Purgatory: God’s Last Act of Mercy

Kelli - Sacred Heart

Kelli - Sacred Heart

God is rich in mercy (Exodus 34:6­7) with an inexhaustible love for everyone. In the beautiful portrayal of the father in the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11­32), Jesus reveals how our heavenly Father is always ready to run out to meet His repentant, wayward sons with an embrace of love. Throughout our earthly lives, God showers us with His mercy but this gift of love does not end at our death. God’s love extends into the afterlife as He offers one last act of mercy – Purgatory.

Receiving Our Eternal Sentence

When a person dies, he will be judged immediately by Christ (Hebrews 9:27). In Catholic Tradition this is called the particular judgment, the moment when the person will be given their eternal sentence; he will be sent to either heaven or hell. Those who are in friendship with God, who love God, without mortal sin on their soul, will receive the reward of heaven. Yet, in order to enter heaven and be in the presence of God, one must be perfect, pure and holy. “Strive…for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14). Referring to heaven, St. John writes, “Nothing unclean shall enter it” (Revelation 21:27). “Blessed are the pure of heart for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8).

If anyone of us were to die at this moment, how many of us could say we are completely pure? Even though we are in a state of grace, we are far from being holy. Scripture tells us we cannot be in heaven unless we are perfect. This purity is not merely superficial. Just as there is a vast difference between a gold­plated coin and a coin which is pure gold, so too with us; God does not simply cover our fallen nature with holiness without changing our interior being. God says we must be perfect in order to enter heaven. As difficult as this sounds, we should not despair by thinking the perfection needed for heaven is impossible. We are told nothing is impossible with God (Luke 1:37). Sacred Scripture is clear; God desires all men to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4). We can be confident God has a means to make us perfect.

God’s Merciful Plan

God has ordained our earthly lives as being the time of mercy when the process of purgation begins. God freely gives us His grace to purify and transform us and, as this grace increases within our soul, we are being increasingly renewed and perfected (Colossians 3:9­10). However, for those of us who die in a state of grace but not yet made perfect, God has given us the great gift of purgatory because of His merciful love. It is in purgatory where men can be made holy and enabled to enter heaven to be in the presence of God.

Unfortunately, there is a misconception which exists among our Protestant brothers and sisters who view purgatory as a second chance for the unrepentant or a “get out of jail free card” for those who have lived in sin. This is far from the reality revealed in Sacred Scripture and taught by the Church. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “All who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven” (1030). Purgatory is a state after death through which a person is purified from anything which defiles the soul. When a person dies who is not in a state of grace, does not love God or dies with unrepentant mortal sinon his soul, he will go to hell. Purgatory is not an option for that person because they have already made their choice, and God, being the perfect gentleman, respects our choices. Purgatory is only for those who have been given the judgment that they will ultimately be in heaven but their soul is not fully perfected.

Purgation: Not a Second Chance

When we sin, we disobey God and act in ways opposed to love of God. Mortal sin, serious sin, is completely opposed to the love of God and destroys our relationship with God by removing sanctifying grace (1 John 5:16­17). Venial sins are less serious, but they are still acts contrary to love of God. With venial sin, our relationship with God is wounded but not destroyed and grace remains in the soul. Every sinful act incurs the guilt of sin and a consequent punishment, not because God is vengeful but because of the nature of sin itself. The guilt of sin is a result of knowing we have disobeyed God and is removed in an act of repentance, asking God for forgiveness. Once a sin is forgiven, punishment due to our actions still remains. Eternal punishment is the consequence of mortal sin because one has freely chosen to separate himself from God. However, because of God’s mercy, eternal punishment can be remitted in this life through absolution in the Sacrament of Confession or through an act of perfect contrition with the resolution of receiving the Sacrament of Confession (Catechism of the Catholic Church 1452, 1468­1470). With mortal sin, the Sacrament of Confession also reconciles the person with both God and the Church.

