come again, to take us to heaven. And what the purpose of judgments day, if we die immediately taken to heaven or hell. You know what I think, sa thoery nila ginagawa nila para sinabi nila we dont need Jesus to be our savior, any way maliligtas naman tayo pupunta muna ang soul natin sa purgatory mag aalay ng prayer to cleans us from our sin to enter to kingdom of heaven,without judging us by God. Sabi sa bible, he will come second time not to bear sin, ginawa na niya iyon noon ipinako siya sa cross ang kanya blood ang lumulinis ng ating sin, he is coming again, to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. If those who belong to Christ whn they die they immediately taken to heaven or sila napunta muna sa purgatory then their love ones offer prayers to cleans them from sin so they can go to heaven, sino pupuntahan ni Jesus dito sa kanya second coming if his people are already in heaven. Sabi niya I will open your grave to take you to heaven. Walng kabuluhan ang mga promises ni God and Jesus Christ thier reard na eternal life sa last day kung sila nasa heaven na anong silbi and resurrection day and judgment day if they are in heaven and if they are send to hell. God set the day of judgment day and resurrection day para tayo husgahan or tangapin and reward. I dont wanna quote too many verses nalilihis ang issue sa purgotory. 1 Peter 4:5 NIV [5] But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. If the dead immediately taken to heaven or send to hell, sino dead ang huhusgahan ni God, no logic, if people when they die sleeping in the grave they will rise sa judgment day, it makes sense and judgment day. 2 Timothy 4:1 NIV [1] In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Acts 17:31 NIV [31] For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.” Matthew 12:36-37 NIV [36] But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. [37] For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” Bible said, Jesus second coming lahat ng angels with him makikita siya sa cloud at lahat ng angels. Halimbawa lahat ng mga namatay ay nasa heaven or hell tormenting their soul their. Then Jesus coming with all his angels, and found out wala na ang mga namatay sila nasa heaven or hell na, sorry Jesus Christ you are too late they are already in heaven and some of them they are already in hell, where have you been! You dont see them in heaven? Where is the logic? Matthew 25:31-33 NIV [31] “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. [32] All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. [33] He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 2 Corinthians 5:10 NIV [10] For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. Matthew 16:27 NIV [27] For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done. THE JUDGMENT OF THE DEAD Revelation 20:11-15 NIV [11] Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. [12] And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. [13] The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. [14] Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. [15] Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire. Revelation 1:7-8 NIV [7] “Look, he is coming with the clouds,” and “every eye will see him, even those who pierced him”; and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.” So shall it be! Amen. [8] “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” This is the exactly bible teach I reject PURGATORY it does not exits! I Reject spiritualism! When people die they they return to dust not return to or visit to your house or taken to heaven immediately. They return to dust and sleep in the grave, they will rise the resurrectin day and the judgment day, Jesus second coming. Jesus promise to us, he will come back again to take us in heaven, he is preparing place for us. Ito promise ni Jesus buhay man or patay na tayo sa his second coming. Is like he is saying dont worry mamatay man kayo sa inyong grave you will sleep their temporary, huwag kayong mangaba I will raise you in your grave sa muling pagbabalik ko. I choose to believe the word of God the holy bible, than religious teaching. John 14:1-4 NIV [1] “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God ; believe also in me. [2] My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? [3] And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. [4] You know the way to the place where I am going.” 