Purgatory – Is it real?

I’ve been taught all my life that Purgatory is a place somewhere between our death here on Earth and our arrival in Heaven.  A place where believers who die with sin on their souls are cleansed before entering into the Glory of Heaven. My priest spoke of it today during his Homily.

Here’s a link from the Catholic Encylopedia with its explanation –>http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12575a.htm

and here’s an opposing view –> http://video.christianpost.com/dr-bobby-conway-is-purgatory-biblical-2520/

Here’s what I think, I think Jesus died for our sins.  We Are Forgiven.  So why do we need a Purging Place?  If one can be forgiven of the most heineous sin in a confessional, why does a soul need days, weeks, months, who knows how long to be cleansed of sin before entrance into Heaven is granted?  Granted, we need to ask for forgiveness first.  So if, when we die, we have sins that we haven’t asked forgiveness for, are we given a chance for that last confession?  And maybe some time before hand to go to the videotape of our lives first?  Sounds like I just have a lot of unanswered questions.

I offer this…does it matter?  We are told by Christ himself, Love God first, more than anything, then Love your neighbor as yourself.  Do these things, ask forgiveness when you mess up, admit when you’re wrong, always strive to do better and avoid sin as much as humanly possible, ask God for His Grace to help you through those tough times, and IF there is a Purgatory, your time should be short, if you need to spend any time there at all.  Regardless of whether there is a Purgatory or not, you are required, by Jesus the Lord Himself, to do the two commands listed above.  The talking heads can argue the point until Kingdom Come.  The truth is, no man knows for sure.  So just live the way Christ taught us. Simple enough.

Keep praying!

Deneen

The New Catholic Mass prayers…WHAT were they thinking?

A little over a year ago, the Catholic Church instituted new, ‘updated’,  prayers for the Mass in all English speaking countries. To make them more meaningful supposedly. Huh? Please tell me how the word ‘consubstantial’ has more meaning than ‘one in being with’. For those of you who go to Mass regularly, you’ll know what I’m talking about. It’s been since November 2011 and even the priests are still making mistakes regularly.

Here’s a quote from the U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), “The richness of these seemingly subtle changes not only brings our prayer closer in line with our brothers and sisters who speak other languages, but also invites us to enter more fully into the mystery of the Mass,” the bishops wrote. “Our participation in the liturgy is an essential part of our worship.”  “The closer translation seeks to preserve the rich imagery and language in the original Latin,” said Father Paul deLadurantaye, diocesan secretary for catechetics and sacred liturgy for the Diocese of Arlington, VA.   Huh?  I thought the original scriptures were written in Greek.

Subtle? Is that why 15 months later we are ALL still making mistakes regularly? Rich imagery? I don’t know about you, but when I talk to God, I like it to be a conversation.  Me putting it all out there in front of the Lord so that he can wipe it away.  I don’t speak Latin, never have. I want to know what I’m saying when I’m praying, otherwise it’s just a lot of memorized gobbledegook. Means nothing.

This is what it looks like to me.  The Vatican has much heartburn over American Catholics.  They think we are too free-thinking, open-minded, independent.  (But keep sending us your money Americans.) What better way to bring us back into line and flex those Vatican muscles than to change our prayers, make us conform, make us bend. It’s a well-known fact that an American bishop/cardinal will never be Pope.  We’re not holy enough, I guess. So much for heart-felt prayer with God, opening their minds as to who should really lead the Church.  It’s all politics.  Prayer my foot.  Just keep drinking the Kool-Aid and do what we say.

But who is going to listen to me? After all, I’m an American Catholic and a female to boot.  No one in Rome cares what I think or have to say.

Disgruntled in Virginia, but still praying.  Stay holy everyone, keep praying that the Lord will shed His light on what REALLY matters.

Deneen