Is it possible that we go through Purgatory on earth?

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devoutchristian said:
Obviously, penances and the like can and often do coincide with indulgences, but I’m pretty sure that only indulgences directly remit temporal punishment in the juridical sense, although obviously prayers and works of piety can speed up the process or reduce the suffering involved.
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Well Indulgences are separate from penances. Indulgenced acts rely on the penances already done by the Saints and apply them through us through the judicial power of the Church. our own penances apply to us directly.

Any act which has a satisfaction value (prayer, alms, suffering, etc.) can remit temporal punishment while on earth. Indulgences are those acts which the Church attaches on the satisfaction of the saints to something smaller.

For example, I can fast and that remits temporal punishment. Also I can make the sign of the cross. The Church has added an additional amount of satisfactory value to the sign of the cross by applying the good works of the saints to that specific act. The sign of the cross here would be an indulgence, the fast would be the ordinary act which remits temporal punishment
 
TomD123 said:
Well Indulgences are separate from penances.
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Right. I was just pointing out that indulgenced acts can be assigned as penance.
TomD123 said:
For example, I can fast and that remits temporal punishment. Also I can make the sign of the cross. The Church has added an additional amount of satisfactory value to the sign of the cross by applying the good works of the saints to that specific act. The sign of the cross here would be an indulgence, the fast would be the ordinary act which remits temporal punishment
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Actually fasting would fall under one of the general grants of indulgence, voluntarily abstaining from something licit and pleasing.
 
We can cut our time spent in Purgatory a great deal if we pray a lot, fast a lot, give alms a lot and do lots of charitable works, all in a state of grace. But Purgatory is much more of a painful place than this life could ever be. I have read that the flames of Purgatory are the same as the flames of Hell and that all the pains that we can experience on earth combined do not equal the pains experienced by the poor holy souls of Purgatory. Yes, the poor holy souls of Purgatory know that they have been saved, but their Purgatory stay is extremely painful.
 
ready said:
We can cut our time spent in Purgatory a great deal if we pray a lot, fast a lot, give alms a lot and do lots of charitable works, all in a state of grace. But Purgatory is much more of a painful place than this life could ever be. I have read that the flames of Purgatory are the same as the flames of Hell and that all the pains that we can experience on earth combined do not equal the pains experienced by the poor holy souls of Purgatory. Yes, the poor holy souls of Purgatory know that they have been saved, but their Purgatory stay is extremely painful.
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Do you happen to have the sources for this please? Thanks.
 
Seriously I do not know why some people are so close minded. St. Therese said there is no need for Purgatory if you have complete trust in God. Also I have heard before of people asking to do their Purgatory on earth. I myself have asked God for this. I am so sick of the belief that we must go to Purgatory when we die, come on people have some faith.

helpful link~ franciscan-ofs.net/BFR1/bc292.htm

From the Catechism ~ 1472 To understand this doctrine and practice of the Church, it is necessary to understand that sin has a double consequence. Grave sin deprives us of communion with God and therefore makes us incapable of eternal life, the privation of which is called the “eternal punishment” of sin. On the other hand every sin, even venial, entails an unhealthy attachment to creatures, which must be purified either here on earth, or after death in the state called Purgatory. This purification frees one from what is called the “temporal punishment” of sin. These two punishments must not be conceived of as a kind of vengeance inflicted by God from without, but as following from the very nature of sin. A conversion which proceeds from a fervent charity can attain the complete purification of the sinner in such a way that no punishment would remain.

“You are not sufficiently trusting, you fear God too much. I assure you that this grieves Him. Do not be afraid of going to purgatory because of its pain, but rather long not to go there because this pleases God who imposes this expiation so regretfully. From the moment that you try to please Him in all things, if you have the unshakable confidence that He will purify you at every instant in His love and will leave in you no trace of sin, be very sure that you will not go to purgatory.”[72] St. Therese

"O, how you hurt me, how greatly you injure the good God when you believe you are going to purgatory. For one who loves there can be no purgatory.[73] St. Therese

“It seems to me that there will be no judgment for victims of love, or rather, the good God will hasten to reward, with eternal delights, His own love which He will see burning in their hearts.” St. Therese
 
I honestly think there isnt enough proof to say we do or we don’t. I think it is an interesting idea, but I personally believe it is very possible, but not too likely. If I remember correctly, Purgatory is a state of being, not a physical place. But I think Purgatory is a part of Heaven, so unless Heaven is close to Earth, then I dont think post-deathing purgation would happen on Earth.
 
I agree with Christine85 and say that we can indeed do our purgatory here on earth. For those who say we can’t, please provide a reference. I can’t remember my reference, but it was a canonized saint, perhaps the Little Flower.
 
Isaiah45_9 said:
Do you happen to have the sources for this please? Thanks.
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This quote from the Catholic Encyclopedia does not state that the flames are the same as those in hell, but the very intense suffering which is stated is in line with what Ready says.
Purgatorial fire
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At the Council of Florence, Bessarion argued against the existence of real purgatorial fire, and the Greeks were assured that the Roman Church had never issued any dogmatic decree on this subject. In the West the belief in the existence of real fire is common. Augustine (Enarration on Psalm 37, no. 3) speaks of the pain which purgatorial fire causes as more severe than anything a man can suffer in this life, “gravior erit ignis quam quidquid potest homo pati in hac vita” (P.L., col. 397). Gregory the Great speaks of those who after this life “will expiate their faults by purgatorial flames,” and he adds “that the pain be more intolerable than any one can suffer in this life” (Ps. 3 poenit., n. 1). Following in the footsteps of Gregory, St. Thomas teaches (IV, dist. xxi, q. i, a.1) that besides the separation of the soul from the sight of God, there is the other punishment from fire. “Una poena damni, in quantum scilicet retardantur a divina visione; alia sensus secundum quod ab igne punientur”, and St. Bonaventure not only agrees with St. Thomas but adds (IV, dist. xx, p.1, a.1, q. ii) that this punishment by fire is more severe than any punishment which comes to men in this life; “Gravior est omni temporali poena. quam modo sustinet anima carni conjuncta”. How this fire affects the souls of the departed the Doctors do not know, and in such matters it is well to heed the warning of the Council of Trent when it commands the bishops “to exclude from their preaching difficult and subtle questions which tend not to edification’, and from the discussion of which there is no increase either in piety or devotion” (Sess. XXV, “De Purgatorio”).
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Ref: newadvent.org/cathen/12575a.htm
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We will be purified here on earth and in purgatory. Suffering is part of life and it will only have merit if we offer it up. It is through our trials and difficulties in life that God purifies us. It seems that suffering is a way by which we can change. Think of all the tribulations that come to us all on a daily basis.
 
king_casimir said:
We will be purified here on earth and in purgatory.
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Not to be nit-picky, but when you say that we will be purified here on earth and in Purgatory, is to deny that many saints did their purifications here on earth. Again, please provide a reference that Purgatory is a necessary part of the after life? (Please forgive me if I somehow misquoted you!)
 
Robert_Sock said:
Not to be nit-picky, but when you say that we will be purified here on earth and in Purgatory, is to deny that many saints did their purifications here on earth. Again, please provide a reference that Purgatory is a necessary part of the after life? (Please forgive me if I somehow misquoted you!)
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It’s certainly not necessary, however one can’t avoid it with certainty since one could always die between committing a sin and being purified of the temporal punishment for it.
 
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