V
villaneweva
Guest
I was taught that praying will help souls in purgatory get to heavan faster. Why is this so?
- Status
M
mjdonnelly
Guest
We can say prayers for forgiveness on behalf of another, that is what this is doing.
C
Chris_Burgwald
Guest
villaneweva, that’s a great question… it’s one I was wondering about recently, and asked some of my fellow bloggers.
The reason it interested me is this: in purgatory, the disordered attachments we have to creation are cleansed (purged) from our soul. This purgation has to occur before we enter the glorious presence of God (heaven). That cleansing from disordered attachments is, in some sense, painful.
Since this cleansing is necessary, our prayers cannot lessen it… if that were the case, our prayers would prolong a soul’s stay in purgatory! How, then, are they efficacious?
The best answer I’ve arrived at thus far is this: our prayers act as a sort of spiritual anesthetic, which “deaden the pain,” so to speak, of the purgation process.
Anyone else have any thoughts? Again, the tricky thing is that purgation is necessary, so what exactly do our prayers do? (Perhaps they quicken the process… ripping the band-aid off more quickly, so to speak.)
The reason it interested me is this: in purgatory, the disordered attachments we have to creation are cleansed (purged) from our soul. This purgation has to occur before we enter the glorious presence of God (heaven). That cleansing from disordered attachments is, in some sense, painful.
Since this cleansing is necessary, our prayers cannot lessen it… if that were the case, our prayers would prolong a soul’s stay in purgatory! How, then, are they efficacious?
The best answer I’ve arrived at thus far is this: our prayers act as a sort of spiritual anesthetic, which “deaden the pain,” so to speak, of the purgation process.
Anyone else have any thoughts? Again, the tricky thing is that purgation is necessary, so what exactly do our prayers do? (Perhaps they quicken the process… ripping the band-aid off more quickly, so to speak.)
M
metal1633
Guest
God already knows our needs andour hearts. I dont know how my Intercessions help others or how theirs helps me. I just know it does for the Bible says the prayers of a righteous man avails much.
C
Chris_Burgwald
Guest
But that’s exactly the question at hand.
J
jimmy
Guest
Prayers will give us grace and when we recieve grace it makes us more holy in a way and cleanses our soul.
V
villaneweva
Guest
But I would be praying for someone in purgatory, I don’t see how that cleanses another person’s soul except for mine.
CHRIS BURGWALD, how old are you? I’ve yet to find a devout Catholic who is my age (17). I just can’t seem to find one! My Massachusettes school is full of extreme liberals and my local church is full of non-practicing Cathlic youths!
V
Veronica_Anne
Guest
I went to St. Charles Borromeo parish’s wonder Website for the Catechism totally online and with a search box.
:clapping:scborromeo.org/ccc.htm
I typed the word “purgatory” in the search box and got all 4 paragraphs in the Catechism that have the word “purgatory.”
ccc.scborromeo.org.master.com/texis/master/search/?sufs=0&q=purgatory&xsubmit=Search&s=SS
1031 The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned. The Church formulated her doctrine of faith on Purgatory especially at the Councils of Florence and Trent. The tradition of the Church, by reference to certain texts of Scripture, speaks of a cleansing fire:
*As for certain lesser faults, we must believe that, before the Final Judgment, there is a purifying fire. He who is truth says that whoever utters blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will be pardoned neither in this age nor in the age to come. From this sentence we understand that certain offenses can be forgiven in this age, but certain others in the age to come. *
**1498 Through indulgences the faithful can obtain the remission of temporal punishment resulting from sin for themselves and also for the souls in Purgatory. **
1475 In the communion of saints, “a perennial link of charity exists between the faithful who have already reached their heavenly home, those who are expiating their sins in purgatory and those who are still pilgrims on earth. between them there is, too, an abundant exchange of all good things.” In this wonderful exchange, the holiness of one profits others, well beyond the harm that the sin of one could cause others. Thus recourse to the communion of saints lets the contrite sinner be more promptly and efficaciously purified of the punishments for sin.
1472 To understand this doctrine and practice of the Church, it is necessary to understand that sin has a double consequence. Grave sin deprives us of communion with God and therefore makes us incapable of eternal life, the privation of which is called the “eternal punishment” of sin. On the other hand every sin, even venial, entails an unhealthy attachment to creatures, which must be purified either here on earth, or after death in the state called Purgatory. This purification frees one from what is called the “temporal punishment” of sin. These two punishments must not be conceived of as a kind of vengeance inflicted by God from without, but as following from the very nature of sin. A conversion which proceeds from a fervent charity can attain the complete purification of the sinner in such a way that no punishment would remain.
==== So, there it is in paragraph #1475 – more quickly and with more power to produce the desired effect.
Hope this helps!
:dancing:
Y
yinekka
Guest
I got this info from www.lumenverum.org I looked up a book entitled ‘Defend the Faith’ from the Christ the Teacher Series Volume IV. Hope this helps. ps This is an Australian Site! 
“Christians can pray for the souls in purgatory and assist them through good works and penances, especially the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass: “But if he was looking to the splendid reward that is laid up for those who fall asleep in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Therefore he made atonement for the dead, that they might be delivered from their sin” (2 Macc. 12:45). Each good action of a just man possesses a double value––that of merit, and that of satisfaction or expiation. Merit is personal and cannot be transferred to another, but satisfaction can be applied for the benefit of others. God accepts the charitable acts of others to abate the temporal punishment of the souls in purgatory and these same souls will pray for us out of gratitude when they reach heaven.”
“Christians can pray for the souls in purgatory and assist them through good works and penances, especially the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass: “But if he was looking to the splendid reward that is laid up for those who fall asleep in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Therefore he made atonement for the dead, that they might be delivered from their sin” (2 Macc. 12:45). Each good action of a just man possesses a double value––that of merit, and that of satisfaction or expiation. Merit is personal and cannot be transferred to another, but satisfaction can be applied for the benefit of others. God accepts the charitable acts of others to abate the temporal punishment of the souls in purgatory and these same souls will pray for us out of gratitude when they reach heaven.”
V
villaneweva
Guest
ahhhh okay.
much thanks to all who have replied!
C
Chris_Burgwald
Guest
What if we need to be cleansed, what does this mean?
C
Chris_Burgwald
Guest
Sorry, villaneweva… I’m 30. But a couple of things… first, I’ve noted that there are a ton of teens who post here: I think there’s a thread in the “meet and greet” forum on Catholic teens (you might try doing a search for “teens”).
Second… persevere! I’m guessing you’re going into either your senior or junior year of HS… if college is in your future, make for Franciscan University of Steubenville! There you’ll find plenty of Catholics on fire for the faith.
P
Pax
Guest
Get Jimmy Akins book The Salvation Controversy. It will help answer this question and many others. It seems that I am continually plugging this particular book…I guess it’s just that good.
K
kpnuts2k
Guest
what is purgatory?
S
St_Veronica
Guest
- Status