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| Wisdom 7:25 For she is a vapour of the power of God, and a certain pure emanation of the glory of the almighty God: and therefore no defiled thing cometh into her. No one can enter heaven unless he is pure and purified. |
This is an evident and undeniable proof of the practice of praying for the dead under the old law, which was then strictly observed by the Jews, and consequently could not be introduced at that time by Judas, their chief and high priest, if it had not been always their custom.
What is Purgatory?
The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines purgatory as a "purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven." "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. The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned" (cf. No. 1030-32).
The New Testament has few references about a purging of the soul or even about heaven for that matter. Rather the focus is on preaching the Gospel and awaiting the second coming of Christ, which only later did the writers of sacred Scripture realize could be after their own deaths. However, in Matthew 12:32, Jesus' statement that certain sins "will not be forgiven either in this world or in the world to come," at least suggests a purging of the soul after death. Pope St. Gregory (d. 604) stated, "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." The Council of Lyons (1274) likewise affirmed this interpretation of our Lord's teaching.
The key to this answer, however, is to see the beauty behind the doctrine of purgatory. We believe that God gave us a free will so that we could choose between right and wrong, good and evil. Our free will allows us to make the one fundamental choice — to love God. An act of the free will also entails responsibility. When we choose not to love God and thereby sin, we are responsible for that sin. God in His justice holds us accountable for such sins, but in His love and mercy desires us to be reconciled to Himself and our neighbor. During our life on this earth, if we really love God, we examine our consciences, admit our sins, express contrition for them, confess them, and receive absolution for them in the sacrament of penance. We perform penances and other sacrifices to heal the hurt caused by sin. In so doing, we are continually saying "yes" to the Lord.
In a sense our soul is like a lens — when we sin, we cloud the lens; it gets dirty, and we lose the focus of God in our lives. Through confession and penance, God cleanses the "lens" of our soul. When we die, if we leave this life fundamentally loving God, dying in His grace and friendship, and free of mortal sin, we will have eternal salvation and attain the beatific vision — we will see God for who He is. If we die with venial sins or without having done sufficient penance for our sins, God in His love, mercy and justice will purify our souls, "cleanse the lens" so to speak. After such purification, the soul will then be united with God in heaven and enjoy the beatific vision.
As we ponder the beautiful understanding of purgatory, we must never forget the importance of praying for and having Masses offered for the repose of the souls of our loved ones. Pope Leo XIII in his encyclical " Mirae Caritatis" (1902) beautifully elaborated this point and emphasized the connection between the communion of saints with the Mass: "The grace of mutual love among the living, strengthened and increased by the Sacrament of the Eucharist, flows, especially by virtue of the Sacrifice [of the Mass), to all who belong to the communion of saints is simply…the mutual sharing of help, atonement, prayers, and benefits among the faithful, those already in the heavenly fatherland, those consigned to the purifying fire, and those still making their pilgrim way here on earth. These all form one city, whose head is Christ, and whose vital principle is love.
Faith teaches that although the august Sacrifice can be offered to God alone, it can nevertheless be celebrated in honor of the saints now reigning in Heaven with God, who has crowned them, to obtain their intercession for us, and also, according to apostolic tradition, to wash away the stains of those brethren who died in the Lord but without yet being wholly purified." Likewise, the Catechism asserts, "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" (No. 1032).
Therefore, when we face the death of someone, even a person who is not Catholic, to have a Mass offered for the repose of his soul and to offer our prayers are more beneficial and comforting than any other sympathy card or bouquet of flowers. Most importantly, we should always remember our own dearly departed loved ones in the Holy Mass and through our own prayers and sacrifices to help in their gaining eternal rest. Since we are approaching the feast of All Souls (Nov. 2), now is a good time to remember our deceased loved ones by either having a Mass offered for their repose or, if the parish offers one, to remember them in the special All Souls Novena.
by Former Protestant Pastor
The purification is necessary because, as Scripture teaches, nothing unclean will enter the presence of God in heaven (Rev. 21:27) and, while we may die with our mortal sins forgiven, there can still be many impurities in us, specifically venial sins and the temporal punishment due to sins already forgiven.
