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.
So you testify you are working out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
AMEN!
Not in the sense you mean, as if it could possibly be in jeopardy. Scripture clearly says that’s a lie. Why? Because it is a lie about who God IS. There is no one greater than Him, and He swore by HIMSELF (see: Hebrews). Salvation is not on me, He bore my sins in Christ.
Those who, like the Jews, pursue it “as if by works” will not obtain it because it is a free gift.
No it was not the purgation place...No one got cleansed of anything...No one went there because they had sins to pay for...
They weren't waiting to get clean, they were waiting for Jesus to open the doggone door...And he did...
They all left at the same time...And the gates of that place are still wide open...It's empty...
“the reward is given the soul (or souls) that is/are purified. All you need to do is read it.”
You might try re-reading it. It is not talking about an individual’s soul, and it is not talking about purifying anything.
It says God will REVEAL - not purify, but REVEAL - the quality of a man’s work in building up the church. One who has built well will be rewarded. The Christian who builds poorly is still saved and still enters heaven, but without a reward.
There is ZERO mention of purification. None. It has NOTHING to do with an individual’s sin or an individual’s soul.
“The passage says that the man (or the collective man if Mr. Rogers so insists on this ecclesiological aspect) is purified from his inferior works by burning their presence in him as a building.”
Paul is extremely clear. It takes a lot of work to ignore the plain meaning. The BUILDING being built and tested is NOT the man’s soul.
“After all, who is Apollos? And who is Paul? We are simply God s servants, by whom you were led to believe. Each one of us does the work which the Lord gave him to do: I planted the seed, Apollos watered the plant, but it was God who made the plant grow...There is no difference between the one who plants and the one who waters; God will reward each one according to the work each has done. For we are partners working together for God, and you are God s field.”
What is being discussed? The labor of a Christian minister. Not his soul.
After comparing the church to a field, Paul switches to comparing it to a building:
“You are also God s building. Using the gift that God gave me, I did the work of an expert builder and laid the foundation, and someone else is building on it. But each of you must be careful how you build.”
Paul cannot be clearer. He is not discussing his soul. He is not discussing his sin or lack thereof. He is discussing building the church!
“And the quality of each person s work will be seen when the Day of Christ exposes it. For on that Day fire will reveal everyone s work; the fire will test it and show its real quality. If what was built on the foundation survives the fire, the builder will receive a reward. But if your work is burnt up, then you will lose it; but you yourself will be saved, as if you had escaped through the fire.”
To repeat: “fire will reveal everyone s work...and show its real quality”. Nothing to do with purifying. Nothing to do with an individual soul or with salvation.
This passage needs no explanation beyond what Paul has given in the text, UNLESS someone wants to twist it to match a theology that was utterly unknown by Paul.
I mean it precisely as the Apostle to the Gentiles' Epistle to the Phillipians has, sans the Koine Greek. It's right there, posted for all to see.
So you testify you now are not working out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
No, I do not grant your argument.
What makes you think Msgr. Pope or anyone familiar with the teachings of the Holy Church disagrees with that?
Probably because we read what you guys write...
**In Revelation is says that the 144,000 washed their robes clean. **
How? Through baptism and through repentance in the Sacrament of Penance/Reconciliation.
You’re correct. Context is the key to understanding all Scripture.
You couldn't find a purgatory in those verses even if you recruited Sherlock Holmes to help you...
Those verses speak NOTHING of a man getting burned...Not even sun burn...No judgment whatsoever on the man...
Not only is there no punishment, the bad works that you guys want Jesus to judge you by are gone...They have disappeared in the smoke...They got burned up...
Twisting those plain, clear scriptures to mean a Catholic purgatory falls under one catagory...
2Co_2:17 For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.
Gal 1:7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. Gal 1:8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
Burned off of what??? That's not what the verses are about...It has nothing to do with imperfections...It has to do with bad and fruitless works...And the memory of those is burned into non existence...
Your 'sorry' is meaningless to God...You could not possibly ever be sorry enough...
And if you take responsibility for the 'reparation' for your sins, you will end up in hell...Because that's where you and I and everyone else deserves to be no matter how sorry we are...
Plus, if you are going to pay for the sin, it was pointless for Jesus to die...
Clearly your religion doesn't understand what the Crucifixion was all about...
That is purgatory: the reward is given the soul (or souls) that is/are purified. All you need to do is read it.
You refuse to accept what the scriptures say...There are no bodies or souls that get purified...Nothing touches the bodies or souls...
Tuesday, November 3
Liturgical Color: Green
The Church dedicates the month of
November to the remembrance of all the
holy souls in purgatory. Our prayers can
help souls in purgatory. "He made
atonement for the dead that they may be
freed from this sin." (2 Maccabees 12:46)
... Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.Amen.
(Revelation 5:12)
What I find most interesting in these frequent arguments over the Catholic dogma of Purgatory is no two Catholics seem to believe the same thing about it once you get down through the surface layer. One believes it is an almost instantaneous process and another adamantly insists it is as tortuous as hell and getting through can take thousands of years for some. Isn’t it logical to expect some kind of detail after all these years when they invented the whole idea in the first place? Scripture sure is no help.
Beautifully explained! Thank you.
Wow. Such a great post, SR. Sermon material!
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