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 NIV [13] Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. [14] For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. [15] According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. [16] For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. [17] After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. [18] Therefore encourage one another with these words. Ito ang exactly what will happen in the future his second coming with all his angels, do not be deceive from false teaching in the church. Bible said, Itinakda sa mga tao na silay minsang mamamatay at pagkatapos ay ang paghuhukom. There is no second chance kaya mahigpit na pinipreach ni Jesus at mga Apostles turn away and repent your sin while you are still alive, because when you die, salvation always open to us, but when we die Hebrews 9:27-28 NIV [27] Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, [28] so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. Purgatory does not exits ito ,an made up teaching their own theory, why because is not biblical and is not written in the bible. We believe the bible the bible only, truth is not out there, it is in here written in the holy bible. John 8:31-32 NIV [31] To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. [32] Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Jesus said, you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free from confusing mind from false teaching. Prayer sa purgatory to cleans you from you sin para makapunta sa heaven, prayer to the dead is impossible they are dead, and only the blood of Jesus can cleans you from sin, not prayer. 1John 1:8 the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all b sin. Hebrews 9:14 NIV [14] How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! 1 Peter 2:24-25 NIV [24] “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” [25] For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. Praying to dead is impossible the are dead, wala sila consciences, wala na silang nalalaman pa. Isaiah 38:18-19 NIV [18] For the grave cannot praise you, death cannot sing your praise; those who go down to the pit cannot hope for your faithfulness. [19] The living, the living---they praise you, as I am doing today; parents tell their children about your faithfulness. Job 7:8-10 NIV [8] The eye that now sees me will see me no longer; you will look for me, but I will be no more. [9] As a cloud vanishes and is gone, so one who goes down to the grave does not return. [10] He will never come to his house again; his place will know him no more. Job 14:10 NIV [10] But a man dies and is laid low; he breathes his last and is no more. Isaiah 26:14 NIV [14] They are now dead, they live no more; their spirits do not rise. You punished them and brought them to ruin; you wiped out all memory of them. Not someone prayers not church leader not president or any pastor or statues of the saints can cleans your sin, only Jesus blood, can cleans us from sin. contrary sa bible teaching contrary the word of God. When we die we are sleeping wala kaluluwang hihiwalay at immediately taken to heaven or visit to your house. This idea purgatory pag namatay hindi ka muna aakyat sa heaven doon k muna mamalagi habang hindi ka nililinis or purification sa iyong sin. Kaya idea nila at tradition you need to pray for them, mag alay ng dasal ng ilang araw. Gusto ko sanang sabihin ang totoo kung bakit nag karoon sila ng idea theology co,e out this idea, but is not appropriate to say it here. You dont pray dead people it cannot happen they are dead, they dont know nothing at all what is going. Wala na sila consciences. In Catholic theology, the day commemorates all those who have attained the beatific vision in Heaven. It is a national holiday in many historically Catholic countries. In the Catholic Church and many Anglican churches, the next day specifically commemorates the departed faithful who have not yet been purified and reached Heaven. Christians who celebrate All Saints Day and All Souls Day do so in the fundamental belief that there is a prayerful spiritual bond between those in heaven (the Church triumphant), and the living (the Church militant). Other Christian traditions define, remember and respond to the saints in different ways; for example, in the Methodist Church, the word saints refers to all Christians and therefore, on All Saints Day, the Church Universal, as well as the deceased members of a local congregation, are honored and remembered.[9] Everybody knows the secular holiday of Halloween. But not everybody knows it derives from a holy day, All Saints Day on Nov. 1, which is followed by All Souls day on Nov. 2. The root word of Halloween - hallow - means holy. The suffix een is an abbreviation of evening. It refers to the Eve of All Hallows, the night before the Christian holy day that honors saintly people of the past. All Saints is a celebration of the communion of saints, those people we believe are in heaven, through good works and Gods grace, said the Rev. Richard Donohoe, vicar of Catholic Charities for the Diocese of Birmingham. All Souls Day is a day to pray for all souls. Among Catholics, prayers are offered for those in purgatory, waiting to get into heaven. On All Souls Day, Catholic churches have a Book of the Dead, in which parishioners have an opportunity to write the names of relatives to be remembered. Thats placed near the altar, Donohoe said. Thats done all through November. Its an All Souls tradition. Question: What does the Bible say about Purgatory? Answer: According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, Purgatory is “a place or condition of temporal