Hi,
Well it was Jesus who redeemed us on the cross. Although we do not redeem ourselves and cannot, something is still required of us. In Mark 8:34-35 Jesus says: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”
catholic.com/library/Grace_What_It_Is.asp
catholic.com/library/Assurance_of_Salvation.asp
Baptism: In Mark 16:16 Jesus says: “Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News to all creation. He who believes and is baptised will be saved.” In John 3:5 Jesus says: “ I tell you most solemnly, unless a man is born through water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God”.
catholic.com/library/Baptismal_Grace.asp
catholic.com/library/Necessity_of_Baptism.asp
Confession: In John 20:22 Jesus said: “‘As the Father sent me, so I am sending you.’ After saying this He breathed on them and said: ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. For those whose sins your forgive, they are forgiven; for those whose sins you retain, they are retained.’”
In James 5:14-15 we read: “If one of you is ill, he should send for the elders of the church….The prayer of faith will save the sick man and the Lord will raise him up again; and if he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven.”
It was Jesus who gave His Apostles the power to forgive sins. But that power is not their own—anymore than the power to Baptise is their own. It is He who ministers through his ministers.
catholic.com/library/Forgiveness_of_Sins.asp
catholic.com/library/Confession.asp
Purgatory: When visiting my mother if I take a pitcher of orange juice from the refrigerator and accidentally drop it on the floor, I would immediately apologize and she would forgive me. So at this point I would be forgiven. But I would still be obliged to clean up the mess that I made on the floor. This is what purgatory does. It is Jesus who forgives us. But there remain the effects of our sins on others. It is purgatory that cleans up the mess. It purifies us of the temporal punishment due to our sins.
catholic.com/library/Purgatory.asp
catholic.com/library/Roots_of_Purgatory.asp
I know that this is a lot to digest. Take your time. The material has been around a long time as has the Catholic Church.
Fr. Vincent Serpa, O.P.
