{"id":4109,"date":"2024-06-12T07:47:43","date_gmt":"2024-06-11T23:47:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/beloved\/?p=4109"},"modified":"2024-08-17T12:54:20","modified_gmt":"2024-08-17T04:54:20","slug":"are-most-catholics-meant-only-for-purgatory","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/beloved\/2024\/06\/are-most-catholics-meant-only-for-purgatory\/","title":{"rendered":"Are Most Catholics Meant Only for Purgatory?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>
Image from Canva Pro<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>
If there is one Catholic concept that Protestants strongly reject, I think it would be purgatory.<\/strong> To our Protestant brothers and sisters, once you die, you can go to heaven if you have truly believed in Christ. It is that simple. Why make it complicated?<\/p>\n
But of course, in the end, it is not about simplicity of thought but about truth. We can dig very deeply into something if we can uncover what\u2019s true in the end.<\/p>\n
For us Catholics, purgatory is a truth that we accept because it has been revealed by God\u2019s wisdom and guidance to the Church.<\/strong><\/p>\n
Because of this, we don\u2019t always assume that we go straight to heaven after we die. We know that we can still go to a place of purification before doing so.<\/em><\/p>\n
\u201cGrave sin deprives us of communion with God and therefore makes us incapable of eternal life, the privation of which is called the \u2018eternal punishment\u2019 of sin. On the other hand every sin, even venial, entails an unhealthy attachment to creatures, which must be purified either here on earth, or after death in the state called Purgatory. This purification frees one from what is called the \u2018temporal punishment\u2019 of sin.\u201d \u2013 Catechism of the Catholic Church (1472 )<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\u201cAll who die in God\u2019s 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.\u201d \u2013 Catechism of the Catholic Church (1030 )<\/strong><\/p>\n
The Acceptance of Purgatory<\/h2>\n By accepting the doctrine of purgatory, we continue to pray for our loved ones who have passed away.<\/strong> Since we don\u2019t assume they went straight to heaven, we do our best to pray for them in case they still need to be purified.<\/p>\n Hence, our loved ones are not left on their own on their path towards heaven.<\/em> They have the Church, the saints and their loved ones who offer prayers, sacrifices and supplications for their sake.<\/p>\n Purgatory is indeed a common idea among us Catholics, and it\u2019s so common that sometimes, we assume that it is the ordinary path we need to take after we die.<\/p>\n But is it?<\/em> Is it God\u2019s will that we should still undergo the purifying fires of purgatory instead of going to heaven?<\/strong><\/p>\n The Possibility of Going Straight to Heaven<\/h2>\n The Catechism of the Catholic Church states: \u201cA conversion which proceeds from a fervent charity can attain the complete purification of the sinner in such a way that no punishment would remain.\u201d (1472)<\/strong><\/p>\n Let us also read the following:<\/p>\n " \u201cThose who die in God\u2019s grace and friendship and are perfectly purified live for ever with Christ. They are like God for ever, for they \u201csee him as he is,\u201d face to face\u2026\u201d \u2013 Catechism of the Catholic Church (1023 )<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Although the Catholic Church believes in purgatory, it never said that it is the \u201conly way\u201d.<\/strong><\/p>\n Why then must we assume we\u2019re going there instead of hoping to get straight to heaven?<\/p>\n Sometimes, this belief in purgatory can affect our lives in such a way that we don\u2019t strive anymore for the holiness it takes to see God face-to-face.<\/p>\n Since we assume almost everyone needs to go to purgatory, we may live mediocre lives, accepting to receive our due punishment after death.<\/em><\/p>\n We can also undermine God\u2019s mercy by thinking that He \u201cneeds\u201d to punish every sin. Didn\u2019t Jesus already take upon Himself the terrible punishment for our sins?<\/p>\n The only reason we still need to be punished is if we refuse<\/strong> to follow Him and let Him purify us continuously in this life.<\/p>\n Do We Need To Be Like The Saints?<\/h2>\n One thing that can hinder us is our fear that we can\u2019t live the kind of lives like the saints we read about.<\/p>\n We can\u2019t fast as often nor can we make sacrifices like they did. We don\u2019t see ourselves living the way Mother Teresa did. And we can\u2019t see ourselves in the likes of St. Francis of Assisi or Padre Pio.<\/p>\n But what we must understand is that not every Christian is called to live a life in the very same way that those saints did.<\/strong><\/p>\n What all of us are called to is to live a life of holiness and love according to our state of life.<\/p>\n " \u201cGod wishes all to be holy; but some He wishes to be holy for their own sakes, some He wills to be holy for their own sake and for the sake of others also.\u201d \u2013 Ven. Joseph Frassinetti<\/p><\/blockquote>\n \u201cIn this world some are called to lead a life entirely angelic and celestial, which we should reverently admire, not that we should copy their actions, but that we may bless God for the graces He bestowed on them.\u201d \u2013 St. Francis de Sales<\/em><\/p>\n How Do We Go Straight To Heaven?<\/h2>\n St. Therese of Lisieux has some of the most inspiring words for us when it comes to purgatory and going straight to heaven:<\/strong><\/p>\n " \u201cYou do not have enough trust. You have too much fear before the good God. I can assure you that He is grieved over this. You should not fear Purgatory because of the suffering there, but should instead ask that you not deserve to go there in order to please God, Who so reluctantly imposes this punishment. As soon as you try to please Him in everything and have an unshakable trust He purifies you every moment in His love and He lets no sin remain. And then you can be sure that you will not have to go to Purgatory.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n God is not more pleased when you still have to suffer and go to Purgatory. God loves you! And He would be more pleased if you could immediately go to Him to see Him face-to-face!<\/p>\n \n Jocelyn Soriano<\/b> is the author of the book\u00a0Defending My Catholic Faith<\/a> (Straight Answers to Common Catholic Questions).<\/b><\/p>\n You may also want to read \u201cWhat Should You Look Forward To In Heaven?\u201d<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n \n<\/p> Buy the book<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n You may also want to read \u201cHow to Avoid Purgatory and Go Straight to Heaven!\u201d<\/strong><\/a> and \u201cWhen You Can\u2019t Go To Confession, How Do You Obtain God\u2019s Mercy?\u201d<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" If there is one Catholic concept that Protestants strongly reject, I think it would be purgatory. To our Protestant brothers and sisters, once you die, you can go to heaven if you have truly believed in Christ. It is that simple. Why make it complicated? But of course, in the end, it is not about […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4905,"featured_media":4115,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[456],"tags":[312,42,135,459,219],"class_list":["post-4109","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-divine-mercy","tag-divine-mercy","tag-forgiveness","tag-heaven","tag-hell","tag-purgatory"],"yoast_head":"\nAre Most Catholics Meant Only for Purgatory?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Should purgatory be the ordinary way to go to heaven? 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