THE FINAL PURIFICATION, OR PURGATORY
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.
The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned (hell). 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:
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.
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." 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. The Church also commends alms giving, indulgences, and works of penance undertaken on behalf of the dead:
Let us help and commemorate them. If Job's sons were purified by their father's 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.
Revelation 21:27 - There shall not enter into it any thing defiled, or that worketh abomination or maketh a lie, but they that are written in the book of life of the Lamb.THE FINAL PURIFICATION, OR PURGATORY
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.
The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned (hell). 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:
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.
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." 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. The Church also commends alms giving, indulgences, and works of penance undertaken on behalf of the dead:
Let us help and commemorate them. If Job's sons were purified by their father's 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.
Of all of the teachings of Catholicism, Purgatory is probably the one most often attacked (sometimes unintentionally) by Catholics themselves. Reports of Purgatory's death have always been greatly exaggerated.
To see this, we simply need to turn to paragraphs 1030-1032 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. There, in a few short lines, the doctrine of Purgatory is spelled out:
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.
The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned. The Church formulated her doctrine of faith on Purgatory especially at the Councils of Florence and Trent.
1 Kings (1 Samuel) 2:6 The Lord killeth and maketh alive, he bringeth down to hell and bringeth back again.
2 King (2 Samuel) 12:21 And his servants said to him: What thing is this that thou hast done? thou didst fast and weep for the child, while it was alive, but when the child was dead, thou didst rise up, and eat bread.
God is letting us know that he will send us to purgatory to be cleansed and he will bring you back to life full of grace and only then you will be allowed to enter the kingdom of God. He tells us that purgatory is biblical not an invented doctrine.
When a person dies, he goes to hell if his soul is condemned for unbelief, defiance of God and for not transforming his life according to God's will. When grievous sins were not forgiven - hell will be the ultimate destination and there is no more chance to be forgiven and be cleansed.
If a person dies in God's favor with all the sins forgiven, still he has to undergo cleansing. His soul will be purged of all the minor sins he has committed in his life. He therefore has to undergo cleansing in Purgatory before he can enter the kingdom of God.
When a person murdered someone, he will go into court. He may be forgiven for what he did but still he has to pay by serving prison terms. It may be a term for life without the possibility of parole or he can be released anytime before the completion of his prison terms. Purgatory is the jail for that same purging and cleansing. But there are those who will suffer the capital punishment by being sentenced to die in electrocution or by lethal injection or death by hanging. This is similar to going to hell without the possibility of getting purged or cleansed in purgatory. Those who are forgiven and case dismissed goes free just like those who goes to heaven after death.
There are souls that go directly to heaven because while on earth he suffered enough indignation and temporal punishment that while on earth his soul has been purified and cleansed of all iniquities. God blessed those who have cancer and other painful sickness because they are already paying the wages of sins. Theirs is the kingdom of God.
If one is arrogant, very insulting, very offensive, laugh at the shortcomings of others, and more, would you think that person's actions will be pleasing to God? Or to the devil? Remember that the devil is so deceitful and he may confused you of things that are offensive to God without you realizing that you are following the inducement of the devil. Ask yourself and contemplate what you are doing to your brothers for your actions may be offensive to the Lord our God.
Anything that is taught by man that is not of God will be dangerous to one's soul. Even if we are saved from the original sin and had embraced Christ we are still responsible to live according to God's will. The bible, baptism and the belief of Jesus alone will not assure one's soul is saved. If we continue to offend and defy God in every way and not truly transform our lives according to God's teachings, then still we are not in any state of grace. When we take shower in the morning it does not mean that whole day we will continue to be fresh and clean. At the end of the day, we would have accumulated dirt in our heart. Once again, we have to continue reconciling ourselves with God. This is one reason why Jesus instituted the Sacrament of Reconciliation or Confession. Whatever sin is forgiven on earth will be forgiven in heaven. Whatever sin is not forgiven on earth will not also be forgiven in heaven.
Is there really a chance
to go to heaven?