punishment for those who, departing this life in Gods grace, are not entirely free from venial faults, or have not fully paid the satisfaction due to their transgressions.” To summarize, in Catholic theology Purgatory is a place that a Christian’s soul goes to after death to be cleansed of the sins that had not been fully satisfied during life. Is this doctrine of Purgatory in agreement with the Bible? Absolutely not! Jesus died to pay the penalty for all of our sins (Romans 5:8) [8] But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. [9] Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! . Isaiah 53:5 declares, “But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.” Jesus suffered for our sins so that we could be delivered from suffering. To say that we must also suffer for our sins is to say that Jesus’ suffering was insufficient. To say that we must atone for our sins by cleansing in Purgatory is to deny the sufficiency of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus (1 John 2:2) But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. [2] 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world … The idea that we have to suffer for our sins after death is contrary to everything the Bible says about salvation. The primary Scriptural passage Catholics point to for evidence of Purgatory is 1 Corinthians 3:15, which says, “If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.” The passage (1 Corinthians 3:12-15) is using an illustration of things going through fire as a description of believers’ works being judged. If our works are of good quality “gold, sliver, costly stones,” they will pass through the fire unharmed, and we will be rewarded for them. If our works are of poor quality “wood, hay, and straw,” they will be consumed by the fire, and there will be no reward. The passage does not say that believers pass through the fire, but rather that a believer’s works pass through the fire. 1 Corinthians 3:15 refers to the believer “escaping through the flames,” not “being cleansed by the flames.” Purgatory, like many other Catholic dogmas, is based on a misunderstanding of the nature of Christ’s sacrifice. Catholics view the Mass / Eucharist as a re-presentation of Christ’s sacrifice because they fail to understand that Jesus’ once-for-all sacrifice was absolutely and perfectly sufficient (Hebrews 7:27). Catholics view meritorious works as contributing to salvation due to a failure to recognize that Jesus’ sacrificial payment has no need of additional “contribution” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Similarly, Purgatory is understood by Catholics as a place of cleansing in preparation for heaven because they do not recognize that because of Jesus’ sacrifice, we are already cleansed, declared righteous, forgiven, redeemed, reconciled, and sanctified. The very idea of Purgatory and the doctrines that are often attached to it (prayer for the dead, indulgences, meritorious works on behalf of the dead, etc.) all fail to recognize that Jesus’ death was sufficient to pay the penalty for ALL of our sins. Jesus, who was God incarnate (John 1:1,14), paid an infinite price for our sin. Jesus died for our sins (1 Corinthians 15:3). Jesus is the atoning sacrifice for our sins (1 John 2:2). To limit Jesus’ sacrifice to atoning for original sin, or sins committed before salvation, is an attack on the Person and Work of Jesus Christ. If we must in any sense pay for, atone for, or suffer because of our sins – that indicates Jesus’ death was not a perfect, complete, and sufficient sacrifice. For believers, after death is to be away from the body and at home with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:6-8; Philippians 1:23). Notice that this does not say away from the body, in Purgatory with the cleansing fire. No, because of the perfection, completion, and sufficiency of Jesus sacrifice, we are immediately in the Lords presence after death, fully cleansed, free from sin, glorified, perfected, and ultimately sanctified. WHAT IS PURGATORY - CATECHISM DEFINES - PRAYERS - INDULGENCE - NOVENA FOR HOLY SOULS NOVEMBER 2 is a special feast remembering all Souls that have died especially the ones in Purgatory. As Catholics we are especially encouraged to pray for the dead on this day. PURGATORY - CATHOLIC CATECHISM DEFINITION THE FINAL PURIFICATION, OR PURGATORY 1030 All who die in Gods 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. 