Faith, Hope, and Remembrance

Purgatory

November is the month when Catholics dedicate their prayers to the souls that find themselves in Purgatory. Depending on the person hearing the word purgatory, it can have several meanings. As a Catholic Christian, I believe that it is a place where we end up if we have some unresolved issues.  We meet the requirement for a Heaven but need a bit of time to straighten some things out and we do not end up in that permanent place of despair. It is a place where we can resolve some things before God opens the door to paradise. In Webster’s dictionary, Purgatory is “an intermediate state after death for expiatory purification. specifically: a place or state of punishment wherein according to Roman Catholic doctrine the souls of those who die in God’s grace may make satisfaction for past sins and so become fit for heaven: a place or state of temporary suffering or misery.” If you are a skier, Purgatory is a great place to hit the slopes.

We all live imperfect lives, but most of us do our best to follow God’s commands and to live up to the instructions given to us by Christ. We love God above all else and we try very hard to love our neighbors as ourselves.  Most of us upon self-reflection also recognize our flaws and pray that we qualify for home in Heaven but also know that a brief stop in Purgatory may be a possibility. Most of us will not find ourselves cast into that really bad place because God is extremely patient, and Jesus forgives 70 times 7.  In some cases, we cast ourselves into a form of purgatory because we do not see the goodness inside ourselves.  Most of us try to be good to others and always try and often succeed to do the right thing.

None of us know where our souls travel to when we take our last breath, but what we do know is that our journey home has begun. The faithful know that our God is merciful and welcoming and that the path to Heaven has been presented to us by Jesus.  God is pure unconditional love, and we know that despite our imperfections, He loves us completely. God’s unconditional love resulted in the birth of our Savior, and the Savior’s journey to the cross upon which the price for our salvation was paid.  The entrance to paradise is wide open, we are the ones who put up the roadblocks.  As we pray for the souls making their journey to Heaven, pray that we the living grow closer to the teachings of Jesus.

God Bless.

Andrej N. Lah

5 responses to “Purgatory”

  1. CHERYL BERNADINE REPKO Avatar
    CHERYL BERNADINE REPKO

    thanks so much for writing about purgatory. my mother was mentally disturbed in that she hated me and clung to my sister as “her” child. i was the first born, and i believe she wasn’t prepared for my father to love me and take some attention away from her. my father passed when i was only 20, and mother began treating me as an interloper except when there was something i could do for her. i spent many years doing everything i could to make her life better, but it was never good enough. ultimately she disowned and disinherited me in her will. she also grew increasingly angry at my beloved father for dying so young and leaving her alone. she also said she was done with God because he hadn’t given her the life she deserved. although i recognize she wasn’t right mentally and emotionally, i firmly believe she is in purgatory, but will ascend to heaven when she is deemed to have atoned for her actions. i have forgiven her, and of course i know God will, too. i hope to see her one day in heaven and discover she finally loves me. thank you again for your article. i deeply appreciate it.

    Reply
  2. Terry Wilk Avatar
    Terry Wilk

    I appreciate Andrej’s articles in these newletters. I am curious, though. Where in the Holy Bible does it identify the concept of purgatory (by name?) and what is it specifically used for? Thank you.

    Reply
    1. Cleveland Catholic Cemeteries Avatar
      Cleveland Catholic Cemeteries

      It is not referenced by name in the Holy Bible but is found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. There are many articles on this topic that can explain what it is and what it is used for. I believe that our merciful and forgiving God gives each of us every opportunity to come to Him and that when we die with sin, damnation can be avoided but we made need a period of reconciliation and purification. -Andrej N. Lah

      Reply
      1. Terry Wilk Avatar
        Terry Wilk

        Thank you for responding, Andrej. I was raised Catholic as a child and I thought that the Catholic Church believed that Jesus lived, died, and was resurrected to pay for all of our sins IF one repented (changed their mind about who Jesus was and what He did for them) and placed their faith in Jesus as their Savior and Lord. That’s what the Bible says in John 3:16 and in several other verses contained therein, too. If a person does not believe that Jesus was who He said He was and rejects His forgivenness, then his sins are not forgiven and he is doomed for hell. No amount of prayers, candle lighting, etc., can forgive their sins and enable them to go to Heaven, according to God’s Word which is the ultimate authority for our Christian faith.

  3. Emme D Avatar
    Emme D

    Purgatory as part of the Catholic Church only came up in the 13th century. It became “dogma” at the Council of Lyon in 1274. Prior to that it was part of the belief system of ancient Greeks with its roots in antiquity, with the “celestial Hades” appearing in the writings of Plato and Heraclides Ponticus.

    In part purgatory came into being when many Catholics, believing in God’s ultimate unconditional love thought they could go to confession and resuming sinning. As long as they died after confessing, they had a ticket to heaven. Needless to say, church fathers were not pleased with this attitude and thus came purgatory.

    But with purgatory came indulgences – the clerical “get out of jail free card.” It wasn’t long before indulgences earned by prayer and good works became cash commodities – ultimately leading to the Reformation.

    The dubious reasoning for purgatory exists today because most humans can’t comprehend God’s unconditional love. Or they don’t want too. It’s too difficult for most to accept that despite living their lives well, the most evil people who die in God’s graces will be with them in heaven. The reality is God sent His only son who redeemed us all. “Purgatory” calls that redemption incomplete.

    Reply

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