Yes there is but there are
conditions for one to have this chance to gain salvation.
1) One has to be baptized according to the words of Jesus.
In John 3:5 Jesus answered: Amen, amen I say to thee, unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. Unless a man be born again: By these words our Saviour hath declared the necessity of baptism; and by the word water it is evident that the application of it is necessary with the words. Matt. 28. 19.
2) One has to believe in Jesus, obey His commandments and live a life according to His will.
2) One has to believe in Jesus, obey His commandments and live a life according to His will.
John 3:16-18 For God so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son; that whosoever believeth in him, may not perish, but may have life everlasting. [17] For God sent not his Son into the world, to judge the world, but that the world may be saved by him. [18] He that believeth in him is not judged. But he that doth not believe, is already judged: because he believeth not in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
3) One has to be sorry and repentant for his sins and must do penance.
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord delayeth not his promise, as some imagine, but dealeth patiently for your sake, not willing that any should perish, but that all should return to penance.
Wisdom 11:24 But thou hast mercy upon all, because thou canst do all things, and overlookest the sins of men for the sake of repentance.
Luke 13:3 No, I say to you: but unless you shall do penance, you shall all likewise perish.
As a human being how would you know if God has forgiven your sins or not? And Jesus said he will not abandon us and he will let us know if our sins are forgiven or not then proceeded with John 20:23 and Luke 6:37
3) One has to be sorry and repentant for his sins and must do penance.
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord delayeth not his promise, as some imagine, but dealeth patiently for your sake, not willing that any should perish, but that all should return to penance.
Wisdom 11:24 But thou hast mercy upon all, because thou canst do all things, and overlookest the sins of men for the sake of repentance.
Luke 13:3 No, I say to you: but unless you shall do penance, you shall all likewise perish.
As a human being how would you know if God has forgiven your sins or not? And Jesus said he will not abandon us and he will let us know if our sins are forgiven or not then proceeded with John 20:23 and Luke 6:37
Luke 6:37 Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you shall be forgiven
Remember what ever you do to the least of your brothers you do it to him. So if you offend your brother you offend God. If you don't feel sorry and ask for forgiveness God will not also forgive you. For what good is it to ask for forgiveness from God when you would not forgive your own brother. How can God forgive you when you cannot ask forgiveness from your brother whom you have offended?
Matthew 25:40 And the king answering, shall say to them: Amen I say to you, as long as you did it to one of these my least brethren, you did it to me
Matthew 25:45 Then he shall answer them, saying: Amen I say to you, as long as you did it not to one of these least, neither did you do it to me.
Who do you want to believe then, Jesus our God or your false teacher? Who do you want to follow, God or man? Your Choice. You have the choice which way you want to go. If you want to go with the world and enjoy what the world can give (pride, vanity, lust, sodomy, fornications, lies, love of money and power, drug abuse, etc...) then you are risking your soul to eternal damnation. But if you chose to transform your life, carry your cross and be good, and resolves to never offend anyone and God, then the kingdom of God will be yours.
THE PURIFICATION PROCESS
Unless one is purified while on earth or in a place called Purgatory nothing impure shall enter heaven. When Adam and Eve sinned against God, heaven was closed until Jesus Christ redeemed mankind from that sin and once again opened up heaven for everyone except Satan, his devils and human devil advocates - the unrepentant and the unforgiven.
When one is forgiven of all sins at the time of death, he still has the stain of those sins committed and he has to undergo the Final Purification in a place God specifically provided for that purpose called Purgatory. And this is the second and only chance after death.
Unless one is purified while on earth or in a place called Purgatory nothing impure shall enter heaven. When Adam and Eve sinned against God, heaven was closed until Jesus Christ redeemed mankind from that sin and once again opened up heaven for everyone except Satan, his devils and human devil advocates - the unrepentant and the unforgiven.
When one is forgiven of all sins at the time of death, he still has the stain of those sins committed and he has to undergo the Final Purification in a place God specifically provided for that purpose called Purgatory. And this is the second and only chance after death.
