Offering Of Masses, Prayers And Rosaries For Those

[the lumberjack]

[b]Offering of Masses, Prayers and Rosaries for Those Who Suffer in Purgatory[/b][quote]
*note: since we have already established that death does not necessarily expel a person from the Body of Christ (the lone exception being those souls in Hell, which is total separation from Christ), and also that it is just as admirable to pray for them as it is to pray for anyone, the only thing left to prove here is that a place called "Purgatory" exists. this is what i will attempt to do now.

also, note that since it is often not immediately clear to some how particular verses support Purgatory, i may provide more commentary then i have as of yet.

--A State After Death of Suffering and Forgiveness
Mat 5:25-26 (see also Mat 18:34; Luke 12:58-59) Make friends quickly with your accuser, while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison; 26 truly, I say to you, you will never get out till you have paid the last penny.

Mat 12:32 And whoever says a word against the Son of man will be forgiven; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

*note: "how can there be forgiveness after death?" one might ask. afterall, there is no forgiveness in hell, and those in heaven do not need it. this verse could therefore only speak of one place, and that place is purgatory.

Luke 12:47-48 And that servant who knew his master's will, but did not make ready or act according to his will, shall receive a severe beating. 48 But he who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, shall receive a light beating. Every one to whom much is given, of him will much be required; and of him to whom men commit much they will demand the more.

*note: when the Master comes (at the end of time), some will receive light or heavy beatings but will live. This state is not heaven or hell, because in heaven there are no beatings, and in hell we will will no longer live with the Master.

Luke 16:19-31 "There was a rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20 And at his gate lay a poor man named Laz'arus, full of sores, 21 who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table; moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried; 23 and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes, and saw Abraham far off and Laz'arus in his bosom. 24 And he called out, 'Father Abraham, have mercy upon me, and send Laz'arus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in anguish in this flame.' 25 But Abraham said, 'Son, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Laz'arus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.' 27 And he said, 'Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house, 28 for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.' 29 But Abraham said, 'They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.' 30 And he said, 'No, father Abraham; but if some one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.' 31 He said to him, 'If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if some one should rise from the dead.'"

*note: in this story, we see that the dead rich man is suffering but still feels compassion for his brothers and wants to warn them of his place of suffering. But there is no suffering in heaven or compassion in hell because compassion is a grace from God and those in hell are deprived from God's graces for all eternity. So where is the rich man? He is in purgatory.

Phil 2:10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth (*note: this place "under the earth" cannot be hell b/c those in hell do not and cannot worship Jesus. so, this must be purgatory)

2 Tim 1:16-18 May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiph'orus, for he often refreshed me; he was not ashamed of my chains, 17 but when he arrived in Rome he searched for me eagerly and found me-- 18 may the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on that Day--and you well know all the service he rendered at Ephesus

*note: Onesiphorus is dead but Paul asks for mercy on him. But there is no need for mercy in heaven, and there is no mercy given in hell. Where is Onesiphorus? He is in purgatory.

Heb 12:22-23 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, 23 and to the assembly of the first-born who are enrolled in heaven, and to a judge who is God of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect

*note: the spirits of just men who died in godliness are "made" perfect. They do not necessarily arrive perfect. They are made perfect after their death. But those in heaven are already perfect, and those in hell can no longer be made perfect. These spirits were in purgatory.

Rev 21:4 he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away." (*note: But there is no morning or pain in heaven, and God will not wipe away their tears in hell. These are the souls experiencing purgatory.)

here are examples in the OT of prayer and mourning for the dead: Gen. 50:10; Num. 20:29; Deut. 34:8 \ Baruch 3:4 \ Zech. 9:11 \ 2 Macc. 12:43-45

hopefully, this should suffice as an adequate defense of a state of being after death called Purgatory. a defense from another angle can also be made, in which the instances of "purification by fire" are presented. if this is necessary, just let me know.

before i close, i must note that merely listing scripture verses is not always effective. if you would like to do your own research on the doctrines defended here, i highly suggest the following resources regarding:
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I just wanted to start a fresh topic on one of the other subjects. I shall return to respond to phatcatholic's post later.

love.