A Brief Catechism for Adults - Lesson 12: Purgatory

OLRL ^ | Fr. William J. Cogan

[NYer]

Lesson 12: Purgatory

"And the day following Judas [Machabeus] came with his company, to take away the bodies of them that were slain, and to bury them with their kinsmen, in the sepulchres of their fathers.  And they found under the coats of the slain some of the donaries of the idols of Jamnia, which the law forbiddeth to the Jews:  So that all plainly saw, that for this cause they were slain.  Then they all blessed the just judgment of the Lord, who had discovered the things that were hidden.  And so betaking themselves to prayers, they besought Him, that the sin which had been committed might be forgotten.  But the most valiant Judas exhorted the people to keep themselves from sin, forasmuch as they saw before their eyes what had happened, because of the sins of those that were slain.  And making a gathering, he sent twelve thousand drachms of silver to Jerusalem for sacrifice to be offered for the sins of the dead, thinking well and religiously concerning the resurrection, (for if he had not hoped that they that were slain should rise again, it would have seemed superfluous and vain to pray for the dead), and because he considered that they who had fallen asleep with godliness, had great grace laid up for them.  It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins."  (2 Machabees 12:39-46)

1. What is Purgatory?
       A place and state of temporary punishment in the next world.  Hell, on the other hand, is a place of eternal or everlasting punishment.

• What does the word "Purgatory" mean?
      It means "cleansing" (or "purging").  Purgatory is a place where the soul is cleansed of unforgiven venial sin and/or the "debt" of sins already forgiven but not yet made up for.

  "If any one abide not in Me, he shall be cast forth as a branch, and shall wither, and they shall gather him up, and cast him into the fire, and he burneth."    (John 15:6)

• How do you know there is a Purgatory?
      The constant teaching and practice of the Catholic Church, based on the Bible and tradition, and even common sense, prove the existence of Purgatory.

• How does common sense indicate the existence of Purgatory?
      Only people with mortal sin go to Hell, and on the other hand, no one can enter Heaven with even the smallest sin.  Therefore, there must be a place in the next world where lesser sins can be taken off the soul.

• Who will go to Purgatory?
      People who die with Sanctifying Grace in their souls, but --
  1. who die with venial sin on their souls, or
  2. who have not completed (satisfied for) the punishment still due to their already forgiven sins.

• What is meant by the "punishment still due to sin"?
     This means that, even though God forgives your sins, He still requires that you be punished for them (i.e. "pay" for them), either in this life or in the next.

  For example:  A boy playing ball in his yard breaks his neighbor's window.  He goes and tells the lady he is sorry, and she forgives him but she tells him he will still have to pay for the window.

• Do you suffer in Purgatory?
     Yes.  Besides not being allowed to see God face to face, the souls in Purgatory suffer a great deal.

  "The fire of Purgatory", says St. Augustine, "is more terrible than man can suffer in this life."

• How long will you have suffer in Purgatory?
     That depends on the number and seriousness of the sins to be atoned for.

  "My soul hath thirsted after the strong living God; when shall I come and appear before the face of God."    (Psalm 41:3)

• Where do you go when you leave Purgatory?
     To Heaven to see God and enjoy Him forever.

  "Amen I say to thee, thou shalt not come out from thence till thou repay the last farthing."    (Matthew 5:26)

• Will Purgatory ever end?
     Yes, at the Last Judgment.  After that all souls will be in either Heaven or Hell forever.

• Can you help the souls in Purgatory?
     You can shorten their stay by having Masses said for them, by praying for them and by doing good works for them.

  "Have pity on me, have pity on me, at least you my friends, because the hand of the Lord hath touched me."    (Job 19:21)

• Does the Bible say anything about praying for the dead?
     Yes.  We read that Judas Machabeus, "sent twelve thousand drachmas of silver to Jerusalem for sacrifices to be offered for the sins of the dead."  (2 Machabees 12:43)

• How can you avoid Purgatory?
  Avoid even the smallest faults, do penance for sins already forgiven, gain indulgences and receive Extreme Unction (See Lesson 26.)

PRACTICAL POINTS

1. All Souls' Day is the day set aside by the Church for special prayers and Masses for all the souls suffering in Purgatory.  It is celebrated every year on November 2.

2. The souls in Purgatory cannot help themselves.  We should help them by our prayers and sacrifices.  They, in turn, can and do pray for us.

3. The souls in Purgatory are known as the Poor Souls.

4. Litany for the Poor Souls

[NYer]

Lesson 12 of 43.

Each Sunday, our pastor offers up the Divine Liturgy for the deceased requested by various parishioners + the souls in Purgatory. When you pray the Rosary, offer up one decade for these souls. They will benefit enormously and be praying for you in your time of need.

[NYer]

Lesson 12 of 43.

Each Sunday, our pastor offers up the Divine Liturgy for the deceased requested by various parishioners + the souls in Purgatory. When you pray the Rosary, offer up one decade for these souls. They will benefit enormously and be praying for you in your time of need.

[sirchtruth]

Will you first shed some light on what the “Apocrypha”
is? I ask Catholics all the time what it is and
not a soul is able to tell me. Why is this?

[TheRiverNile]

I am a Protestant and I find this very interesting. Like the poster above, I’d like to know more about the Apocrapha (sp?).

Why did Protestant denominations get rid of it?

[tbpiper]

A place and state of temporary punishment in the next world.