1031 The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned.606 The Church formulated her doctrine of faith on Purgatory especially at the Councils of Florence and Trent. The tradition of the Church, by reference to certain texts of Scripture, speaks of a cleansing fire:607 As for certain lesser faults, we must believe that, before the Final Judgment, there is a purifying fire. He who is truth says that whoever utters blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will be pardoned neither in this age nor in the age to come. From this sentence we understand that certain offenses can be forgiven in this age, but certain others in the age to come.608 1032 This teaching is also based on the practice of prayer for the dead, already mentioned in Sacred Scripture: Therefore [Judas Maccabeus] made atonement for the dead, that they might be delivered from their sin.609 From the beginning the Church has honored the memory of the dead and offered prayers in suffrage for them, above all the Eucharistic sacrifice, so that, thus purified, they may attain the beatific vision of God.610 The Church also commends almsgiving, indulgences, and works of penance undertaken on behalf of the dead: Let us help and commemorate them. If Jobs sons were purified by their fathers sacrifice, why would we doubt that our offerings for the dead bring them some consolation? Let us not hesitate to help those who have died and to offer our prayers for them. PURGATORY - CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA DEFINITION Purgatory (Lat., purgare, to make clean, to purify) in accordance with Catholic teaching is a place or condition of temporal punishment for those who, departing this life in Gods grace, are, not entirely free from venial faults, or have not fully paid the satisfaction due to their transgressions.The faith of the Church concerning purgatory is clearly expressed in the Decree of Union drawn up by the Council of Florence (Mansi, t. XXXI, col. 1031), and in the decree of the Council of Trent which (Sess. XXV) defined: Whereas the Catholic Church, instructed by the Holy Ghost, has from the Sacred Scriptures and the ancient tradition of the Fathers taught in Councils and very recently in this Ecumenical synod (Sess. VI, cap. XXX; Sess. XXII cap.ii, iii) that there is a purgatory, and that the souls therein are helped by the suffrages of the faithful, but principally by the acceptable Sacrifice of the Altar; the Holy Synod enjoins on the Bishops that they diligently endeavor to have the sound doctrine of the Fathers in Councils regarding purgatory everywhere taught and preached, held and believed by the faithful (Denzinger, Enchiridon, 983). Further than this the definitions of the Church do not go, but the tradition of the Fathers and the Schoolmen must be consulted to explain the teachings of the councils, and to make clear the belief and the practices of the faithful. Requiem aeternam: Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. PLENARY INDULGENCE FROM NOV. 1-8 BY PRAYING FOR HOLY SOULS A PLENARY INDULGENCE, applicable only to the souls in purgatory, is granted to the faithful who (1) on any and each day from November 1 to 8, devoutly visit a cemetery and pray, if only mentally, for the departed; (2) On All Souls Day...devoutly visit a chruch or an oratory and recite an Our Father and the Creed. [(or if local ordinary gives other options) From the Manual of Indulgences #29] -------------------------------------------------------------------- PRAYER OF ST. GERTRUDE THE GREAT St. Gertrudes Prayer, was dictated by Our Lord to St. Gertrude the Great, a Benedictine cloistered nun and a mystic. In the twelfth century, the Lord told the Saint that this prayer (approved and recommended by M. Cardinal Pahiarca of Lisbon, Portugal on March 4, 1936) releases 1,000 Souls from Purgatory each time it is offered. A prayer to release many souls from Purgatory each time it is said and which was extended to include living sinners as well. Eternal Father, I offer You the most precious blood of thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, for those in my own home and in my family. Amen. NOVENA FOR SOULS IN PURGATORY Written by St. Alphonsus Liguori this novena has prayers for each day which are followed by the Prayer to Our Suffering Savior for the Holy Souls in Purgatory ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This Novena, written by St. Alphonsus Liguori, has different prayers for each of the 9 days, followed by the Prayer to Our Suffering Saviour for the Holy Souls in Purgatory which is at the bottom of the section. First Day: Jesus, my Saviour I have so often deserved to be cast into hell how great would be my suffering if I were now cast away and obliged to think that I myself had caused my damnation. I thank Thee for the patience with which Thou hast endured me. My God, I love Thee above all things and I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee because Thou art infinite goodness. I will rather die than offend Thee again. Grant me the grace of perseverance. Have pity on me and at the same time on those blessed souls suffering in Purgatory. Mary, Mother of God, come to their assistance with thy powerful intercession. Say one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and the Prayer to Our Suffering Saviour for the Holy Souls in Purgatory below Second Day: Woe to me, unhappy being, so many years have I already spent on earth and have earned naught but hell! I give Thee thanks, O Lord, for granting me time even now to atone for my sins. My good God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee. Send me Thy assistance, that I