A further consequence of all sin is our relationship with God and our neighbor is injured plus we too are weakened, and we must make amends for these temporal punishments in order to be perfected. Impurities of our soul are not limited to sin as we can also form worldly attachments that lead us away from God and have sinful inclinations contrary to love of God. For all these impurities on our soul, with God’s grace, in this life we have opportunities to purify ourselves through various forms of penance, prayer, works of charity and with redemptive suffering, but, if we are not yet perfect after this life, we are purified in the next through purgatory (Catechism of the Catholic Church 1459­1460, 1472­1473).

Purgatory: Removing the Imperfections and Impurities

Imagine a wooden board, painted completely white and perfectly smooth with no damage or defects. This is like a pure soul without sin. Now, imagine nails have been hammered into this board representing the sins we have committed. You remove each of the nails as you repent but the result is nail holes remain. Over time the board also sustains scratches and stains which correspond to our worldly attachments and sinful inclinations. In order for the board to be restored to perfection, all of these defects must be repaired; we must experience purgation in this life or in the next to become perfectly pure.

Throughout Scripture, God reveals how He is a refiner and purifier of silver and gold (Wisdom 3:5­6; 1 Peter 1:6­7). This idea of refining and purifying is analogous to our sanctification, the process where God makes us holy. This process begins in our earthly lives, but, if a person dies in a state of grace but not yet perfect, it continues in purgatory.

When working to purify a piece of silver, the silversmith will apply very intense heat to the metal causing dross (impurities) to rise to the surface. He will remove the dross as it rises to the surface and will continue reapplying the intense heat until he finally sees the metal is pure. How does the silversmith know when the silver is pure? When he can see his own reflection in it. Similarly, penance, prayer and sacrifices in this life and purgatorial suffering after death are like this fire and heat (1 Corinthians 3:15). These experiences refine us to remove imperfections. When God can see His own reflection in us, we are free to enter heaven.

God’s Great Gift

Because we have a fallen human nature, we are not perfect and there is nothing we can do on our own to change this reality, which is why God Himself will purify us. This process of purgation begins in our earthly lives but is not always completed at the moment of death. The imperfect cannot enter into the presence of God, but for those in God’s friendship at the moment of death, there is good news. Our God is a merciful God and, because of this, has given us the great gift of purgatory. God makes us perfect and enables us to enter heaven and eternal communion with Him where we are filled with everlasting peace, joy and happiness.

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20 thoughts on “Purgatory: God’s Last Act of Mercy”

  1. Pingback: 1.05: Happy All Souls Day! – Consequent Ideas

  2. Sometimes I do think that being there in a sense would be a relief-even if you stay there til the General Judgment; at least you would know you are not going to Hell. I did realize some time back that having the attitude “I’ll just do enough to make it to purgatory” is not a good attitude.

    1. Allison Tobola Low

      There is definitely great suffering and many Church Fathers discuss that it is in part a suffering of fire (1 Cor 3:15) though it is not eternal as it is in hell, and, unlike in hell, those in purgatory do know eventually they will be in heaven, which they eagerly await it (which is part of the suffering).

    2. Allison Tobola Low

      First, it is important to recognize there is much about the next life God has not revealed to us and the specifics about what happens in purgatory have not been dogmatically taught.
      Using what has been revealed by God, it the common belief among the Western Church Fathers that the pain experienced in purgatory will be worse than any pain experienced on earth. They hold the suffering will be in part due to separation from God and a physical suffering of fire (due to passages such as 1 Cor 3:15). Additionally, these souls will realize the gravity of each and every imperfection and sin, even those considered “light sins”, and how deeply they wounded their relationship with God in some way. Comparing the suffering with that on earth, in purgatory the suffering consumes a person unceasingly. It is not intermittent pains like on earth – there are no distractions and no reprieve (there is no sleep or medications or anything to take the mind off of the pain). But the soul is at the same time filled with hope and joy because they know these pains only bring the moment of entering heaven closer. And there is great consolation in intensely experiencing God’s great merciful love in purgatory.

