Heaven, Purgatory, or Hell?

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TarHeelBrian

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Coming from a Protestant raising, I’ve always been told, "If you’re a Christian, you’re guaranteed Heaven."
Now converting to Catholicism, I hear, "You can go to Purgatory."
That scares the bejeebers out of me because I want to go to Heaven, not Purgatory…
Can anyone give me information about Purgatory and how to achieve Heaven and not Purgatory?
How does one know if one goes to Heaven, to Purgatory, or to Hell?
 
So, Purgatory is our guarantee to Heaven?
Also, why do some people act satisfied with Purgation? I still have my Pentecostal flair at times, I want to make my nest in Heaven, not in a place that I have to achieve Heaven.
Also, I’ve been raised to believe that once you’re a Christian, you’re going to Heaven… that to me is much easier than believing I need more work, although I do.
 
If you have more work to do, doesn’t that mean that you’re not really ready to see God face to face? God is no doubt ready for you, the question is are YOU ready? It’s not about what is “easier” for you, it’s about your personal readiness to meet your maker.

Purgatory is where you work to remove the blocks that you yourself have erected between yourself and God. Then you will be ready for Heaven.
 
As Adam and Eve hid from God after sinning, so shall we feel shamed when God shows us the state of our souls, as seen with his eyes. Our souls, compared with God’s infinite goodness and beauty will look so horrifying that we would not want to be in God’s presence with such souls. We would hide in shame for eternity (also called Hell) except that we are allowed Purgatory.

It is only after accepting the purification of purgatory that we ourselves would consent to being in God’s presence.

I’ve heard purgatory described as both “a suburb of Hell” and as “a waiting room for Heaven”. I prefer the latter description 🙂

Well, that’s my short explanation…

PS I’ve also read that the pain of purgatory is way beyond any pain that we can experience on Earth, but that simultaneously the joy of being so close to Heaven is also way beyond any joy we can experience on Earth. I think St. Catherine of Genoa said that.
 
TarHeelBrian said:
Also, why do some people act satisfied with Purgation? I still have my Pentecostal flair at times, I want to make my nest in Heaven, not in a place that I have to achieve Heaven.
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Well, unless one is a mind-reader, it’s difficult to know why any particular person does anything. Suffice to say, if a Catholic is “satisfied with Purgation,” that tells me that particular Catholic is either ignorant of the Faith, or is spiritually lazy. Our goal should always be Heaven; Purgatory is a provision of God’s mercy that enables many more to go to heaven than otherwise would be the case.
 
One of the surest means we have of, in effect, paying off our Purgatory on Earth, is indulgences, since their precise purpose is to pay off on Earth the temporal punishment due to our sins, which otherwise would be payable in purgatory.

While a plenary indulgence, which would remit all our sins, seems to be difficult, so is salvation in general, so we shouldn’t stop trying.

By the way, if you ever had the idea that we can ever be 100% secure of our salvation while on Earth you haven’t been listening to St Paul, who bids us to ‘work out our salvation in fear and trembling’ and ‘let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall’.

We can be confident, even very confident, if we tick the boxes - frequent confession and Communion, regular and thorough examination of our consciences besides - but never 100% certain.

For that extra little bit we trust to God’s mercy and love. That’s why the Rosary and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy are important - in both of these prayers we plead for God’s mercy.
 
TarHeelBrian said:
**Also, I’ve been raised to believe that once you’re a Christian, you’re going to Heaven… that to me is much easier than believing I need more work, **
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does dying purify a person?
although I do.
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Which makes more sense- a sinner like me rubbing elbows with the likes of Billy Graham at the instant of death, or maybe I could use a little more purification?
 
TarHeelBrian said:
**
Also, why do some people act satisfied with Purgation? I still have my Pentecostal flair at times, I want to make my nest in Heaven, not in a place that I have to achieve Heaven.**

We should look forward and aim for Heaven not Purgatory. Jesus wants us to be like Him; thus, we pray for graces and our love for God. We ask God to help us be holy. If we aim for purgatory and satisfy if we can make it there, then we are not following God’s will.

TarHeelBrian;2155691 said:
**
** I still have my Pentecostal flair at times, I want to make my nest in Heaven, not in a place that I have to achieve Heaven.****
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Keep this in your heart and ask God to help you. He can take you to Heaven without going through Purgatory.

