Purgatory

I have often heard it said that there are some people who live out their purgatory here on earth. At times I have hoped it was true, especially times like today when I just get back from a serious dental appointment -involving blood and squirming and general sadness all around (well from me anyway).

It is a great thing to understand the Catholic Doctrine of Purgatory, because unfortunately not many people bother looking into it. What a glory of mercy that God would give us such a place, as witnessed by the Holy Scripture that we can have such a "safety net." I think one of the best analogies is those guys who get shot out of a cannon at the circus. We have to be shot out of the "cannon" of death, and our hope and labors aim to land at our destination. But if we have done our best to prepare, but have not quite made it we have the safety of that net which though we may suffer in it, at least we won't die. If you followed that analogy...

It is unfortunate that so many think that the Church is coming up with a new man-made teaching, when this teaching has been handed on to us from the Apostles and even acknowledged in the Book of the Maccabees. Sadly, given the recent findings of the International Theological Commission, a branch of one of the Vatican's Congregations (the Congregration for the Doctrine of the Faith), some even think that Purgatory has been given up. This is not true, in fact; rather, the unofficially held opinion of Limbo was revoked as a tenable position.

There many resources out there to explain the Church's constant teaching, like here, or here or here, so I won't go into those. What I think must be said is that those of who believe and understand the Mercy given to us in Purgatory should remember to pray for those poor souls who continue to await their purification for their temporal punishment due to sin.