may apply the time yet remaining to me for Thy love and service; have compassion on me, and, at the same time, on the holy souls suffering in Purgatory. O Mary, Mother of God, come to their assistance with thy powerful intercession. Say one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and the Prayer to Our Suffering Saviour for the Holy Souls in Purgatory below Third Day: My God! because Thou art infinite goodness, I love Thee above all things, and repent with my whole heart of my offenses against Thee. Grant me the grace of holy perseverance. Have compassion on me, and, at the same, on the holy souls suffering in Purgatory. And thou, Mary, Mother of God, come to their assistance with thy powerful intercession. Say one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and the Prayer to Our Suffering Saviour for the Holy Souls in Purgatory below Fourth Day: My God! because Thou art infinite goodness, I am sorry with my whole heart for having offended Thee. I promise to die rather than ever offend Thee more. Give me holy perseverance; have pity on me, and have pity on those holy souls that burn in the cleansing fire and love Thee with all their hearts. O Mary, Mother of God, assist them by thy powerful prayers. Say one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and the Prayer to Our Suffering Saviour for the Holy Souls in Purgatory below Fifth Day: Woe to me, unhappy being, if Thou, O Lord, hadst cast me into hell; for from that dungeon of eternal pain there is no deliverance. I love Thee above all things, O infinite God and I am sincerely sorry for having offended Thee again. Grant me the grace of holy perseverance. Have compassion on me, and, at the same time, on the holy souls suffering in Purgatory. O Mary, Mother of God, come to their assistance with thy powerful intercession. Say one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and the Prayer to Our Suffering Saviour for the Holy Souls in Purgatory below Sixth Day: My Divine Redeemer, Thou didst die for me on the Cross, and hast so often united Thyself with me in Holy Communion, and I have repaid Thee only with ingratitude. Now, however, I love Thee above all things, O supreme God; and I am more grieved at my offences against Thee than at any other evil. I will rather die than offend Thee again. Grant me the grace of holy perseverance. Have compassion on me, and, at the same time, on the holy souls suffering in Purgatory. Mary, Mother of God, come to their aid with thy powerful intercession. Say one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and the Prayer to Our Suffering Saviour for the Holy Souls in Purgatory below Seventh Day: God, Father of Mercy, satisfy this their ardent desire! Send them Thy holy Angel to announce to them that Thou, their Father, are now reconciled with them through the suffering and death of Jesus, and that the moment of their deliverance has arrived. Say one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and the Prayer to Our Suffering Saviour for the Holy Souls in Purgatory below Eighth Day: Oh my God! I also am one of these ungrateful beings, having received so much grace, and yet despised Thy love and deserved to be cast by Thee into hell. But Thy infinite goodness has spared me until now. Therefore, I now love Thee above all things, and I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee. I will rather die than ever offend Thee. Grant me the grace of holy perseverance. Have compassion on me and, at the same time, on the holy souls suffering in Purgatory. Mary, Mother of God, come to their aid with thy powerful intercession. Say one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and the Prayer to Our Suffering Saviour for the Holy Souls in Purgatory below Ninth Day: My God! How was it possible that I, for so many years, have borne tranquilly the separation from Thee and Thy holy grace! O infinite Goodness, how long-suffering hast Thou shown Thyself to me! Henceforth, I shall love Thee above all things. I am deeply sorry for having offended Thee; I promise rather to die than to again offend Thee. Grant me the grace of holy perseverance, and do not permit that I should ever again fall into sin. Have compassion on the holy souls in Purgatory. I pray Thee, moderate their sufferings; shorten the time of their misery; call them soon unto Thee in heaven, that they may behold Thee face to face, and forever love Thee. Mary, Mother of Mercy, come to their aid with thy powerful intercession, and pray for us also who are still in danger of eternal damnation. THE DOCTRINE OF PURGATORY shutterstock photo Zvonimir Atletic On All Souls’ Day (November 2) and indeed throughout the month of November, we are called in a special way to remember “our brothers and sisters who have fallen asleep in the hope of the resurrection” (Eucharistic Prayer II). We remember especially the Holy Souls in purgatory. In this Year of Faith, we are called to grow in our understanding of the truths of our Catholic faith. One such truth is the doctrine of purgatory. This teaching is