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| Revelation 21:27 "Nothing Impure Shall Enter Heaven" |
When we die, we undergo what is called the particular, or individual, judgment. Scripture says that "it is appointed for men to die once, and after that comes judgment" (Heb. 9:27). We are judged instantly and receive our reward, for good or ill. We know at once what our final destiny will be. At the end of time, when Jesus returns, there will come the general judgment to which the Bible refers, for example, in Matthew 25:31-32: "When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats." In this general judgment all our sins will be publicly revealed (Luke 12:2–5).
Augustine said, in The City of God, that "temporary punishments are suffered by some in this life only, by others after death, by others both now and then; but all of them before that last and strictest judgment" (21:13). It is between the particular and general judgments, then, that the soul is purified of the remaining consequences of sin:
"I tell you, you will never get out till you have paid the very last copper" Luke 12:59. Amen I say to thee, thou shalt not go out from thence till thou repay the last farthing -Matthew 5:26. Jesus is telling us that while our sins are forgiven we still have to pay for them and undergo the process of cleansing and that place of cleansing is the Purgatory. Let's take for example a person is found guilty of stealing and the judgement was to return all the things he have stolen. Yet he is not given freedom yet, that person will still have to do time inside jail according to the judgement meted on him by the rightful judge. God is the judge for all the sins committed by those who have already passed away and yet are still doing their time paying the wages of their sins until they have done their judgement they will continue to spend time in Purgatory. There is pain and sorrows in Purgatory. It is not like one is vacationing. The process of purification hurts.
Uploaded on Oct 5, 2009
http://www.vaticancatholic.com Undeniable evidence that the Bible proves Purgatory. The full presentation (with more evidence) is available on our website, and at this file http://www.mostholyfamilymonastery.co...
It also covers the difference between mortal and venial sin, and where that is taught in the Bible.
It also covers the difference between mortal and venial sin, and where that is taught in the Bible.
One of the errors of Martin Luther condemned by Pope Leo X in his papal bull Exsurge Domine (June 15, 1520) was Luther's belief that "Purgatory cannot be proved from Sacred Scripture which is in the canon." In other words, while the Catholic Church bases the doctrine of Purgatory on both Scripture and Tradition, Scripture itself is sufficient to prove the existence of Purgatory.
The chief Old Testament verse that indicates the necessity of purgation after death (and thus implies a place or state where such purgation takes place—hence the name Purgatory) is 2 Maccabees 12:46:
It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins.
If everyone who dies goes immediately to Heaven or to Hell, then this verse would be nonsense. Those who are in Heaven have no need of prayer, "that they may be loosed from sins"; those who are in Hell are unable to benefit from such prayers, because there is no escape from Hell—damnation is eternal.
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| A Third Place The Purgatory |
Saint Peter and Saint Paul both speak of "trials" that are compared with a "cleansing fire."
In 1 Peter 1:6-7, Saint Peter refers to our necessary trials in this world:
In 1 Peter 1:6-7, Saint Peter refers to our necessary trials in this world:
Wherein you shall greatly rejoice, if now you must be for a little time made sorrowful in divers temptations: That the trial of your faith (much more precious than gold which is tried by the fire) may be found unto praise and glory and honour at the appearing of Jesus Christ.
And in 1 Corinthians 3:13-15, Saint Paul extends this image into the life after this one:
Every man's work shall be manifest; for the day of the Lord shall declare it, because it shall be revealed in fire; and the fire shall try every man's work, of what sort it is. If any man's work abide, which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work burn, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire.
But "he himself shall be saved." Again, the Church recognized from the beginning that Saint Paul cannot be talking here about those in the fires of Hell, because those are fires of torment, not of purgation—no one whose actions place him in Hell will ever leave it. Rather, this verse is the basis of the Church's belief that all those who undergo purgation after their earthly life ends (those whom we call the Poor Souls in Purgatory) are assured of entrance into Heaven.
Christ Himself, in Matthew 12:31-32, speaks of forgiveness in this age (here on earth, as in 1 Peter 1:6-7) and in the world to come (as in 1 Corinthians 3:13-15):
Therefore I say to you: Every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven men, but the blasphemy of the Spirit shall not be forgiven. And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but he that shall speak against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, nor in the world to come.
