Catholics - Can you pray while alive on earth to spend less time in purgatory or not to go to purgatory?
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buglady
Guest
Yes, you can. In fact that is one of the best ways to try to avoid purgatory all together. There are Plenary Indulgences and other prayers that help. The Apostolic Pardon at the time of death is also a good way to avoid suffering in purgatory. If you are fortunate enough to have a priest at that time, it would be good to make sure to ask him for it.
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Wesrock
Guest
The Church has the power to bind and loose, and that includes temporal punishment due to sin. This is based on the infinite merits of Christ and the finite merits of the saints. The Church offers “indulgences” for the remission of temporal punishment due to sin, but in particular it attaches them to certain edifying acts, such as reading the Bible, or completing certain devotional prayers. That way, the remission of punishment is directly related to works of spiritual improvement, if done in good faith. In connection with indulgences, yes, someone could perform certain works/prayer (if done in good faith) for the remission of punishment that would have been due in Purgatory.
To be clear, Purgatory is not a limbo. Purgatory is a transitory process that the saved go through on their way to Heaven, assuming they were not already perfect at the moment of death. Only people who are already saved go to Purgatory. Only people on their way to Heaven already go to Purgatory. So indulgences are not a way of earning salvation.
Also, the Church used to assign periods of time to Indulgences, but it should be clear that the time periods were not “time in purgatory” itself but were considered more as, “This indulgence is equal to X amount of time spent in ancient penance.” Some people today still misunderstand what was meant by the time period, and the Church no longer measures indulgences in any such way. Also, indulgences cannot be used for future sins or for mortal sins that one hasn’t already sought forgiveness for through the Church. Indulgences can only be applied to any sins you’ve already received forgiveness from eternal punishment for, and it can only be applied to any sins you’ve committed in the past, not to future sins.
To be clear, Purgatory is not a limbo. Purgatory is a transitory process that the saved go through on their way to Heaven, assuming they were not already perfect at the moment of death. Only people who are already saved go to Purgatory. Only people on their way to Heaven already go to Purgatory. So indulgences are not a way of earning salvation.
Also, the Church used to assign periods of time to Indulgences, but it should be clear that the time periods were not “time in purgatory” itself but were considered more as, “This indulgence is equal to X amount of time spent in ancient penance.” Some people today still misunderstand what was meant by the time period, and the Church no longer measures indulgences in any such way. Also, indulgences cannot be used for future sins or for mortal sins that one hasn’t already sought forgiveness for through the Church. Indulgences can only be applied to any sins you’ve already received forgiveness from eternal punishment for, and it can only be applied to any sins you’ve committed in the past, not to future sins.
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misstherese
Guest
One way to spend less time in purgatory is to wear the brown scapular and to follow all the rules associated with it. You can look it up online. The Sabbatine privilege is attached to it so that whoever dies with it and did as was said in accordance with the rules of the scapular, then that person would be delivered from purgatory by the Blessed Virgin the first Saturday after their death. A women in a story I heard on an audio book once prayed to die on a Saturday while wearing the scapular. Somehow she knew she would and she did.
Another way to shorten your time in purgatory would be to go to confession and take communion on the first Sunday after Easter. This is known as Divine Mercy Sunday. All sins and punishments attached to sin are wiped clean if one does this. I suggest you read about Divine Mercy and about the revelations Jesus gave to St. Faustina about this.
These are in no way a “short cut”. One should always strive to be holy in all they do and say. These are simply merciful blessings sent from Heaven!
Another way to shorten your time in purgatory would be to go to confession and take communion on the first Sunday after Easter. This is known as Divine Mercy Sunday. All sins and punishments attached to sin are wiped clean if one does this. I suggest you read about Divine Mercy and about the revelations Jesus gave to St. Faustina about this.
These are in no way a “short cut”. One should always strive to be holy in all they do and say. These are simply merciful blessings sent from Heaven!
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hymin
Guest
I agree with the abovementioned. One question to ask - how may I be given the dispositions to be free from all attachments to sin. This is necessary to obtain a plenary indulgence. I would answer the Church offers the Sacrament of Confession to that end.
By frequent use of good sacramental confessions, frequent fervent cultivation of the soul in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, and the recitation of the Most Holy Rosary - these most praised aspects of the ascetical life become real as angelically praised in your soul, that is the trinity residing there by superabundant grace.
With spiritual direction one grows in mental prayer to cultivate these benefits and attachments go from carnality to attachments to spirituality that tolerates no sin.
