My notes from a talk I gave after mass last Sunday:
THE
LAST THINGS - part 3
PURGATORY
Both reason and faith tell us that there is a
middle ground of expiation, where the soul is cleansed from all stain of sin
before it can enter the glory of heaven. "There shall not enter into it
anything defiled" (Apoc. 21:27). Christ said, "Amen, I say to thee,
thou will not come out from it until thou hast paid the last penny" (Matt.
5:26). Even persons who deny the existence of purgatory instinctively pray for
their loved ones who have died. There would be great inconsistency if their
reason did not tell them that their prayers would do the dead good. Prayers are
useless for those in heaven or hell.
WHY
PURGATORY?
Because God is both just and merciful.
Purgatory is for the good of the soul, not because God enjoys inflicting pain.
The logic of purgatory springs from two
facts:- our imperfection on earth, and our perfection in heaven.
WHAT
IS IT?
·
A temporary destination – heaven & hell
are eternal destinations.
·
It is for those who are neither good
enough for heaven nor bad enough for hell (see CCC1030). It is for those souls
who after receiving Baptism committed sins but have been absolved of all mortal
sins. This is decided at the Particular Judgement (session 2).
·
It is to gain sanctity needed to enter
into the joy of heaven.
·
It is the final purification for the
elect which is entirely different to punishment of damned.
WHAT
IS PURGATORY LIKE?
St Catherine of Genoa says that although purgatory
is incomparably painful (because we see all the horror of our own sins – and we
cannot do anything about them ourselves) yet it is incomparably joyful because
God is with us there, and we are learning to endure the truth, His light. It is
joyful also because all those in purgatory are assured of their eventual
entrance into heaven.
UNDERSTANDING
THE CHURCH’S DOCTRINE OF PURGATORY
It really helps to understand the difference between
the 2 effects of sin:-
a.
Eternal
effects of sin affect our relationship with God – after
sinning it is restored through repentance and sacrament of penance
(‘confession’).
b.
Temporal
effects of sin affect our neighbour, ourselves and the
world – we need to do penance for this – this is for justice, this is for our
healing (remedial) - we begin to address
this through the penance we do from Confession but that is just the beginning –
we can do penance for one another’s sins as well as our own (Our Lady of Fatima
asked the children seers to offer a rosary each day for a penance for sinners) à see also indulgences.
While patiently bearing
sufferings and trials of all kinds and, when the day comes, serenely facing
death, the Christian must strive to accept this temporal punishment of sin as a
grace. He should strive by works of mercy and charity, as well as by prayer and
the various practices of penance, to put off completely the ‘old man’ and to
put on the ‘new man.’ (CCC1473)
The purgation of purgatory is for our cleansing, our
healing, our preparation for heaven – it is also penance for all the sin we
have not done penance for in this life.
PENANCE
·
Penance is an act that is contributing
to our conversion.
·
The Church allocates Fridays and Lent as
special times to do Penance. We abstain from meat collectively on a Friday as a
corporate penance for the sins of all members of the Church. And Lent is a
special time to do penance for sin. However we can do penance at any time. Any
sacrifice or suffering can be offered up as a penance.
We can also ask for a
mass to be offered as reparation for sin (general or specific sins).
THE
IMPORTANCE OF PRAYING FOR THE DEAD
·
Why pray for the dead? It is common for
people to pray for the dead. Why do this if prayer does nothing to help them?
·
Of course we do not know if a particular
person is in purgatory for we cannot judge them. However we pray as if they are
in purgatory.
·
To pray for the holy souls in purgatory
is one of the Spiritual Works of Mercy.
·
The holy soul in purgatory can do
nothing to avail itself of grace (for that is only possible in this life).
However, the soul in purgatory CAN benefit from our prayers.
HOW TO PRAY FOR THE DEAD
·
The highest and most effective prayer
for the holy souls in purgatory is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. By having a
Mass offered for the intention of a soul or souls in purgatory, we offer in
this world the best help to the holy souls.
·
The next most effective prayer is the
Holy Rosary. Piously praying a Holy Rosary for the intention of holy souls in
purgatory is the most effective thing we can do without the aid of a priest
offering a mass.
·
Remembering to pray for the holy souls
in purgatory on a regular basis. E.g. “May the souls of the faithful in the
mercy of God rest in peace. Amen.”
·
Almsgiving
:- by making gifts to charitable causes ; this pious act offered for the holy
souls is also an effective act of intercessory reparation (St John Chrysostom
recommended this).
·
Piously offering acts of sacrifice or
charity for the benefit of the souls in purgatory can be another helpful and
effective thing to do.
REMEMBER! Those souls in
purgatory who are hastened to heaven by our prayer will undoubtedly pray for us
from heaven. This can be another motivation to pray for the dead.