I.e., the blood of Jesus isn't sufficient to forgive sins. You still gotta take some licks for the stuff that's even beyond the reaches of the cross.

[tbpiper]

Why did Protestant denominations get rid of it?

Probably for crap like 'Purgatory'.

[Pyro7480]

Apocrypha, also know as Deuterocanonical books. Not only do Catholics think they're legitimate books of the Bible, but so do the Eastern Orthodox.

[Pyro7480]

Probably for crap like 'Purgatory'.

The Orthodox also have the "Apocrypha," and they still retain them, even though they're theology is different from the Catholic Church on the question of purgatory.

[franky1]

Only the perfect go straight to heaven. Therefore hope you will be perfect at the appointed time.

[vladimir998]

This should REALLY help:

http://socrates58.blogspot.com/2006/11/apocrypha-why-its-part-of-bible.html

Also, you might want to buy: http://www.grottopress.org/

[TheRiverNile]

“Probably for crap like ‘Purgatory’”

Is there anything fundamentally wrong with Purgatory? I seem to gather that you don’t like it from your posts. However, if the Apocrypha are inspired books, then Purgatory is an interpretation that could be garnered from the text we just read.

[TheRiverNile]

Interesting read, though I did find it difficult to figure out just why Martin Luther contended that the Apocrypha were “sub-sciptural.” I would wonder why he would think such a thing.

[NYer]

the blood of Jesus isn't sufficient to forgive sins

According to Scripture, Jesus Christ Granted the Apostles His Authority to Forgive Sins. In John 20:23 - Jesus says, "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven. If you retain the sins of any, they are retained." In order for the apostles to exercise this gift of forgiving sins, the penitents must orally confess their sins to them because the apostles are not mind readers. The text makes this very clear. The successors of the Apostles are the priests in the Catholic and Orthodox Churches.

[vladimir998]

From my reading it was for two reasons that Luther degraded the Deuterocanonicals (and several books from the NT too) to less than inspired status:

1) There were debates in the early Church over their canonicity.

2) They contained ideas that he found troubling. Luther was so troubled by the Letter of James that he joked he might burn it.

“Luther placed the books of Hebrews, James, Jude and Revelation at the end of his translation and failed to note their page numbers in the index. He wrote a preface to James claiming it “contradicts Paul by teaching justification by works” M243. In the earliest editions Luther wrote his now famous comment: “St. James Epistle is really an epistle of straw compared to [St. Paul’s letters], for it lacks this evangelical character” Deutsche Bibel 6 as quoted in P988” http://gbgm-umc.org/umw/James/Background/Canon.htm#reformation

[NYer]

Will you first shed some light on what the “Apocrypha” is?

The Apocryphya are the Deuterocanonical books which were removed from the King James Bible. Protestant Bibles have only 39 books in the Old Testament, however, while Catholic Bibles have 46. The seven additional books included in Catholic Bibles are Tobit, Judith, 1 and 2 Maccabees, Wisdom, Sirach, and Baruch. Catholic Bibles also include additions to the Books of Esther and Daniel which are not found in Protestant Bibles. These books are called the deuterocanonical books. The Catholic Church considers these books to be inspired by the Holy Spirit.

Protestants attempt to defend their rejection of the deuterocanonicals on the ground that the early Jews rejected them. However, the Jewish councils that rejected them (e.g., School of Javneh (also called “Jamnia” in 90 - 100 A.D.) were the same councils that rejected the entire New Testatment canon. Thus, those who reject the Catholic Bible are following a Jewish council that rejected Christ and the Revelation of the New Testament.

[Logophile]

Very interesting post.

We Mormons have a similar doctrine. We believe that the wicked who die in their sins are sent to hell to suffer the penalty for their rebellion. In the Final Judgment, the inhabitants of hell are brought forth to receive their eternal reward. The majority go on to inherit a kingdom of glory; however, the most hardened—those who willfully sin against the Holy Ghost— remain in hell (sometimes called "Outer Darkness") with Satan and his angels.

Although the Catholics say "Purgatory" and we say "hell," it appears that the two serve similar purposes. The principal difference seems to be the explanation of what happens after the Final Judgment. The catechism mentions one Heaven; we believe that there are three Heavens or degrees of glory. Those who suffer for their sins in hell may go on to the lowest degree, but are not allowed to live with God the Father and Jesus Christ in the highest.

[NYer]

if the Apocrypha are inspired books, then Purgatory is an interpretation that could be garnered from the text we just read.

Of course, and it makes perfect sense. For example: In Matt. 12:32 – Jesus says, “And anyone who says a word against the Son of man will be forgiven; but no one who speaks against the Holy Spirit will be forgiven either in this world or in the next.” Jesus thus clearly provides that there is forgiveness after death. The phrase “in the next” (from the Greek “en to mellonti”) generally refers to the afterlife (see, for example, Mark 10.30; Luke 18.30; 20.34-35; Eph. 1.21 for similar language). Forgiveness is not necessary in heaven, and there is no forgiveness in hell. This proves that there is another state after death, and the Church for 2,000 years has called this state purgatory.

[NYer]

Interesting read, though I did find it difficult to figure out just why Martin Luther contended that the Apocrypha were “sub-sciptural.” I would wonder why he would think such a thing.

I believe this may explain it.

[tbpiper]

hope you will be perfect at the appointed time

Not a problem. I think being washed in the blood of Christ once is enough, don't you think?