If all souls go directly either to Heaven or to Hell, then there is no forgiveness in the world to come. But if that is so, why would Christ mention the possibility of such forgiveness?
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| PURGATORY |
All of this explains why, from the earliest days of Christianity, Christians offered liturgies and prayers for the dead. The practice makes no sense unless at least some souls undergo purification after this life.
In the fourth century, St. John Chrysostom, in his Homilies on 1 Corinthians, used the example of Job offering sacrifices for his living sons (Job 1:5) to defend the practice of prayer and sacrifice for the dead. But Chrysostom was arguing not against those who thought that such sacrifices were unnecessary, but against those who thought that they did no good:
Let us help and commemorate them. If Job's sons were purified by their father's 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.
In this passage, Chrysostom sums up all of the Church Fathers, East and West, who never doubted that prayer and liturgy for the dead were both necessary and useful. Thus Sacred Tradition both draws upon and confirms the lessons of Sacred Scripture—found in both the Old and New Testaments, and indeed (as we have seen) in the words of Christ Himself.
[Revelation 6:9] And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held. [10] And they cried with a loud voice, saying: How long, O Lord (holy and true) dost thou not judge and revenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
[9] Under the altar: are souls who have yet to reach heaven while being purge and purified (purgatory).
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Money, Money, Money
Let's help empty souls in Purgatory!
If you believe that prayers are heard in heaven, please pray as many times as you can the prayer of St. Gertrude that she passed on to us. If we believe God will raise one thousand souls to heaven if we pray this prayer, then if we pray ten times a day, then God will raise ten thousands more souls.
Last night I prayed 53 times using the Rosary beads. I prayed the same prayer after each "Hail Mary's" and I believed God have raised 53,000 souls right after my prayers in His Glory!
I found nothing wrong when I prayed for those souls for I there was nothing I lost but rather I was hopeful I have helped 53,000 more souls be raised up to heaven.
During the whole day, I would pause in the silence of my heart and prayed this prayer each time I had the chance and this was separate from the 53 times I prayed just before I went to bed last night.
Kindly recommend this prayers to your family and friends so together we will save more souls. Let's us not be distracted by the world around us nor what others will say about this, let us help those holy souls who are still paying for their earthly sins that God may raise them up into His Kingdom. Please give preference especially for those souls who have no one to pray for them. In return for your kind prayers, the holy souls that are raised in heaven thru this prayer in turn will remember you and will also pray and intercede for you.
May God bless your kind heart.
January 11, 2014. - Silent Crusader
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| IN PURGATORY YOU STILL HAVE A CHANCE TO GO TO HEAVEN, IN HELL NONE AT ALL |
Christ refers to the sinner who "will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come" (Matt. 12:32), suggesting that one can be freed after death of the consequences of one’s sins. Similarly, Paul tells us that, when we are judged, each man’s work will be tried. And what happens if a righteous man’s work fails the test? "If any man' s work burn, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire."(1 Cor 3:15). Now this loss, this penalty, can’t refer to consignment to hell, since no one is saved there; and heaven can’t be meant, since there is no suffering ("fire") there. The Catholic doctrine of purgatory alone explains this passage.
Then, of course, there is the Bible’s approval of prayers for the dead: "In doing this he acted in a very excellent and noble way, inasmuch as he had the resurrection of the dead in view; for if he were not expecting the dead to rise again, it would have been useless and foolish to pray for them in death. But if he did this with a view to the splendid reward that awaits those who had gone to rest in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Thus he made atonement for the dead that they might be freed from this sin" (2 Macc. 12:43–45). Prayers are not needed by those in heaven, and no one can help those in hell. That means some people must be in a third condition, at least temporarily. This verse so clearly illustrates the existence of purgatory that, at the time of the Reformation, Protestants had to cut the books of the Maccabees out of their Bibles in order to avoid accepting the doctrine.