      To learn more, I highly recommend the book: “The End of the Present World and the Mysteries of the Future Life” by Fr. Charles Arminjon. Again, the speculations about what happens in the afterlife are not dogma but the thinking of the Church Fathers is reasonable and highly regarded.

    3. ” Again, the speculations about what happens in the afterlife are not dogma”

      Whew, thank God – maybe they are as far off as possible then, coming from men
      who … just speculated. If we take speculation into the stock market for example
      you could lose a fortune or make a modest amount ( without inside trader info )
      but also win a bundle too, but that’s not a highly likely scenario. Factor in eastern
      deism that has refined the notion of purgation to a shine and these church father speculators may not even be in the ball park. I don’t know Alison, sounds like you
      are promoting 2nd and 3d party notions here and if you want to be upfront about
      it the best you can say is ts an undeveloped religious theory. Thank you for your
      thoughts on the matter.

    4. Allison Tobola Low

      God has not revealed the details to us. I am expressing the views of the majority of the Western Church Fathers as I noted, who used reason with what has been revealed, to come to conclusions. Take St. Thomas Aquinas for example. In his Summa Theologica, Supplement, Appendix I, question 1, he writes: “Augustine says in a sermon: ‘This fire of purgatory will be more severe than any pain that can be felt, seen or conceived in this world’.” Aquinas then goes on to discuss the types of pain experienced. Many Fathers express the same view because Scripture tells us that this will be a process of refining – and like with metal there will be intense heat. Similarly, in 1 Cor 3:15 Paul tells us this process of purification will be through fire. It is reasonable to conclude this will be painful.

      Additionally, we are to pray for those who have died and we can also offer works of penance, almsgiving, indulgences and masses for these souls in purgatory (see Catechism #1032, 1479; also 2 Maccabees 12:46). Why would we be encouraged to pray for these souls and offer up sacrifices for them with the hope of a quicker process of purification for them? Because it is not a purely joyous occasion in purgatory! These souls want to get to heaven, and, as members of the Body of Christ, we want this for them as well. The difference is those of us on earth still have the ability to perform works of penance, fasting, indulgences, etc, we offer these for ourselves and for the dead.

      And the Church refers to those of us on earth as the Church Militant, those in heaven as the Church Triumphant and those in purgatory as the Church Suffering. This also speaks volumes – it is not those of us on earth referred to as the Church Suffering but rather those in purgatory!

    5. Saint Thomas Aquinas was a champion of the Inquisition. Now if Jesus berated Peter for cutting off the high priest’s servants ear how could this learned Dominican approve people being broken on the rack and burned at a stake ? And you trust this man who was into mortification of the body, into deprivation and torture to elucidate a theoretical realm after death.? It’s a stretch, Allison. And Augustine, living in an age where woman were expected to push out kids and if a few of them died oh well, and if any child who was stillborn or god knows how many SID cases happened, well, they’d get sent to a place where they were not worthy to see God but oh so perfectly happy. You really trust this level of reason and intellect, Allison ? I can see it now, mommy, will purgatory hurt ?
      Oh yes, dear, more than any toothache or accident you could ever imagine – well, no, I don’t think you would say this to your child – but you’d expect an adult to buy into it. But I do respect your faith and can only hope …no believe, that it is utterly off course when it comes to this sort of pseudo theology that is so unlike our Savior’s focus – and look at the people and times He had to work with.

    6. Laurence Charles Ringo

      Wow…that is a seriously awesome fairy tale,Ms.Low!!…WOW!!! [ And,scary,too!]

    7. Laurence Charles Ringo

      Seriously,Ms.Low? Let me ask you this question : Has anyone ever determined how long one has to suffer such”torment”before one is released? Ho you know when your loved ones were,or will be, released? Who could tell you the date? SERIOUSLY,Ms.Low??

    8. Allison Tobola Low

      The Church Fathers do teach that in purgatory there will be a sense of joy in some way by knowing that ultimately we will be in heaven BUT in purgatory there will be great suffering. Purgatory is not something that we should desire or wish for – we are to long for heaven and to be with God. BUT there is great consolation knowing that in God’s merciful love, He has given us the gift of purgatory.

