Purgatory

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Shin said:
Every sin owes a debt of penance. We are to, as repentant sinners do penance for our sins throughout all our lives.

Just like criminals being due a certain amount of corporal punishment for their crimes, a certain number of strokes of the cane, a certain number of days of harsh prison confinement, etc. In fact precisely so. It is a debt of punishment.
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But why do we still owe penance if Jesus paid for our sins?
 
AnneTeresa said:
This is very scary to me. How hard for someone who comes to Christ later in life then. 😦 Can someone explain in very SIMPLE terms indulgences? I’ve tried reading some articles and find it all very confusing.
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Hi AnneTeresa! Yeh it does sound scary doesn’t it. Anne if I can call you that, I am Greek Orthodox and I grew up Catholic for almost 35+ years. I find the West prodominately into judical terms when dealing with sin. I got caught up into it and really I did not like too much the terminology what the West uses. The Orthodox tend not to use such terms and for good reason. By the way how can a Saint know how much God will assign to every sin. Only God can know that and He ain’t telling, also for good reason. Really I think we are too much thinking on these terms rather than what is more important that is falling in love with God. The Apostle John wrote in his epistle that charity covers a multitude of sins. Rather than dealing with sin in legal terms I think it is better to deal with it by knowing the Love and Mercy of God. Get to know Him! Leave Purgatory to itself and deal with the more important issue of Love and Mercy by getting to know God. Then I believe Purgatory will take care of itself when you are taking care of your relationship with God. Fall in love with Him. After that then your Purgatory and all your other penalties will be better delt with. The Catholic Church in my opinion went to far in explaining too much the legal requirements that can lead to excessive burdens. I do like the Orthodox approach which teaches basically to fall in love with Our Lord and His Holy Mother first so that with this love affair whatever punishments we may be dealing with because of our sins will be delt with when put that love affair into practice. The legal terms are not as important as your relationship you will hopefully be experiencing. Love will determine everything as well as Mercy. Let us not forget that. I am hopeful that someday our Orthodox brethren can relate that message to the West so the West will not bog down on so many legal terms. Yes it is good to defined them but it is not necessary to drown everyone with it. I believe it is good to teach first on the Love and Mercy and Forgiveness of Our God. That will be more important so you can experience it in your own life in order to deal with whatever obstacles that come your way. I believe the best indulgence Anne is to love God and to experience His Love. What better indulgence do you want?
 
DavidKays said:
Rather than dealing with sin in legal terms I think it is better to deal with it by knowing the Love and Mercy of God. Get to know Him! Leave Purgatory to itself and deal with the more important issue of Love and Mercy by getting to know God.

fall in love with Our Lord and His Holy Mother first so that with this love affair whatever punishments we may be dealing with because of our sins will be delt with when put that love affair into practice. The legal terms are not as important as your relationship you will hopefully be experiencing. Love will determine everything as well as Mercy.
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This makes SO much sense to me! This is what I want and am seeking, not legalism. It is hard not to fall into legalism reading these forums sometimes. I want to fall in love with God more. Really dumb question I’m sure, but HOW do I do that? I am going to Mass, reading the Magnificat, going to confession, and going to adoration at Blessed Sacrament. What should I be doing more? How does one get to know God’s love and mercy more?
 
AnneTeresa said:
This makes SO much sense to me! This is what I want and am seeking, not legalism. It is hard not to fall into legalism reading these forums sometimes. I want to fall in love with God more. Really dumb question I’m sure, but HOW do I do that? I am going to Mass, reading the Magnificat, going to confession, and going to adoration at Blessed Sacrament. What should I be doing more? How does one get to know God’s love and mercy more?
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To get to know God’s Love and Mercy I will recommend you to start reading The Diary of St.Maria Faustina where you can learn about it at first hand through this wonderful and beautiful Saint. What you are really searching for is intimacy and everyone at any age needs to have a intimate relationship with Our Lord and His Holy Mother and to His Church. It is the small things of this world that really matter and becomes important. Do not couples when they first meet fall in love better when they have intimacy in their relationship by experiencing the little things they will both encounter. Remember that God desires this and will give you many occassions to experience His Intimacy so that you will grow according to His Will. Give God permission to teach you and be open to all He will give you including the trials that every relationship will have. I will recommend you to choose a Saint for your relationship to grow. Keep to that Saint as an example to what you will be experiencing and allow the Saint to teach you and be a guide for you. In my own experience I was drawn to the Life and teachings of my mentor St.John Chrysostom a great Eastern Church Father. I have also chosen a Catholic Saint so that I have one from both East and West and he is St.Anthony of Padua. It will be good if you can choose 2 as well one from the Catholic Church and one from the Eastern Church. You will be suprise what 2 can do for you. And try to include one from the Eastern Church. If you will like I will recomend to you St.Elizabeth of Russia as one of your patroness who incidently became a Saint in our own generation. She was a princess of the German crown a grand-daughter of Queen Victoria and became a Saint in the Russian Orthodox Church after she married a prince of the Russian court. You have begun your journey with excellent devotions so keep with them and stay with them.
 
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