Prayers for the dead and the consequent doctrine of purgatory have been part of the true religion since before the time of Christ. Not only can we show it was practiced by the Jews of the time of the Maccabees, but it has even been retained by Orthodox Jews today, who recite a prayer known as the Mourner’s Kaddish for eleven months after the death of a loved one so that the loved one may be purified. It was not the Catholic Church that added the doctrine of purgatory. Rather, any change in the original teaching has taken place in the Protestant churches, which rejected a doctrine that had always been believed by Jews and Christians.
Then, of course, there is the Bible’s approval of prayers for the dead: "In doing this he acted in a very excellent and noble way, inasmuch as he had the resurrection of the dead in view; for if he were not expecting the dead to rise again, it would have been useless and foolish to pray for them in death. But if he did this with a view to the splendid reward that awaits those who had gone to rest in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Thus he made atonement for the dead that they might be freed from this sin" (2 Macc. 12:43–45). Prayers are not needed by those in heaven, and no one can help those in hell. That means some people must be in a third condition, at least temporarily. This verse so clearly illustrates the existence of purgatory that, at the time of the Reformation, Protestants had to cut the books of the Maccabees out of their Bibles in order to avoid accepting the doctrine.
Prayers for the dead and the consequent doctrine of purgatory have been part of the true religion since before the time of Christ. Not only can we show it was practiced by the Jews of the time of the Maccabees, but it has even been retained by Orthodox Jews today, who recite a prayer known as the Mourner’s Kaddish for eleven months after the death of a loved one so that the loved one may be purified. It was not the Catholic Church that added the doctrine of purgatory. Rather, any change in the original teaching has taken place in the Protestant churches, which rejected a doctrine that had always been believed by Jews and Christians.
Why Go To Purgatory?
Why would anyone go to purgatory? To be cleansed, for "nothing unclean shall enter [heaven]" (Rev. 21:27). Anyone who has not been completely freed of sin and its effects is, to some extent, "unclean." Through repentance he may have gained the grace needed to be worthy of heaven, which is to say, he has been forgiven and his soul is spiritually alive. But that’s not sufficient for gaining entrance into heaven. He needs to be cleansed completely.
Fundamentalists claim, as an article in Jimmy Swaggart’s magazine, The Evangelist, put it, that "Scripture clearly reveals that all the demands of divine justice on the sinner have been completely fulfilled in Jesus Christ. It also reveals that Christ has totally redeemed, or purchased back, that which was lost. The advocates of a purgatory (and the necessity of prayer for the dead) say, in effect, that the redemption of Christ was incomplete....It has all been done for us by Jesus Christ, there is nothing to be added or done by man." The last sentence is erroneous for after redemption by Christ thought complete, Jesus knows that man will still commit sin after his death and so He said to go and sin no more. He is telling us that while 'man' are still alive 'man' will continue to sin because the Satan is still pretty much around. But the gates of heaven is now open no longer closed when Adam and Eve committed the first sin. Jesus death redeemed mankind from that sin including those who died during the times in the Old Testament but only those who found grace in the eyes of God. Their souls who have been languishing were able to finally enter heaven. The redemption did not give privilege for man to continuously commit sin. Therefore Jimmy Swaggart teaching is about redemption has flaws that could lead people that they are already saved regardless if they continue to offend God by committing sins.
Let's say a newly baptized Christian has been completely redeemed by Jesus Christ of the original sin.
He is supposed to be assured of salvation by the grace of God and upon
acceptance of Jesus Christ. However, instead of serving God’s will, the man lived a life full of
sins, lust, lies and fornication.
Is the man still guaranteed of salvation after offending God in many ways
without asking for forgiveness and transforming and amending his sinful life?
Don't you think this is what the devil wants us to believe? Satan
will just twist anything to make us believed we are already assured of salvation
regardless if whether we commit sins or not.
Just because Jesus already died for our sins, we can go ahead and
continue to offend God.
The sins which were already forgiven will not include the sins that we
will commit after we have been cleansed through our baptism.
If we commit murder or steal from the poor and we do not ask God and the people we have offended for forgiveness with a solemn promise to transform our lives according to God’s will, can we still be
saved?
God will forgive those who ask for it sincerely. One cannot lie to God
asking for forgiveness when one don’t mean it and not coming from the heart.
