St. Therese's Teaching On Purgatory

[Ice_nine]

http://www.franciscan-sfo.org/ap/litfwrpu.htm

So I posted this on the "if you died right now, where would you go" thread over in the debate (I think) board and was outright SNUBBED by everyone there . The thing is everyone was saying they hope they go to purgatory, and I totally understand why they feel that, and often times I feel that same way too.

But a few weeks ago I read what little St. Therese had to say about purgatory and I was stunned! It's pretty revolutionary in my own understanding of what it means to be a Christian, and was touched by the saint's love and humility.

I think we could learn a lot. Any thoughts?

[sixpence]

This is sooo different from St. Catherine of Genoa, which is what I had read on the subject and which, itself, seemed extremely hopeful, but it is not nearly as hopeful as St. Therese!!

http://www.cfpeople.org/Apologetics/page51a013.html

I feel like it is difficult for the average person to be able to have such hope as St. Therese suggests without feeling they are being too "presumptuous".... particularly after read the part that says "[size="4"][font=Times New Roman]As soon as you try to please Him in everything and have an unshakable trust He purifies you every moment in His love and He lets no sin remain."[/font][/size]

[brandelynmarie]

It has been said of St. Mary Magdalene that she who loves much, is forgiven much.

And look at the Good Thief! Jesus told him, "Today, you will be with Me in Paradise."

And St. Faustina...we must have great trust in the Great Mercy of God!

We must pray to be open to graces such as these...

St. Therese, St. Mary Magdalene & St. Faustina are my heroes

Edited February 18, 2012 by brandelynmarie

[Annie12]

Wow! this is really interesting! I think this expanded my view of trust! Thanks for this!

[Nola Seminarian]

As a broken human being it is hard for me to see how trust in God spares me from the purifying fires of purgatory. She doesn't deny the existence of purgatory, but it seems to me that the Little Flower expects too much of those who are not at holy as she is. For someone as holy as she, purgatory may not be necessary; or for someone like Padre Pio who suffered much in this life, purgatory may not be necessary. But i tend to think that for an ordinary person such as myself purgatory may well be unavoidable, but not necessarily.


If i did not make sense I'm sorry.

[Sarah147]

[url="http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/topic/108161-saint-therese-on-purgatory/page__view__findpost__p__2167637"]Here's more about this from the past...[/url]

[LouisvilleFan]

To me, Sts. Therese and Catherine don't seem so far apart. Maybe I missed some of St. Catherine's points... I don't have time to read the two links thoroughly, but from I did read a few selections and I saw the core truths in both that purgatory is a purifying grace, that it is painful (as dying to self must be if there is any truth to the doctrine of original sin), yet there's an inner joy with the expectation of eternal unity with God and all the Church Triumphant in heaven. Maybe St. Therese emphasizes the grace and mercy of God a bit more. Maybe she needed to balance an over-emphasis on the judgement of God and mankind's unworthiness?

Personally, I see it as a kind of self-fulfilling prophesy. If you expect to be in purgatory, you probably will be. But if you focus on the Church's hope for heaven, looking forward to perfect union with Christ, and focus selflessly on offering your prayers, tithes, and sufferings for the salvation of souls in this earthly sojourn and for souls in purgatory, then slowly by degrees your heart will reflect what you pray. An unselfish, total gift of ourselves is what prepares us for heaven. So focus on the goal and God will handle the purgatory thing.

[BarbTherese]

"[quote]"the real possibility of salvation in Christ for all mankind"[/quote] The above quotation comes from Pope Jean Paul II in "Redemptoris Missio". [url="http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_07121990_redemptoris-missio_en.html"]http://www.vatican.v...-missio_en.html[/url]

The Mercy of God is Infinite, i.e. no limits. The Infinite Nature of God's Love and Mercy is something that we humans cannot quite get our head around often. If The Mercy of God is Infinite, which it is, there is a basis to hope that all mankind may be saved and as The Holy Father pointed out above a "real possibility" - and thus certainly a basis to hope that one will avoid Purgatory.

Here is the context from "Redemptoris Mission" in which the above quotation occurs: [quote] [url="http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_07121990_redemptoris-missio_en.html#$G"][sup][font=Verdana][size=2]16[/size][/font][/sup][/url] "To this catholic unity of the people of God, therefore,...all are called, and they belong to it or are ordered to it in various ways, whether they be Catholic faithful or others who believe in Christ or finally all people everywhere who by the grace of God are called to salvation."[font=Verdana][size=2][sup][url="http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_07121990_redemptoris-missio_en.html#$H"]17[/url][/sup][/size][/font] It is necessary to keep these two truths together, [u][b]namely, the real possibility of salvation in Christ for all mankind[/b][/u] and the necessity of the Church for salvation. Both these truths help us to understand the [i]one mystery of salvation[/i], so that we can come to know God's mercy and our own responsibility. Salvation, which always remains a gift of the Holy Spirit, requires man's cooperation, both to save himself [u][b]and to save others[/b][/u]. This is God's will, and this is why he established the Church and made her a part of his plan of salvation. Referring to "this messianic people," the Council says; "It has been set up by Christ as a communion of life, love and truth; by him too it is taken up as the instrument of salvation for all, and sent on a mission to the whole world as the light of the world and the salt of the earth"[/quote]

It is a valid prayer and to do penance - and a Spiritual Work of Mercy - that all will be saved. Through The Church and the prayer and penance of members of The Mystical Body, it is a very real possibility of salvation for all mankind. It is also a Spiritual Work of Mercy to actively hope for the salvation of all mankind, for whom Christ lived and died - it is a uniting of one's heart with the Heart of Jesus. .

To not only hope and pray, work, in the interests of oneself that one would go straight to Heaven but to undertake the missionary nature of The Church and to actively hope and pray, work, for the salvation of all souls in mankind.

The parable of the Workers in The Vineyard can speak to all the above concepts. [url="http://www.drbo.org/x/d?b=drb&bk=47&ch=20&l=1#x"]http://www.drbo.org/...=47&ch=20&l=1#x[/url] Matthew Chapter 20.

The owner hires workers for his vineyard and they all agree on a wage for the day. Some work all day and some only for the last hour and those who worked all day moan because those who worked only for an hour got exactly the same wage. The owner of the vineyard says: "But he answering said to one of them: Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst thou not agree with me for a penny? [url="http://www.drbo.org/x/d?b=drb&bk=47&ch=20&l=14#x"][14][/url] Take what is thine, and go thy way:[u][b] I will also give to this last even as to thee. [url="http://www.drbo.org/x/d?b=drb&bk=47&ch=20&l=15#x"][15][/url] Or, is it not lawful for me to do what I will? is thy eye evil, because I am good[/b][/u]? "

The overwhelming Infinite Goodness of God: His Love, Mercy, Compassion and Justice does not at all determine as we humans do nor by our rules that determine the previous qualities. In fact, God's Mercy flows from His Justice. (Psalm 50 V 6 and 7 Divine Office: "that you may be justified when You pass judgement, see, Lord, sinners were we conceived")

Edited March 6, 2012 by BarbaraTherese

[Annie12]

amesome!