Purgatory

[KnightOfSPUD]

Hi. I’m a 1st year Philosophy seminarian. But in our curriculum we don’t study Philo 'til next year.

A 3rd year Brother of mine doesn’t believe in the existence of purgatory.

Any help on how to convince him? Probably Analogies and simple logic without all the citing of philosophers I have not yet studied.

Thanks so much

 

[dmar198]

Hi. I’m a 1st year Philosophy seminarian. But in our curriculum we don’t study Philo 'til next year.

A 3rd year Brother of mine doesn’t believe in the existence of purgatory.

Any help on how to convince him? Probably Analogies and simple logic without all the citing of philosophers I have not yet studied.

Thanks so much

Here is an excerpt from C.S. Lewis, who was not a Catholic, but believed in Purgatory: Our souls demand Purgatory, don’t they? Would it not break the heart if God said to us, ‘It is true, my son, that your breath smells and your rags drip with mud and slime, but we are charitable here and no one will upbraid you with these things, nor draw away from you. Enter into the joy’? Should we not reply, ‘With submission, sir, and if there is no objection, I’d rather be cleaned first.’ ‘It may hurt, you know’ - ‘Even so, sir.’

I assume that the process of purification will normally involve suffering. Partly from tradition; partly because most real good that has been done me in this life has involved it. But I don’t think the suffering is the purpose of the purgation. I can well believe that people neither much worse nor much better than I will suffer less than I or more. … The treatment given will be the one required, whether it hurts little or much.

My favourite image on this matter comes from the dentist’s chair. I hope that when the tooth of life is drawn and I am ‘coming round’,’ a voice will say, ‘Rinse your mouth out with this.’ This will be Purgatory. The rinsing may take longer than I can now imagine. The taste of this may be more fiery and astringent than my present sensibility could endure. But…it will [not] be disgusting and unhallowed."

source

 

[Charliesj]

Hi. I’m a 1st year Philosophy seminarian. But in our curriculum we don’t study Philo 'til next year.

A 3rd year Brother of mine doesn’t believe in the existence of purgatory.

Any help on how to convince him? Probably Analogies and simple logic without all the citing of philosophers I have not yet studied.

Thanks so much

When I was having trouble with the concept of purgatory the best explaination was this:
All humans have a certain attachment to sin, we tend to sin in patterns. Even St Paul said he sometimes struggles with sin (Romans 7) because sin can become addictive. If we confess these sins they are forgiven but there remains that desire and attraction of sin itself. This is not a mark of holiness, and only something pure and holy can enter into heaven and be in God’s presence. So we go through a state of purification to burn away not just the temporal stains of sin but the mindset that attracted us to sin in the first place

 

[crystal_waters]

Hi. I’m a 1st year Philosophy seminarian. But in our curriculum we don’t study Philo 'til next year.

A 3rd year Brother of mine doesn’t believe in the existence of purgatory.

Any help on how to convince him? Probably Analogies and simple logic without all the citing of philosophers I have not yet studied.

Thanks so much

I dont know if its any help to you but here’s a holy souls thread from the spirituality forum

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=985210

Theres all kinds of links in there… you may find something that may help you …

heres an idea …you could pray for the holy souls and ask them in return to pray and intercede for your 3rd year brother to not only believe in them but to be a prayer warrier for them…im sure the holy souls would be eager to help with that

God bless you

Crystal waters