Kmon23. You don’t NEED to go to Heaven via Purgatory.
A person CAN possibly go immediately straight to Heaven. A newly baptized person who dies for example would have no committed sins and will have no temporal account. They go straight to Heaven (the most obvious example is a baby).
There is an
eternal account that we
in no way can pay—Jesus paid that for us.
But there must be a
temporal account paid for sins too.
We pay the temporal account UNITED to Jesus (note not even this temporal account is paid all on our own).
This temporal account due for sin paid can be in this life. (let me repeat that)
The temporal account paid can be paid in this life by offering your good works, evangelization (see James 5:19-20), prayers, suffering, etc.
If you have an account for committed sin (i.e. a true martyr in the act of martyrdom, pays this account in this life) offering up your sufferings in this life . . . . may . . . . “pay” all or part of your account.
Some people sometimes loosely call this concept, a “
purgatory on earth” as it may render temporal account for sin. I have heard a homily given that even used that phrase.
This temporal account can be paid by YOU united to Christ (be sure to offer up all of yourself to God constantly—your sufferings, your joys—everything).
Or your account can be paid on your behalf partly by others (also united to Christ). The Church calls this concept drawing upon “
the treasury of merit”.
Indulgences are a great way to tap into this tremendous gift. Asking others to pray for you likewise get graces for you in this area. Many of the Saints in Heaven unselfishly offered many of their earthly sufferings for graces for other individuals.
Purgation of all sin is necessary though before entering Heaven.
It can occur in this life (if you are in grace), or it can occur after this life (if you die in a state of grace and have some temporal account remaining). Or both.
Let’s look at that again:
Everybody renders account for EVERY wrong word they utter. Both the justified and the unjustified (“condemned”). They either render it themselves, or get help from others who are united to Christ too. But this temporal account needs to be paid.
MATTHEW 12:36-37 36 I tell you, on the day of judgment men will
render account for
every careless word they utter; 37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."
If you die (IN GRACE), but have a temporal account remaining, you (or someone else) pay after your earthly life.
1st CORINTHIANS 3:13, 15 13 each man’s work will become manifest; for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. . . . 15 If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.
I mentioned on
another post what 1st Corinthians 3:15 doesn’t say . . .
NOT 1st CORINTHIANS 3:15 (Phantom Verse) 15 If any man’s work is burned up, he will NOT suffer loss. Why? Because he himself will be saved, and nobody being saved will suffer loss on “the day” of the Lord. And if DO you think any of “the saved” do “suffer loss”, you will be subtracting from the sufficiency of Christ’s work and teaching the Blood of Jesus was not enough to cleanse from sin.
Or you can pay this account in this lifetime . . .
1st PETER 1:7 (excerpt from NAB from Divine Mercy Sunday reading) 7 In this you rejoice, although now for a little while
you may have to suffer through various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that is perishable even though
tested by fire, may prove to be for praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Or more likely, both.
**Someone (united to Christ) renders account for every wrong word you utter **
- In this life
- In the next life
- Both
But the Church offers ample means to avoid rendering account in the next life so take advantage of these great gifts that Christ offers us via the Church.
Consider also CCC 1031 . . .
CCC 1031 The Church gives the name
Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned.606 The Church formulated her doctrine of faith on Purgatory especially at the Councils of Florence and Trent. The tradition of the Church, by reference to certain texts of Scripture, speaks of a cleansing fire:607
As for certain lesser faults, we must believe that, before the Final Judgment, there is a purifying fire. He who is truth says that whoever utters blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will be pardoned neither in this age nor in the age to come. From this sentence we understand that certain offenses can be forgiven in this age, but certain others in the age to come.608
Footnote 607 from CCC 1031 explicitly ties this concept of purgation from sin to
1st Corinthians 3:15, AND to
1st Peter 3:7.
