Trying to make it to Purgatory

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Robert_Burns

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Have you ever heard a Catholic say , I just am trying to do my best to get to Purgatory…

Last Sunday the Priest said in his sermon - What happens if you come up short?

His recommendation is for us to shoot for Heaven - to be Saints in this life and to read the life storys of as many Saints as you can and to try to emulate them. That they were people just like you and me but they understood the ramifications of Sin and the Gravity of each one. That many went through far worse things than we go through and yet - they persevered and were canonized by the Church.

So for all intents and purposes he ended by saying to shoot for sainthood in this life - even if you come up a little short you will save your soul…

Any comments ?

To me it was inspirational and I felt obligated to pass that thought along…

Pax
 
I heard a similar sermon last Sunday down here in Austin. From an old school octagenarian Jesuit who still denounces Communism from the pulpit (may God bless him!).

I agree!
 
Robert_Burns said:
Have you ever heard a Catholic say , I just am trying to do my best to get to Purgatory…

Last Sunday the Priest said in his sermon - What happens if you come up short?

His recommendation is for us to shoot for Heaven - to be Saints in this life and to read the life storys of as many Saints as you can and to try to emulate them. That they were people just like you and me but they understood the ramifications of Sin and the Gravity of each one. That many went through far worse things than we go through and yet - they persevered and were canonized by the Church.

So for all intents and purposes he ended by saying to shoot for sainthood in this life - even if you come up a little short you will save your soul…

Any comments ?

To me it was inspirational and I felt obligated to pass that thought along…

Pax
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Well, before we were born God chose us for holiness, so I would say we should all attempt to be saints. Then, even if we fall, at least we did the best we could to live the life we were called to by Christ.

So essentially I agree with your priest.
 
There were some saints, who made vow to make all the time what is perfect. Most notably St Teresa the Avilla (“At [the Angels] inspiration she took the extremely difficult vow to do always that which should seem to her to be most perfect”.- from her office); and St Teresa of Lisieux

“My God, I choose everything, I will not be a Saint by
halves, I am not afraid of suffering for Thee, I only fear one
thing, and that is to do my own will. Accept the offering of my
will, for I choose all that Thou willest.”

gutenberg.org/cache/epub/16772/pg16772.txt

The problem in the everyday life is that if one cannot do ‘all’, cannot do the ‘perfect’, than one starts to give up the whole thing. We need deep humility, and we need to understand our limits.
 
Robert_Burns said:
Have you ever heard a Catholic say , I just am trying to do my best to get to Purgatory…

Last Sunday the Priest said in his sermon - What happens if you come up short?

His recommendation is for us to shoot for Heaven - to be Saints in this life and to read the life storys of as many Saints as you can and to try to emulate them. That they were people just like you and me but they understood the ramifications of Sin and the Gravity of each one. That many went through far worse things than we go through and yet - they persevered and were canonized by the Church.

So for all intents and purposes he ended by saying to shoot for sainthood in this life - even if you come up a little short you will save your soul…

Any comments ?

To me it was inspirational and I felt obligated to pass that thought along…

Pax
Click to expand...
I think I understand where they are coming from. I, for one, know that I am not disciplined enough to be a Saint, and far too chicken to be a Martyr. Therefore, lamentably, I most likely would have some Purgatory racked up. I imagine many of my fellow sinners believe the same way.

God Bless and ICXC NIKA
 
Robert_Burns said:
Have you ever heard a Catholic say , I just am trying to do my best to get to Purgatory…

Last Sunday the Priest said in his sermon - What happens if you come up short?

His recommendation is for us to shoot for Heaven - to be Saints in this life and to read the life storys of as many Saints as you can and to try to emulate them. That they were people just like you and me but they understood the ramifications of Sin and the Gravity of each one. That many went through far worse things than we go through and yet - they persevered and were canonized by the Church.

So for all intents and purposes he ended by saying to shoot for sainthood in this life - even if you come up a little short you will save your soul…

Any comments ?

To me it was inspirational and I felt obligated to pass that thought along…

Pax
Click to expand...
What kind of mass was this what kind of parish? just curious
 
I heard someone say, “If you shoot for the roof and you fall short, you fall on the ground. If you shoot for the sky and fall short, you fall on the roof”

Aim high 😉
 
ConstantineTG said:
I heard someone say, “If you shoot for the roof and you fall short, you fall on the ground. If you shoot for the sky and fall short, you fall on the roof”

Aim high 😉
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The problem is not with the targeting, but to go through the life.

Yes, are knew Catholics who understood that the Purgatory is the proper place for them if God is merciful toward them.

I believe, that when one dies, part of the decision is to go through the suffering to the land where there is no sex, individual privileges, power over others; or to chose the wide path to a land where there is sex, power, privileges and everything what is value in our world.
 
Robert_Burns said:
Have you ever heard a Catholic say , I just am trying to do my best to get to Purgatory…

Pax
Click to expand...
I have never heard that. I have heard and said myself that I thank god for Purgatory. As nothing that is not perfectcan enter into heaven I would be doomed without it.
 
If one actually tries to be perfect then purgatory at a minimum is asured. If one shoots for purgatory then hell is the destination.
 
laszlo said:
The problem is not with the targeting, but to go through the life.

Yes, are knew Catholics who understood that the Purgatory is the proper place for them if God is merciful toward them.

I believe, that when one dies, part of the decision is to go through the suffering to the land where there is no sex, individual privileges, power over others; or to chose the wide path to a land where there is sex, power, privileges and everything what is value in our world.
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If we aim to be good but come short, we may have done enough to be in purgatory. Most people who try to be pious would be in the right mind even though sometimes they fail to execute.

I read this in another thread here where someone said that it was believed that the fire we are subjected to after death is the fire of God’s love. Those who reject God burn in the fire and are in hell, those who desire God but is defiled is purified by the fire and are in purgatory. And those who are in perfect communion with God live in eternal bliss in that fire. Something like that, thats how I remember it. I should search for it. But its all with what we desire to do and be. If we desire to be with God, I cannot imagine us being in that state that we reject God. At the very least we would be defiled and receiving purification.
 
agent_grey said:
If one actually tries to be perfect then purgatory at a minimum is asured. If one shoots for purgatory then hell is the destination.
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No, trying to be perfect does not assure purgatory as a minimum. Similarly, if one shoots for purgatory that does not mean they are destined for Hell.

Meaning, you’re free to think that, but it’s not Catholic teaching.
 
This is actually a good point. We should be striving to be great saints for God. Yes many of us will need to spend some time in Purgatory, some of us a good bit of time by the Mercy of God. Yet we should be striving as much as possible to be the best we can for God in every aspect.
 
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