I agree that purgatory exists…but my confusion comes in where if Jesus died for us–why on earth would God expect us to be perfect? Only His son is. And, by Jesus dying, and offering us the Sacrament of Confession, and repentance…why would there be a need for additional cleansing? Was purgatory in existence prior to Jesus’ birth? If so…why was Jesus’ death necessary for our salvation?
It’s not like God has some unreasonable demand that we be perfect or he is going to make us suffer, it’s that the way to perfection
is suffering. Jesus showed us that. God himself became man and in his life here with us, faced the same temptations that we face, and denied himself. Although he was God and blameless, he faced a torturous, agonizing, and humiliating death for us so that we could obtain salvation. Did he tell his followers that because they believed in him that their salavation was now assured? No! This is what he told them as the time of his death approached (From Mark 8):
34Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35For whoever wants to save his life[c] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? 37Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 38If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”
We can experience purgatory here on earth by embracing our cross. Think about the example of the saints. By their suffering and sacrifices in this life, they died ready for union with God. Most of us are somewhat reluctant to embrace the crosses that we encounter. It can be difficult to deny ourselves when we are so attached to a particular sin.
God is merciful though. He does not expect that we will be perfect. Think about what it will be like when we die, when we come face to face with the perfection and majesty of God himself. How unworthy we will feel, how aware we will become of all of our sins and imperfections. It will be quite painful for a sinner to be so close to God, yet to know that their sins are holding them back from being with him. It will be painful too to let go of those sins that we might have clung too tightly to in this life. Think about the soul who never sacrificed or lovingly suffered for others in this life. How unprepared and unwilling will they be for purgatory if it means giving up the sins they hold too dearly. There are people in this world who scoff at Christians for all they “can’t” do. These are people who value their sins more than they do their relationship with God and the state of their eternal soul. We often hear it said that hell is a choice and wonder who would choose it. Some souls do though.
For the rest of us, there is purgatory. It’s one final chance to choose the cross, to suffer, to let go of our desires for that which is not God, and to prepare ourself for union with God. That suffering will bring us to perfection. We should be thankful for all of the many opportunities we are given to suffer, because Jesus has shown us it is the way to our salvation.
I’m glad I don’t have to rely on such personal revelations for correct doctrine.