You act as if Purgatory did not have it’s roots in Judaism. Catholic teaching regarding Purgatory is as follows:
“…there are only three essential components of the doctrine: (1) that a purification after death exists, (2) that it involves some kind of pain, and (3) that the purification can be assisted by the prayers and offerings by the living to God. Other ideas, such that purgatory is a particular ‘place’ in the afterlife or that it takes time to accomplish, are speculations rather than doctrines.”
Source:
catholic.com/tracts/the-roots-of-purgatory
Let me ask you this, since most people who die in God’s friendship are still sinning (albeit not mortally) at the end of their life and/or still have attachment to sin, and yet there is no sinning or attachment to sin in Heaven (Rev. 21:27),
what do you believe happens between death and Heaven for such people?
I believe that what happens is exactly like it is described in Scripture.
You stand before Jesus Christ. Your life , with it"s motives, it’s shortcomings, it’s successes, how what you did or did not do effected people( known and unknown),your faith, your loyalty to Christ, all these kinds of things, are thrown forth as hay, wood, paper, and gold, silver, and jewels. They are caste into a fire, to be purged. That which is burnable, it burns away. The non-burnable is purified ( like gold is purified by fire). Only the purified items are left and these are part of your crowns and on your white robe.
You see, your name is written in, by the angels, a book. And next to it, every sin you ever commited, knowingly or unknowingly. If you are a Christian, a believer, a repentant sinner, then your name is also written in the Book Of Life. The first Book is opened and your name is looked for. But, it is no longer there, because all is seen is the Blood of Jesus Christ. The sins are now buried in the Sea of Forgetfullness, never to be remembered no more. Then the Book Of Life is opened and your name is read aloud.
Obviously, there are and always will be , until Jesus purges the whole earth with fire and all is made new again. there will Christians in name only ( they shall be denied by Chrsit because He will never have known them). There will be people who have become so wicked that though they once accepted Christ, they committed blasphemy against the Holy Spirit and will end up finally in the lake of Fire. And there will be, in Heaven, those Christians who never earned any crowns , nor have any to show for their lives.
Our lives should be one of continuing examination of what we are doing, to be repentant of sins, so when we stand before Jesus, something will remain after that purging fire. And, most importantly, you do these things, not for yourself, you do them for the Glory of God.
But, we are human with all our human failures. We are sinful, selfish creatures, aren’t we? But, we cannot grasp the depth and height of the Love God has for us. Not just what endured for us. How easy He made it for us to enter into heaven. His Forgiveness. If only we accept it. That is the Narrow Road. One simply acceptance of forgiveness. Be it by your priest or in a private confession between you and God.
I don’t know why all this was changed into a place called purgatory, a place of punishment and torment for various durations which can be shortened by the prayers of others. I am in no way trying to discourage your belief that that is how it happens because in the end, we shall be purged.
Yes, sin cannot enter into heaven. that is the reason for His Blood. But who and what you were, is who and what you will be when we stand before Him, all of our most inner being cleansed.
On this side of life, it sounds all so scary. But, when we shall cross over, I suspect, it will feel so wonderful, to be unburdened.
Truly, we are not so far apart. You accept that it is a separate place and it touches the soul with some torment. I accept it is in Heaven and it is representive items that are burned. But we both know, there will always be some cleaning up to do.