rooted in ancient Christian tradition, yet it is not accepted by all Christians. It is important that we seek to understand the doctrine of purgatory and what the Church means when it teaches about the existence of purgatory. The word “purgatory” comes from the Latin purgare, which means “to purify” or “to purge.” The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes purgatory as a state of final purification after death and before entrance into heaven for those who died in God’s friendship, but were only imperfectly purified; a final cleansing of human imperfection before one is able to enter the joy of heaven (1031; cf. 1472) Jesus declared in the Beatitudes: Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God (Matthew 5:8). In order to see God face to face in heaven (the beatific vision), our hearts need to be totally purified. This purification can begin on earth, but, if we die without this purification being complete, this will occur in purgatory, a condition of existence in which every trace of attachment to evil is eliminated and every imperfection of the soul corrected. Throughout Church history, there has been much speculation about purgatory. A saint from the sixteenth century, Catherine of Genoa, is well-known for her vision of purgatory. Pope Benedict XVI explains that (unlike many others), “Catherine did not see purgatory as a scene in the bowels of the earth: for her it is not an exterior but rather an interior fire. This is purgatory: an inner fire.” “The soul,” Saint Catherine says, “presents itself to God still bound to the desires and suffering that derive from sin and this makes it impossible for it to enjoy the beatific vision of God.” Catherine asserts that God is so pure and holy that a soul stained by sin cannot be in the presence of the divine majesty. Pope Benedict continues: “We too feel how distant we are, how full we are of so many things that we cannot see God. The soul is aware of the immense love and perfect justice of God and consequently suffers for having failed to respond in a correct and perfect way to this love; and love for God itself becomes a flame, love itself cleanses it from the residue of sin.” I think the words of Saint Catherine of Genoa and of our Holy Father help us to understand better the doctrine of purgatory. It is a state or condition in which God’s love permeates one’s heart, a fire or light that purifies. This fire is also painful since it brings awareness of our sins, our offenses against God who loves us so much. I think of the pain we experience when we hurt someone we love. Now what about prayers and sacrifices for the Holy Souls in purgatory? From her earliest beginnings, the Church has prayed for the deceased, especially the Eucharistic Sacrifice. This has always been the practice of the Church. And the Church believes as she prays (recall the famous maxim lex orandi, lex credendi: “the law of prayer is the law of faith”). This reminds us of the important doctrine of the communion of saints. We profess in the Apostles’ Creed that we believe in “the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints.” This communion of the Church includes the saints who dwell in the glory of heaven, those who have died and are being purified in purgatory, and those disciples of Jesus who are still pilgrims on earth. We are all united to Christ and to one another as brothers and sisters in Christ. The saints in heaven intercede for us. As we live in communion with one another on earth, we also live in communion with the saints in heaven. And we live in communion with the faithful departed who are undergoing purification. We help them with our prayers and they intercede for us as well. We are all part of the one family of God. Blessed John Paul II wrote about purgatory and the communion of saints as follows: Those who find themselves in the state of purification are united both with the blessed who already enjoy the fullness of eternal life, and with us on this earth on our way toward the Father’s house. Just as in their earthly life believers are united in the one Mystical Body, so after death those who live in a state of purification experience the same ecclesial solidarity which works through prayer, prayers for suffrage and love for their other brothers and sisters in the faith. Purification is lived in the essential bond created between those live in this world and those who enjoy eternal beatitude. I encourage all to pray for the dead in a special way during this month of November, for our deceased loved ones and for all the Holy Souls experiencing the trial and suffering of purgatory because of the punishment due to sin which separates them from God. They await the eternal joy of the beatific vision. Let us recognize our solidarity with them by entrusting them to the Lord in our prayers and sacrifices. I especially encourage the holy practice of offering Mass intentions for the deceased, an act of true charity and love.
Posted on: Sun, 02 Nov 2014 07:14:12 +0000
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