Have you read about Indulgences?
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Matt. 5:48 - Jesus says, “be perfect, even as your heavenly Father is perfect.” We are only made perfect through purification, and in Catholic teaching, this purification, if not completed on earth, is continued in a transitional state we call purgatory i know that my soul won’t be clean when i die an i know that st peter is going to tell me to take the elevator down to purgatory. but as long as i get to see god after iam done there iam ok. “I promise, O blessed St. Jude, to be ever mindful of this great favor, to always honor you as my special and powerful patron, and to gratefully encourage devotion to you by publishing this request. Amen.”
 
Fidelis said:
Well, unless one is a mind-reader, it’s difficult to know why any particular person does anything. Suffice to say, if a Catholic is “satisfied with Purgation,” that tells me that particular Catholic is either ignorant of the Faith, or is spiritually lazy. Our goal should always be Heaven; Purgatory is a provision of God’s mercy that enables many more to go to heaven than otherwise would be the case.
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Despite your lack of mind reading skills, it seems that you have no difficulty coming to conclusions about particular Catholics - “spiritually lazy”…:hmmm:

Of course, our goal is Heaven.

So far as I know, the only sinless people were Jesus and Mary. We can confidently assume that they went directly to Heaven without purgation.

For the rest of us…to assume that we will go to Heaven without purgation is to IMHO to be naive to the reality of who/what God is, and what the state of our souls really is.

When we see the state of our souls as God sees it, and we see who and what God really is - infinite love, beauty, perfection, we will WANT purgation. We will be thankful that we can be purged, because without it we cannot get close to God, not just because He would not allow it but because we would not allow it either.

If you have never sinned, ever, then your soul is squeaky clean and like Mary you can go straight to Heaven. I’ve never met anybody like this.

If you have an attitude of “I’ll do it without purgatory, it’s either straight to Heaven or nothing thank you.” well…good luck.
 
ricmat said:
Despite your lack of mind reading skills, it seems that you have no difficulty coming to conclusions about particular Catholics - “spiritually lazy”…
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Perhaps you are unclear on the concept of what “particular Catholics” means. What is meant by this is no one can say with authority, for example, “Joe Shmoe is spiritually lazy.” However, you can with confidence say* there are such things as spiritually lazy people*. One just cannot apply it to other specific persons other than ones self.

Hope this helps. 🙂
 
TarHeelBrian said:
So, Purgatory is our guarantee to Heaven?

Also, why do some people act satisfied with Purgation? I still have my Pentecostal flair at times, I want to make my nest in Heaven, not in a place that I have to achieve Heaven.

Also, I’ve been raised to believe that once you’re a Christian, you’re going to Heaven… that to me is much easier than believing I need more work, although I do.
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Hi TarHeelBrian,

I think of it this way; Do I believe I am worthy of Heaven in my current state, even if in a state of sanctifying Grace following confession? My answer to this is no, I don’t. I know my sinful nature is something that cannot enter Heaven without purging. I have some habits and think some thoughts that I have hope I will be free of in Heaven (if I get there).

Another way of thinking about it might be; Do you think Heaven would be Heaven if it were populated with your fellow members of the Body of Christ? I think your answer might be, no.

Catholics make no mention of time in purgatory. For some it might be a fleeting moment, for others till the second coming. We have no way of knowing. But we can get solice of the idea that Heaven will be populated with saints; with people who have achieved (as though through fire for some) holiness. I’m sure you wouldn’t want Heaven to be any other way.
 
we all have stains in our souls at least i know i do.i will imagine that there are souls that are fit for heaven like the ones from saints but to the other that are not fit there is purgatory, that way our souls will be stain free an worthy of heaven. that is why in our prayers we should remember all those souls that are there. I promise, O blessed St. Jude, to be ever mindful of this great favor, to always honor you as my special and powerful patron, and to gratefully encourage devotion to you by publishing this request. Amen."
🙂
 
The difference between Protestantism and Catholicism is Protestantism believe that we can go straight to Heaven after death as dung with the robe of Christ covering us.

Catholicism believes we must be transformed and made perfect before we go to heaven either by becoming saints adn dying and going straight to Heaven or dying in a state of grace but without being perfect and being transformed in Purgatory.

Alot of people wopuld rather believe in God Zapping us perfect–it’s alot easier.

