Purgatory

One of my favorite Catholic doctrines is the Church’s teaching on the subject of Purgatory. The idea of Purgatory has at its heart the infinitely deep mercy of God. God, in His great love and mercy, desires the salvation of all His children. He wants us united to Him, with Him enjoying the fullness of His life in Heaven. But nothing impure, no stain of imperfection, however slight, can enter into Heaven. There is no blight on God’s radiant goodness, and it is that goodness that makes up our Heavenly homeland.

Nothing imperfect enters into Heaven but when we die most of us are not free of all imperfection. What then? Are we condemned to Hell? The Church, calling on God’s mercy, says no, despite our imperfection, so long as we do not die unrepentant in a state of mortal sin, we can have hope of Heaven. Purgatory is the manifestation of that hope. Even after our death our souls can be cleansed, the last vestiges of sin washed away, wounds mended, imperfections purified. This process of purification which prepares us for union of God, this last step before Heaven, is Purgatory.

Belief in Purgatory is a source of hope both for ourselves and for our loved ones who die before us. We can have hope even when we see our own weakness and inclination to sin, we do not have to despair of ever attaining Heaven, overwhelmed by our imperfection. God has provided a way; His mercy will see us safely home so long as we choose to press on toward Him. We do not have to make it all the way on our own strength during this arduous earthly pilgrimage.

Even after our death we do not have to rely solely on our own strength to endure the final process of purification. God has created us as a people, as One Body united in Him. Just as we can, and should, pray for one another during life, even after their death, the souls of the faithful departed can be aided by our prayers. In the Book of Maccabees, Judas leads the men of his army in a prayer for his dead soldiers, praying that their sin might be blotted out. Sacred Scripture commends this act of mercy and piety saying, “In doing this he acted in a very excellent and noble way, inasmuch as he had the resurrection of the dead in view, for if he were not expecting the fallen to rise again, it would have been foolish to pray for them in death. But if he did this with a view to the splendid reward that awaits those who had gone to rest in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Thus he made atonement for the dead that they might be freed from this sin.” 2 Mac 12: 43-46

Those in Hell are beyond the help of our prayers and those already enjoying the glory of Heaven have no need of them. Nevertheless, scripture tell us it is excellent and noble to pray for those who have died. Those in Purgatory, those still being made ready for Heaven, are in need of our prayers. Let us then take up this excellent and noble act, let us entreat God’s mercy, praying even today for all those who have died and holding firm the hope that we too can trust in God’s mercy.