The Rich Man and Lazarus...Hell or Purgatory?

[Gorgias]

Attacks

Statements of facts.

 

[PJM]

An insult followed by God bless you. Uh huh.

No my friend, NOT an insult, and faith enlightenment

And may God continue to Bless you,

PJM

 

[esmac]

Today’s meditation from Regnum Christi -

regnumchristi.org/english/

Self-centeredness Is Useless and Sinful: The rich man lived in isolated luxury, absorbed with the latest in fashion and the finest in dining. He did not hurt anyone: He didn’t run Lazarus off his property. He didn’t mind Lazarus hanging around his table for the leftovers. He didn’t criticize him for not getting a job to earn a living. Then what was the rich man’s sin? He didn’t treat Lazarus as a person. To the rich man, Lazarus was simply a part of the landscape. How many people do I come in contact with, perhaps repeatedly, who are nothing more to me than part of the landscape?

Suffering Helps Us Grow: Our words “compassion” and “sympathy” come from Latin and Greek roots that mean to “suffer with.” Our personal suffering makes us more humane and opens us up to the plight of others. Our vision becomes more perceptive of other’s hardships, and our hearts become quicker to respond compassionately. Yet suffering can be a double-edged sword. It can also push us into envy, hatred, bitterness and isolation if we are proud, or if we forget that God permits trials to purify our love. How have I responded to suffering in my life? Has it made me more compassionate or more bitter and self-centered?

There Is More to Life Than Riches: Suffering also makes us more zealous for souls, more apostolic. Unfortunately for his brothers, the rich man’s zeal was a “zeal come lately.” Because he spent all his energy and fortune in avoiding suffering, he was totally absorbed in self. The meaning of his life was completely temporal, and in the end he had nothing to show for it. One of our greatest sufferings in

purgatory

will be the realization that we could have done so much more for the salvation of souls.

 

[Gorgias]

One of our greatest sufferings in purgatory will be the realization that we could have done so much more for the salvation of souls.

That might be one of our greatest sufferings – if we make it there – but it wasn’t his… since he wasn’t in purgatory.

 

[esmac]

That might be one of our greatest sufferings – if we make it there – but it wasn’t his… since he wasn’t in purgatory.

Well…no…you don’t know for sure dude…your smug emoji.

 

[JB_Brother_4446]

Well…no…you don’t know for sure dude…your smug emoji.

Then why would there be a chasm from purgatory to heaven? Isn’t purgatory the “operation room” so to speak? Dives was in hell!

 

[Gorgias]

Well…no…you don’t know for sure dude…your smug emoji.

Aaaaaaand… we’re right back to where we were in the same discussion in another thread: among Catholics, anything that doesn’t have the seal of “infallibility” often seems to get labeled with the accusation of “just your opinion”…

(Besides – you already agreed with me a few posts back: the rich man’s eternal destiny appears to be hell:

esmac:

But the way I read the parable, it looks like the rich man chooses to only serve himself, even while in flames, thus rejecting the Lord and His precepts. The rich man has no desire from what I read to be in union with the Lord, so he might be eternally condemned to the netherworld

If that is the case, then he cannot be in purgatory. )

 

[esmac]

I said he MIGHT be in hell. He might not.

Opinions vary.

I’m out.

 

[Gorgias]

Opinions vary.

Yes, they certainly do. And that means that some are inaccurate. And, as you pointed out, what you read in a (Catholic) Ignatius Study Bible tells you that ‘hell’ is the rich man’s destination.

I’m out.

Blessings,
G.

 

[esmac]

Yes, they certainly do. And that means that some are inaccurate. And, as you pointed out, what you read in a (Catholic) Ignatius Study Bible tells you that ‘hell’ is the rich man’s destination.



Blessings,
G.

Ok. The rich man was headed to hell, as you say.

The rich man was definitely in the Netherworld (just listened to Bishop Barron’s homily).

Keep the rich man in mind the next time you see a beggar on the street, Gorgias.

I’ll be praying for you. I am going to pray a rosary for you.

Peace -

 

[Gorgias]

Keep the rich man in mind the next time you see a beggar on the street, Gorgias.

Not sure why you’re pointing this out to me – you seem to be trying to make a point about charity, it seems…?

Arguing for the theological assertion that no conversion is possible after death isn’t uncharitable: it’s just a fact that the Church teaches.

I’ll be praying for you. I am going to pray a rosary for you.

Thanks!