=adamhovey1988;12758420]Oh, I wasn’t saying they shouldn’t ask any questions! That would be absurd! I was merely stating that they should know that these are some really common objections to Catholicism in spite of not actually being what Catholicism teaches
I am sure that most of our non-Catholic friends here are people of goodwill that really are curious about the Faith.
My friend how “should they know?” If WE don’t explain the truth to them?
In a prior post by “
JoshuaNY” a doubt about the truth about Purgatory was brought up. I passed on explaining it at the time for fear of exceeding space limits. I’d like to address that issue here.
Many none Catholics are taught “Justification” by Faith alone, or Faith through Grace, and fell confident of there Salvation having professed there belief in Christ as there “personal savior.”… This theology is a recent man-made innovation of Martin Luther in the 16th Century; and actually gives NO assurance of salvation because it attempts to TELL God how He will save them; rather than listen to HOW He chooses to do it.
Those holding this belief will then naturally not accept a need for Purgatory as in there opinion “Christ HAS DONE all of the work” and they are saved.
Matthew 16:24 “Then Jesus said to his disciples: If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” and sin forgiveness GODS WAY is found in Jn. 20: 21-23 “He said therefore to them again:
Peace be to you. As the Father hath sent me, I also send you. When he had said this, he breathed on them; and he said to them: Receive ye the Holy Ghost.
Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.”
Purgatory [not by this mane but with the identical understanding was a OT Jewish belief that pre-dates the books of Maccabees, which Luther choose to delete from HIS version of the Bible some thousand years + after it dha been written and codified.
Mac. 2. 12: 43-46 “And making a gathering, he sent twelve thousand drachms of silver to Jerusalem for sacrifice to be offered for the sins of the dead, thinking well and religiously concerning the resurrection, (For if he had not hoped that they that were slain should rise again, it would have seemed superfluous and vain to pray for the dead,) And because he considered that they who had fallen asleep with godliness, had great grace laid up for them. It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins”
This clearly articulates prayers “for the dead as being beneficial”. . If that Souls was it heaven there would be no need for prayers; if that soul were in hell prayers would be useless.
Lev.22: 21 “And when any one offers a sacrifice of peace offerings to the LORD, to fulfill a vow or as a freewill offering, from the herd or from the flock, to be accepted it must be perfect; there shall be no blemish in it.
Rev. 21: 27 “But nothing unclean shall enter it, nor any one who practices abomination or falsehood, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”
Mt. 5: 26 truly, I say to you, you will never get out till you have paid the last penny.
Matt.5: 48 “You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
Heb. 2: 10 For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through suffering.
1John.3: 2 to 3 “Beloved, we are God’s children now; it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. And every one who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.”
1 Cor. 3: 13-14 “each man’s work will become manifest; for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done if the work which any man has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, [Purgatory] though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.
2nd. Cor. 7:1 “Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, and make holiness perfect in the fear of God
Purgatory exist for the following reasons. It flows from God’s Mercy and God’s unfathomable DESIRE Jn. 3:17. He desires to save as Many Souls as possible BUT to do so CONDITIONALLY.
Because God is Perfect,** our Souls too must either be perfect without sin or the Temporal punishment sin breeds,** or if we die without Mortal sin that is unconfessed and therefore unforgiven John 20:19-23; or must be made perfect after death in Purgatory to become perfect and suitable for God’s presence…
This is what this teaching by Christ is saying: Mt. 5: 26 "truly, I say to you, you will never get out till you have paid the last penny "
Through the Divine Mercy of Purgatory countess souls have been made fit to the Beatific Vision; seeing" Christ “face to face.” that otherwise could not do so.
God Bless you,
Patrick
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