Posted on 11/02/2015 6:56:55 AM PST by Salvation
All Souls’ Day by Jakub Schikaneder, 1888
I have blogged before on Purgatory. Here is a link to one of those blogs: Purgatory – Biblical and Reasonable. I have also written more extensively on its biblical roots here: PDF Document on Purgatory.
On this Feast of All Souls, I want to reflect on Purgatory as the necessary result of a promise. Many people think of Purgatory primarily in terms of punishment, but it is also important to consider it in terms of promise, purity, and perfection. Some of our deceased brethren are having the promises made to them perfected in Purgatory. In the month of November we are especially committed to praying for them and we know by faith that our prayers are of benefit to them.
What is the promise that points to Purgatory? Simply stated, Jesus made the promise in Matthew 5:48: You, therefore, must be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect. In this promise is an astonishing declaration of our dignity. We are to share in the very nature and perfection of God. This is our dignity: we are called to reflect and possess the very glory and perfection of God.
St. Catherine of Siena was gifted by the Lord to see a heavenly soul in the state of grace. Her account of it is related in her Dialogue, and is summarized in the Sunday School Teacher’s Explanation of the Baltimore Catechism:
The Soul in the State of Grace– Catherine of Siena was permitted by God to see the beauty of a soul in the state of grace. It was so beautiful that she could not look on it; the brightness of that soul dazzled her. Blessed Raymond, her confessor, asked her to describe to him, as far as she was able, the beauty of the soul she had seen. St. Catherine thought of the sweet light of that morning, and of the beautiful colors of the rainbow, but that soul was far more beautiful. She remembered the dazzling beams of the noonday sun, but the light which beamed from that soul was far brighter. She thought of the pure whiteness of the lily and of the fresh snow, but that is only an earthly whiteness. The soul she had seen was bright with the whiteness of Heaven, such as there is not to be found on earth. †My father,†she answered. “I cannot find anything in this world that can give you the smallest idea of what I have seen. Oh, if you could but see the beauty of a soul in the state of grace, you would sacrifice your life a thousand times for its salvation. I asked the angel who was with me what had made that soul so beautiful, and he answered me, “It is the image and likeness of God in that soul, and the Divine Grace which made it so beautiful.†[1].
Yes, this is our dignity and final destiny if we are faithful to God.
So, I ask you, “Are you there yet?†God has made you a promise. But what if that promise has not yet been fulfilled and you were to die today, without the divine perfection you have been promised having been completed? I can only speak for myself and say that if I were to die today, though I am not aware of any mortal sin, I also know that I am not perfect. I am not even close to being humanly perfect, let alone having the perfection of our heavenly Father!
But Jesus made me a promise: You must be perfect as the heavenly Father is perfect. And the last time I checked, Jesus is a promise keeper! St. Paul says, May God who has begun a good work in you bring it to completion (Phil 1:6). Hence, if I were to die today, Jesus would need to complete a work that He has begun in me. By God’s grace, I have come a mighty long way. But I also have a long way to go. God is very holy and His perfection is beyond imagining.
Yes, there are many things in us that need purging: sin, attachment to sin, clinging to worldly things, and those rough edges to our personality. Likewise most of us carry with us hurts, regrets, sorrows, and disappointments. We cannot take any of this with us to Heaven. If we did, it wouldn’t be Heaven. So the Lord, who is faithful to His promise, will purge all of this from us. The Book of Revelation speaks of Jesus ministering to the dead in that he will wipe every tear from their eyes (Rev 21:4). 1 Corinthians 3:13-15 speaks of us as passing through fire in order that our works be tested so that what is good may be purified and what is worldly may be burned away. And Job said, But he knows the way that I take; and when he has tested me, I will come forth as pure gold (Job 23:10).
Purgatory has to be—gold, pure gold; refined, perfect, pure gold. Purgatory has to be, if God’s promises are to hold.
Catholic theology has always taken seriously God’s promise that we would actually be perfect as the Father is perfect. The righteousness is Jesus’ righteousness, but it actually transforms us and changes us completely in the way that St. Catherine describes. It is a real righteousness, not merely imputed, not merely declared of us by inference. It is not an alien justice, but a personal justice by the grace of God.