      And the Church teaches us that it is possible to avoid purgatory! We are to do as much as we can in this life through prayer, fasting, penance, frequent participation in the Sacraments, offering up our suffering and indulgences to undergo our sanctification in THIS life rather than in purgatory.

    9. Laurence Charles Ringo

      Oh,for crying out loud, Ms.Low!! I would urge you to try sorting these issues out on your own,instead of blindly believing these so-called “church fathers ” weird,bizarre theories,speculations, and guesswork,not to mention the bogus interpretations foisted upon various verses in a vain attempt to undergird this non-existent doctrine! (The Book of Hebrews nullifies both the so-called”Mass”AND the non-existent”purgatory,by the way.) Tell me,Ms.Low: if ALL Christians comprise the Body of Christ, of which He is The Head,does that mean that He goes to purgatory as well? Show the readers why He shouldn’t endure purgatory along with His Body; after all,His Body presumably exist as a whole,no? The whole premise of “purgatory ” is nonsensical at best and blasphemous at worst; it attempts to negate Our Saviour’s Work of Redemption on our behalf,but again,The Book of Hebrews nullifies the concept of this non-existent dogma/doctrine.–PEACE.?.

    10. Good for you, Allison; you have made people think! And, since there is only one truth, and there is only one Truth, you are helping folks consider it and assisting them on their way to Him. Keep on keepin’ on.! As for the Church Fathers, the most impressive are those who said these things and then, with a smile on their faces, rejoiced as they entered the arena to be torn apart for the sport and entertainment of the pagans. These men and women I believe. Guy McClung, San Antonio, Texas

  3. Dear Allison-You have done some fine work here-these are good resources for anyone who discusses purgatory-and nowadays such a discussion is not limited to protestants asserting sola fide-many catholics do not believe in purgatory or do not want to. I will be there-and I know I will be there, basically, because I WANT to be there-I have bought my own ticket there and it is my free will, my choices that will put me there [and I am sinning against presumption right now, saying that I do not want to be in Hell and hoping that saying that keeps me out of Hell]. You are so correct re God the “gentleman,” and it is more – He made us so wondrously amazing and free that if we choose “My will be done, not Yours,” He says fine, I do not want that for you, but you are free. Thank you for this article. Guy McClung, San Antonio, Texas

    1. Allison Tobola Low

      Thank you for the kind words! I am glad you found this helpful.
      To clarify, it is not a sin of presumption to desire to be in heaven / to not want to be in hell.
      The sin of presumption is that either we presume upon our own capacities (that we can save ourselves without God) or we presume upon God’s power and mercy (such that we count on God’s mercy/forgiveness without conversion). See Catechism #2092.

      We should all be aiming for heaven. Even though the state of purgatory is a merciful gift, it is not our goal – we should not aim for purgatory!
      When we speak of our ultimate salvation, we must recognize that it is only by the grace of God that we will be enabled to enter heaven. God offer us all His gift of grace – if we freely receive it, cooperate with it and persevere in His grace until death, God’s grace will perfect us so that we can be in heaven with God eternally. At our particular judgment, if our sentence is hell it is by our own choice – we rejected God and His grace in our earthly life; if our sentence is heaven it is because of God’s grace alone but our hearts were open allowing grace to transform us.

    2. Laurence Charles Ringo

      I’ve read /heard the non-existent”purgatory ” described in many different ways throughout the centuries by various Catholic theologians,writers,et.al.,but I’ve NEVER read/heard of it being ANY kind of supposed”merciful gift”; if such a place even existed,to describe it as such would be a rank absurdity.I await your reply, Ms.Low.

    3. Laurence Charles Ringo

      Frankly,Mr.McClung,your attitude inre a non-existent place/condition is mind-bogglingly bizarre,to say the least; it would be humorous if it wasn’t so…sad.

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