But he was hanging there because of his crimes...what of those of us who are repentant yet have not committed such crimes.
We are of course just as guilty but we are also just as repentant.
I know many folks who are hanging on their cross (aren't we all hanging from our Crosses)--good Christians who are ashamed of what they have done and how they have lived.
I still think that purgatory is a human invention...not something spoken of by God.
With all due respect I think you’re missing the point NYer was making. The cross was purgatory for the repentant theif because it served to purge St Dismas (yes he’s considered a saint!) of his attachment to sin.
Most of us will not endure such purgation on earth but make no mistake one way or another, we must literally be as pure as Christ to enter heaven, so we will endure such suffering if we do not become detached from a desire to sin on earth.
His Sacrifice removes the penalty of sin (which is death in Hell) and original sin itself and any confessed sins in the future. But it doesnt remove our attachment to sin our propensity to sin. This is still part of our fallen nature and our daily struggle (to not only not sin but have no desire to sin).
This too is a gift from God. We can’t even remove our own desire to sin this is how pathetic we are. Fortunately we do receive gifts from God to help us fight such disordered desires, and this is the cross we are all called to carry. To pick up and follow him. Our cross, our particular burden of burdens here in this life are to help us realize Christ is our one desire. Not our sinful desires. Christ is who we desire nothing else. Our cross is to help us realize this as St Dismas did. This is why we are told to pick up our cross and follow him.
So in this way it is traditionally believed St Dismas was purged of his desire to sin by not only recognizing Jesus for who he is (accepting him as his savior) but also suffering with Him for his own sin, allowing his cross to purge himself of his desire to sin and to focus his desire on Christ. Indeed, imagine how much St Dismas must have desired Christ! Thus he became as pure as Christ at the moment of his death and thus was “with Him in paradise).
In this way many have said for example Teri Shiavo suffered and went through her own purgation on earth. Or, Mother Angelica may be going through a purgation now. A form of suffering so great that no sin can tempt, a suffering so great that only Christ is desired. This is purgation. This is purgatory.
We will suffer so greatly either here and now or in the hereafter. It is our choice.