How does it work when we die?

[canadianlife]

This I’ve never fully understood, would appreciate the (name removed by moderator)ut. Once we die, how exactly does it work? Do we get judged automatically, then thrown into purgatory/heaven, or hell? What about those who have denied God their entire life, do they get the opprutunity to say God, I am sorry, forgive me, and then get sent to purgatory to be purified? I’ve always wondered this, being as forgiving as God is. Obviously we should life our mortal life on earth for God, but lets say those who haven’t even heard of God, or even those who reject him fully, do they get a chance? (I’m worried for a couple of my amigos) Thanks!

 

[Alma]

Do we get judged automatically, then thrown into purgatory/heaven, or hell?

I do not think God will ‘throw’ anyone anywhere, it is more of a personal choice: whether you want to spend eternity with Him or whether you reject Him. In the first case it is most probable that you will need to purify a few things. Purgatory is not a ‘place’ it is a stage of purification. I guess once we leave this world and get to see our whole life by the light of God’s love, and realize how we wasted opportunities to love, to give, to forgive, etc. we will regret this deeply, thus we will feel the urge to purify ourselves from all our earthly wrongdoings before entering into Heaven.

What about those who have denied God their entire life, do they get the opprutunity to say God, I am sorry, forgive me, and then get sent to purgatory to be purified? I’ve always wondered this, being as forgiving as God is. Obviously we should life our mortal life on earth for God, but lets say those who haven’t even heard of God, or even those who reject him fully, do they get a chance? (I’m worried for a couple of my amigos)

God’s mercy is infinite!
Of course everybody will get a chance. The question is: will they accept it?

Pray for them, I will pray for them too, that they may say ‘yes!!!’ to God when the time comes.:yup:

Alma

 

[cyprian]

we can’t repent after we die. God merely ratifies our existence…what we did for Him on earth…“Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” The good is allowed to grow along side the bad so that we may know now and see now.How will we recognize God when we die if we failed to try and know Him when we were alive?

Purgatory is a place whereby we become purified. Repentance now is essential even to this place, as this is where we suffer the temporal punishment(purification) due to the sins we commit now.

 

[johnq]

**The Four Last Things
******Death, Judgment, Hell, Heaven
By: Rev. Martin Von Cochem

tanbooks.com/shop_image/product/four1057.jpg http://www.tanbooks.com/shop_image/design/spacer.gif

The Four Last Things. It has ever been the practice of the Catholic Church to recommend to her spiritual children the meditation on man’s “four last things–death, Judgment, Heaven and Hell.” Keeping these sobering aspects of human destiny ever before our eyes, we will be that much less likely to fall into mortal sin and be lost eternally. Gives many facts we should meditate on as we contemplate death. This book has converted numerous Protestants in our day because of its cogent reasons for rectifying our lives. Impr. 223 pgs, PB

 

[Fidelis]

canadianlife:

This I’ve never fully understood, would appreciate the (name removed by moderator)ut. Once we die, how exactly does it work? Do we get judged automatically, then thrown into purgatory/heaven, or hell? What about those who have denied God their entire life, do they get the opprutunity to say God, I am sorry, forgive me, and then get sent to purgatory to be purified? I’ve always wondered this, being as forgiving as God is. Obviously we should life our mortal life on earth for God, but lets say those who haven’t even heard of God, or even those who reject him fully, do they get a chance? (I’m worried for a couple of my amigos) Thanks!

Every single person alive is given abundant chance to decide for or against God while they are still on this earth. Even if they have never heard of Christ (Romans 1:16–2:16), or have heard only a poor or incomplete presentation of the Gospel, God gives them enough light to decide. This is God’s Divine Mercy.

When each of us dies, our souls are immediately taken to the presence of God and judged. This is called the Particular Judgment. At this point we begin our eternal destiny. If we are going to hell, our souls go directly there. If we are deemed worthy of heaven, our souls will go directly to heaven, or if we are going to heaven but are in need of purification, we may go to Purgatory first (everyone in Purgatory will eventually go to heaven). Whatever our fate, our souls will stay there until the end of time.

At the Second Coming at the end of time, those Christians still alive will be taken to heaven (what some Protestants think of as of the rapture). Then will occur the General Judgment. At that time the living and the dead will be reunited with their bodies and brought together in God’s presence and judged before all. Those who have already been judged in the Particular Judgment will be brought from wherever their souls were -heaven, hell or Purgatory-- and have their judgment confirmed before all. This is God’s Divine Justice.

After this, time and Purgatory will be no more and all will enter with their souls and bodies into their eternal destiny, either hell or heaven.

This is an extremely bare-bones sketch, so if you are sincerely interested in getting the details, see the five articles linked below:

rosary-center.org/ll57n1.htm
rosary-center.org/ll57n2.htm
rosary-center.org/ll57n3.htm
rosary-center.org/ll57n4.htm
rosary-center.org/ll49n6.htm

 

[Little_Mary]

Purgatory is a state whereby you are made pure, or purged of your sins, so that you can enter heaven. God knows what is in your heart. The purging is fleeting - as you see you life pass before your eyes - I don’t think you are in purgatory for years and years. Once purged, you are in heaven. Praise God and thank Him for his mercy!!!