Esse quam videri – Purgatory makes sense because the perfection promised to us is real: esse quam videri (to be rather than to seem). We must actually be purged of the last vestiges of imperfection, worldliness, sin, and sorrow. Having been made perfect by the grace of God, we are able to enter Heaven, of which Scripture says, Nothing impure will ever enter it (Rev 21:27). And again, you have approached Mount Zion and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and countless angels in festal gathering, and the assembly of the firstborn enrolled in heaven, and God the judge of all, and the souls of the just made perfect (Heb 12:22-23).
How could it be anything less? Indeed, the souls of the just made perfect. How could it be anything less if Jesus died to accomplish it for us? Purgatory makes sense based on Jesus’ promise and on the power of His blood to accomplish complete and total perfection for us. This is our dignity; this is our destiny. Purgatory is about promises, not mere punishment. There’s an old Gospel hymn that I referenced in yesterday’s blog for the Feast of All Saints that says, “O Lord I’m running, trying to make a hundred. Ninety-nine and a half won’t do!â€
That’s right, ninety-nine and a half won’t do. Nothing less than a hundred is possible because we have Jesus’ promise and the wonderful working power of the precious Blood of the Lamb. For most, if not all of us, Purgatory has to be.
Matthew 20:11 And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, 12 saying, 'These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.' 13 But he replied to one of them, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14 Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. 15 Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?
It would have to be "based on" because it sure wasn't stated by Jesus.
To make an answer to this thread which addresses all that is wrong with it would take days. Instead I will try to make a few simple points.
Personally, I do believe that when we die we go to a world of spirits, we are not resurrected until Christ comes again. That time of spiritual existence is the condition of the souls that Christ visited during his time between His death on the cross and His resurrection, where he preached to those who were disobedient. If you want to call this spiritual prison purgatory then go ahead.
I do believe that we can learn there else why would Christ bother to preach to us there.
Just because we can continue to learn and grow in righteousness doesn’t mean we can be perfected there, we can’t. There is only one who has been perfect and it is only by His Grace that our imperfection will be overlooked and we will then indeed be perfected by the love and Grace of Christ Jesus.
I do believe that some will be spared the worst of spiritual existence and be immediately placed in the bosom of Abraham so to speak. There they will happily await the reunification of their spirits and their bodies. I believe that this is the state of the soul for the thief on the cross who was promised Paradise. I hope that this is also the state of Christians who try to live as they understand Christ would want them to live. If there are wonderful people from other religions who through no fault of their own didn’t know about Christ and therefore couldn’t follow Him but would have had they known then perhaps they will be there too. I don’t know these things, I’m not sure anyone KNOWS these things but the hints in scripture lead me personally to believe that is the way it will be.
People always talk about works not having anything to do with salvation, a few thoughts. First, perfect is perfect. There can be no difference in degrees of perfection it either is or isn’t. So in one way that says that works don’t determine where you end up in Heaven. However, if there is a “Purgatory” or spirit world and I do believer there is, then perhaps your works will make a difference. Mother Theresa will likely be in the bosom of Abraham and I will be lucky to even see the place she is in and be near to it I will feel fortunate. Some day however I do feel that I will be perfected by the love and Grace of Christ, in that day Mother Theresa and I will be on the same plane. “In My Fathers House there are many mansions”, Christ said; perhaps mine will be on the same street with hers.
Actually he said that the daily posting of anti-Catholic threads should stop.
That is not the same thing at all.
Why do you feel the need to twist the words of others?
To make an answer to this thread which addresses all that is wrong with it would take days. Instead I will try to make a few simple points.
Personally, I do believe that when we die we go to a world of spirits, we are not resurrected until Christ comes again. That time of spiritual existence is the condition of the souls that Christ visited during his time between His death on the cross and His resurrection, where he preached to those who were disobedient. If you want to call this spiritual prison purgatory then go ahead.
I do believe that we can learn there else why would Christ bother to preach to us there.
Just because we can continue to learn and grow in righteousness doesn’t mean we can be perfected there, we can’t. There is only one who has been perfect and it is only by His Grace that our imperfection will be overlooked and we will then indeed be perfected by the love and Grace of Christ Jesus.