God the Master Potter has to Work with the clay to make a beautiful vessel–sometimes that work continues after death!
 
TarHeelBrian said:
Coming from a Protestant raising, I’ve always been told, "If you’re a Christian, you’re guaranteed Heaven."
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I also come from a Protestant raising, and this idea to me just didn’t seem to cut it (one of the reasons I’m wanting to become Catholic). It’s saying that, “As long as you become a Christian, you can do whatever you want, no matter how rotten, and still get to Heaven.”.

I always accepted the idea of purgatory as cleaning off any residual sins.
 
What does scare me though is for all the good things you might hear about purgatory many of the saints in private revelation have said that the suffering there is also Intense!

Though private revelation does not have to be believed with divine faith–when so many saints have the same types of private revelation that mention intense suffering it does indeed make one want to try to avoid purgatory or lessen its duration.

I believe it is quite healthy to fear Hell. I also believe it is quite healthy to want to avoid purgatory and become a saint if at all possible.

I think it was St. Alphonso Liguori who said that one could avoid purgatory if all their penances and sufferings and merits and almsgiving and acts of love and indulgences at the end of one’s life exceeded the temporal punishment due them for their sins.

Would it be possible for that to happen without the person being a saint?

What I’ve always wondered is if a person could receive a plenary indulgence which means that they are free from any attachment to sin including venial sin without being a saint.

If that was possible one could go straight to heaven after they were given the apostolic pardon after the last rites without being a saint.

Or perhaps a person who died without any attachment to sin even venial sin and after receiving the last rites and the apostolic pardon were saints and maybe we didn’t even know it.

Have saints existed that the Catholic Church never declared them to be saints?
 
Jerry-Jet said:
What does scare me though is for all the good things you might hear about purgatory many of the saints in private revelation have said that the suffering there is also Intense!

Though private revelation does not have to be believed with divine faith–when so many saints have the same types of private revelation that mention intense suffering it does indeed make one want to try to avoid purgatory or lessen its duration.

I believe it is quite healthy to fear Hell. I also believe it is quite healthy to want to avoid purgatory and become a saint if at all possible.

I think it was St. Alphonso Liguori who said that one could avoid purgatory if all their penances and sufferings and merits and almsgiving and acts of love and indulgences at the end of one’s life exceeded the temporal punishment due them for their sins.

Would it be possible for that to happen without the person being a saint?

What I’ve always wondered is if a person could receive a plenary indulgence which means that they are free from any attachment to sin including venial sin without being a saint.

If that was possible one could go straight to heaven after they were given the apostolic pardon after the last rites without being a saint.

Or perhaps a person who died without any attachment to sin even venial sin and after receiving the last rites and the apostolic pardon were saints and maybe we didn’t even know it.

Have saints existed that the Catholic Church never declared them to be saints?
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Two good points are made here. First about the intense suffering you mentioned. I like to believe, just my thoughts on the subject, is that this can be compared to the pain we experience in any type of physical cleansing we do to ourselves. (working out, for example) We push ourselves for a healthier body, and we may feel intense pain or suffering afterwards. But for those who are serious about working out, it is also a satisfying pain. This is how I believe those in Purgatory feel it: intense but satisfying in anticipating the final result.

Second, I believe the Catholic Church does realize that there are many more saints than the officially canonized ones. It’s hard to imagine a regular Joe who was only known in his own community to be brought to the Pope’s attention for canonization. This does not make people like this any less of a saint. The ones we know of mostly had mass attention brought to them and were considered because of what was know about them. Then the process went from there.
 
rando78 said:
Two good points are made here. First about the intense suffering you mentioned. I like to believe, just my thoughts on the subject, is that this can be compared to the pain we experience in any type of physical cleansing we do to ourselves. (working out, for example) We push ourselves for a healthier body, and we may feel intense pain or suffering afterwards. But for those who are serious about working out, it is also a satisfying pain. This is how I believe those in Purgatory feel it: intense but satisfying in anticipating the final result. Of course I’ve never felt for myself so how can I say for sure?

Second, I believe the Catholic Church does realize that there are many more saints than the officially canonized ones. It’s hard to imagine a regular Joe who was only known in his own community to be brought to the Pope’s attention for canonization. This does not make people like this any less of a saint. The ones we know of mostly had mass attention brought to them and were considered because of what was know about them. Then the process went from there.
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