St. Theresa of Avila said, “The Lord goes in search of those who do love Him so as to give more to them.”
By frequent use of good sacramental confessions, frequent fervent cultivation of the soul in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, and the recitation of the Most Holy Rosary - these most praised aspects of the ascetical life become real as angelically praised in your soul, that is the trinity residing there by superabundant grace.
With spiritual direction one grows in mental prayer to cultivate these benefits and attachments go from carnality to attachments to spirituality that tolerates no sin.
St. Theresa of Avila said, “The Lord goes in search of those who do love Him so as to give more to them.”
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LordParrott
Guest
This is why we have indulgences. Please avail yourself of them.
Tis_Bearself
Patron
And just to be clear, you get the indulgences by praying and doing certain types of charitable acts. You do NOT pay the Church to get them.
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hazcompat
Guest
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NowAndFuture
Guest
Your question is logic, but you have to understand that we do not speak about time since time is created and those in heaven and in purgatory are outside of time, outside of the created earth. There is only one big now there. Prayers have to be related to amount of suffering; to have less of that. Suffering can be about longing for God because one don’t feel close enough. To pray for someone in purgatory will be about helping them closer to heaven, - the absolute state of being close to God for that person. This is difficult stuff, but my point of view is related to an understanding about heaven, purgatory and hell as conditions and not as places. As far as I know this corresponds to how Pope St. John Paul II saw it.
The catholic view is that one has to be clean to enter heaven; that is if some sort of venetial sins hangs around you, you have to be cleaned from them because nothing unclean can enter heaven, as the Bible says. That is what purgatory is for. Most of us will need some “cleaning afterward” because it is almost impossible to not do small sins, but we have been given the opportunity to ask for indulgences for those already being in the state of being purged or for ourselves. If we pray necessary prayers and do the work that has to be done (we can find that in “The Handbook of Indulgences: Norms and Grants”) we are cleaned there and then, partially or totally. One always has to go to confession first. Said in another way: People who goes often to confessions and ask for indulgences afterward, will be closer to God then those who go seldom if the indulgences asked for are for themselves.
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AveOTheotokos
Guest
I would recommend looking into the concepts put forth by theologian Réginald Marie Garrigou-Lagrange, O.P. in his book The Three Ages of the Interior Life : Prelude of Eternal Life.
The first of the three ages is the the “Purgative age”, in which we are cooperating with the waves of God’s grace in our life and working through prayer to identify our sins against God and repent of them.
Lagrange asserts that the three ages are not just a goal for those in religious life, but rather is the normal process meant for all Christians to attain holiness during this life.
We are meant to carryout our time in purgatory during our lifetime, but because of God’s overflowing mercy, He gives us the opportunity to complete the process after our death.
Purgatory may seem terrifying, but it’s important to remember this: if you are in purgatory, then you have won! You are destined for Heaven and are released from any prospects of going to Hell. The ultimate ending of the story of your life is that you are someone who has chosen God and His will.
You have said “Thy will be done” to God instead of “My will be done”.
I highly recommend the Fr. Mike Schmitz CD “The Four Last Things” in which he discusses Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell, but also discusses Purgatory and the three ages of the interior life.
www.lighthousecatholicmedia.org
Also, the below links have much more information regarding the three ages of the interior life:
http://www.christianperfection.info/
The first of the three ages is the the “Purgative age”, in which we are cooperating with the waves of God’s grace in our life and working through prayer to identify our sins against God and repent of them.
Lagrange asserts that the three ages are not just a goal for those in religious life, but rather is the normal process meant for all Christians to attain holiness during this life.
We are meant to carryout our time in purgatory during our lifetime, but because of God’s overflowing mercy, He gives us the opportunity to complete the process after our death.
Purgatory may seem terrifying, but it’s important to remember this: if you are in purgatory, then you have won! You are destined for Heaven and are released from any prospects of going to Hell. The ultimate ending of the story of your life is that you are someone who has chosen God and His will.
You have said “Thy will be done” to God instead of “My will be done”.
I highly recommend the Fr. Mike Schmitz CD “The Four Last Things” in which he discusses Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell, but also discusses Purgatory and the three ages of the interior life.
The Four Last Things: Death, Judgment, Heaven, Hell - Fr. Michael Schmitz
Fr. Mike Schmitz is one of the leading Catholic speakers in the Church today. Fr.
Also, the below links have much more information regarding the three ages of the interior life:
https://www.thecatholicthing.org/2017/07/16/the-three-ages-of-the-interior-life-history-and-liturgy/
http://www.christianperfection.info/
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