I do believe that some will be spared the worst of spiritual existence and be immediately placed in the bosom of Abraham so to speak. There they will happily await the reunification of their spirits and their bodies. I believe that this is the state of the soul for the thief on the cross who was promised Paradise. I hope that this is also the state of Christians who try to live as they understand Christ would want them to live. If there are wonderful people from other religions who through no fault of their own didn’t know about Christ and therefore couldn’t follow Him but would have had they known then perhaps they will be there too. I don’t know these things, I’m not sure anyone KNOWS these things but the hints in scripture lead me personally to believe that is the way it will be.
People always talk about works not having anything to do with salvation, a few thoughts. First, perfect is perfect. There can be no difference in degrees of perfection it either is or isn’t. So in one way that says that works don’t determine where you end up in Heaven. However, if there is a “Purgatory” or spirit world and I do believer there is, then perhaps your works will make a difference. Mother Theresa will likely be in the bosom of Abraham and I will be lucky to even see the place she is in and be near to it I will feel fortunate. Some day however I do feel that I will be perfected by the love and Grace of Christ, in that day Mother Theresa and I will be on the same plane. “In My Fathers House there are many mansions”, Christ said; perhaps mine will be on the same street with hers.
Jim did post a thread not that long ago to warn against the Catholic bashing. Not twisting anything at all, just telling what was said.
Yeah.
Here’s the thread.
Note “Daily Sport of Posting Catholic Bashing Threads”.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/3313905/posts
Which has nothing to do with being critical of Catholics.
You don’t get to be a protected class and you were indeed twisting words.
Didn't Jesus tell the adulteress to "go and sin no more"???
Isn't forgiveness predicated on the these things?
Confessing sins;
expressing sorrow for sinning;
asking for forgiveness;
promising not to do it again;
punishment/atonement.
But, that's what I learned about sin and forgiveness in my Catholic education. But, that's not the case for non-Catholics. They have no confession and only have to say "Sorry, Lord; forgive me, Lord; I won't do it again, Lord."
Easy-peasy. One can do that ten times a day. Life is a bowl of cherries with NO pits, punishment or purgatory.
Thanks, Mr. Slyfox, you're a peach of a fox.
Catholic cloudmountain
“You don’t get to be a protected class and you were indeed twisting words.”
....And you are FORGIVEN for bearing false witness for bearing false witness.
“You don’t get to be a protected class and you were indeed twisting words.”
You are forgiven for bearing false witness.
"False Witness" being, in this case, pointing out the actual thread you referenced?
Yeah. Makes all kinds of sense right there.
“Christ’s death negates any/all sins one commits no matter how much we promise “not to do it again.” That’s novel.”
Nope. That’s Biblical.
“Isn’t forgiveness predicated on the these things?”
Nope. A la: “forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do.”
“They have no confession”
No? Can one not indeed confess guilt to God directly without getting another sinner involved?
“One can do that ten times a day.”
Like your “confession” - enter the booth 10 times a day and all will be well? Distinction without difference from what you impugn.
This has all been addressed quite well elsewhere. Look it up.
Lol. I have, a LONG, LONG time ago. I do know my own faith and only acknowledge ignorance on the many, many, many varied denominations of Protestantism and their view of the world.
I DO know that most Protestant denominations allow for unending marriage, divorce, remarriage, divorce, remarriage, etcetera.
I also know that SOME denominations allow for same-sex marriage. My nail guy married another man. It was a secular wedding as same sex marriage unions are legal. His "husband" died last year and now he is a "widower."
THOSE two things are 100% NOT Catholic teaching. Never will be. They always have been, are and always will be anathema to the Catholic Church.
You’re all over the place, following non-sequiturs that amuse you. I shall not attempt to follow, much less lead.
1. As if YOU are Mr. Perfect in all that you write. Please. Get over yourself.
2. EXCELLENT. Thank you.
I am OK with Jesus purging my sins, if I should die short of perfection...which is the likely state of all of us since none of us is perfect. Misunderstand all you want, but I wouldn’t mock it, you might need it.
God bless!
I Corinthians 3:11-15. Do you deny the judgment of God?
Nope...Jesus NEVER even mentioned such as place as “purgatory”. In fact, Jesus IS our place of purgation. It is His blood that cleanses us from all sin and God’s grace makes us the righteousness of God in Christ.
AMEN!
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