The fundamentalist don't realize they are lying when they teach their
congregations wrongly assuring them that by the grace of God alone or by just merely accepting
Jesus to be their savior and who cares what they do with their life later they are already saved. This is a brazen lie.
This is the devil’s way and these false teachers have fallen to the devil's trap so they cannot teach the
right way to salvation because they are so blinded by the devil.
And when we fall into this trap and we don't
strive to get out of it then we will be trapped for life and hell will be
the consequence of that unbelief and arrogance in continuing to believe their false teachers.
No Contradiction
The Fundamentalist resistance to the biblical doctrine of purgatory presumes there is a contradiction between Christ’s redeeming us on the cross and the process by which we are sanctified. There isn’t. And a Fundamentalist cannot say that suffering in the final stage of sanctification conflicts with the sufficiency of Christ’s atonement without saying that suffering in the early stages of sanctification also presents a similar conflict. The Fundamentalist has it backward: Our suffering in sanctification does not take away from the cross. Rather, the cross produces our sanctification, which results in our suffering, because "[f]or the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant; later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness" (Heb. 12:11).
Nothing Unclean
Purgatory makes sense because there is a requirement that a soul not just be declared to be clean, but actually be clean, before a man may enter into eternal life. After all, if a guilty soul is merely "covered," if its sinful state still exists but is officially ignored, then it is still a guilty soul. It is still unclean.
Catholic theology takes seriously the notion that "nothing unclean shall enter heaven." From this it is inferred that a less than cleansed soul, even if "covered," remains a dirty soul and isn't fit for heaven. It needs to be cleansed or "purged" of its remaining imperfections. The cleansing occurs in purgatory. Indeed, the necessity of the purging is taught in other passages of Scripture, such as 2 Thessalonians 2:13, which declares that God chose us "to be saved through sanctification by the Spirit." Sanctification is thus not an option, something that may or may not happen before one gets into heaven. It is an absolute requirement, as Hebrews 12:14 states that we must strive "for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord."
NIHIL OBSTAT: I have concluded that the materials
At the beginning of the Reformation there was some hesitation especially on Luther's part as to whether the doctrine should be retained, but as the breach widened, the denial of purgatory by the Reformers became universal, and Calvin termed the Catholic position "exitiale commentum quod crucem Christi evacuat...quod fidem nostram labefacit et evertit" (Institutiones, lib. III, cap. v, 6).
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I pray for all those who died here
that their sins maybe forgiven!
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The Catholic doctrine of purgatory supposes the fact that some die with smaller faults for which there was no true repentance, and also the fact that the temporal penalty due to sin is it times not wholly paid in this life.
The proofs for the Catholic position, both in Scripture and in Tradition, are bound up also with the practice of praying for the dead. For why pray for the dead, if there be no belief in the power of prayer to afford solace to those who as yet are excluded from the sight of God?
So true is this position that prayers for the dead and the existence of a place of purgation are mentioned in conjunction in the oldest passages of the Fathers, who allege reasons for succoring departed souls.
Those who have opposed the doctrine of purgatory have confessed that prayers for the dead would be an unanswerable argument if the modern doctrine of a "particular judgment" had been received in the early ages. But one has only to read the testimonies hereinafter alleged to feel sure that the Fathers speak, in the same breath, of oblations for the dead and a place of purgation; and one has only to consult the evidence found in the catacombs to feel equally sure that the Christian faith there expressed embraced clearly a belief in judgment immediately after death.
Intercession has been made for the soul of the dear one departed and God has heard the prayer, and the soul has passed into a place of light and refreshment. Surely, such intercession would have no place were there question not of the particular, but of the final judgment.
THE FINAL PURIFICATION, OR PURGATORY
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.
The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned. 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.
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.
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." 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. The Church also commends alms-giving, indulgences, and works of penance undertaken on behalf of the dead:
Let us help and commemorate them. If Job's sons were purified by their father's 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.
Let's empty Purgatory
Let us believe in this for nothing is impossible with God.
Pray this as often as you can and pass this forward.
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