What is a third order?

[Ecat]

Do Third Order Dominicans have a greater chance of getting out of purgatory sooner than other Third Orders for the simple reason that since there are more Dominicans that there are more people praying for them after they die than in other orders?

There much we do not know about purgatory…of how it works. As one Saint pointed out --it is the love of God purifying us…

The Church teaches that our prayers etc can assist those being purified.

God -Trinity who is a communion of Persons and Who is Love-- calls us to image that communion by our prayers and works for eachother…such as for those in purgatory…

So it is of course possible that a tertiary --with all the prayers of his other ‘family’ --can with that exercise of freedom be purified ‘faster’. But we really do not know how time works in purgatory.

Of course that should not be the main reason to become a tertiary–rather one should be following thier vocation…and desire to live the charism of that particular order.

• Kevin, O.SS.T.,Ter.