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How are we to understand time associated
with Purgatory?
I understand that Purgatory is outside of
time, but we are not. After someone we know
dies, we pray and have Masses said for those
people. Often people do not want to hear that
someone they loved is in purgatory. They want
to think they are in heaven, but with that
perception, they would not feel the need to
pray for the person who has died. I have heard
people say they have prayed twenty years for
their mother who has died.
Another option is that a God who knows everything
will know that we will be praying for our
dead family member in the future, and our
family member may actually be in heaven, and
in some manner, will have benefited in Purgatory
from our [future|anticipated] prayers.
Also, when does one stop praying for a
family member who has died?
It seems that it could be our whole life.
David
{
How
are we to understand time associated with
Purgatory? }
John
replied:
Hi, David —
We really don't know what time is
like in the after life. We also don't
know if purgatory is condition, a
place, or how long it actually lasts.
We do know for sure that purification
after death happens and irrespective
of how time works, our prayers our
efficacious for the dead.
What we need to do is to get away
from the juridical paradigm that
paints Purgatory are a place of punishment
and instead focus on Purgatory as
a place of healing.
In effect, Purgatory is nothing
but the Love of God, healing the
wounds we've inflicted on our souls.
This healing process is painful.
I'm currently healing from some complications
from surgery I had last March.
The process of my body healing is
painful. The doctor tells me, that
the neurological pain I'm feeling
shows signs of life. It's good pain.
It means I'm healing.
While knowing that doesn't make it
any less painful, it does make it
more bearable on a psychological
level. Well, Purgatory is sort of
like that and if we'd only learn
to use this paradigm to explain what
is, in essence, a Mystery, people
would have a better understanding
of purgatory (and indeed the Gospel).
Fewer people would also be afraid
of thinking their loved ones are
in purgatory because it doesn't come
across as a place of torture as it
has been described in the juridical paradigm.
John
Mike
replied:
Hi, David —
You said: Often people
do not want to hear that someone
they loved is in purgatory. They
want to think they are in heaven,
but with that perception, they would
not feel the need to pray for the
person who has died.
That is why I was so disappointed
when the Church changed the priestly
vestment colors from purple to white
after Vatican II. I believe they
wanted to emphasis the hope of the
resurrection for the faithful departed
rather then the Lenten color purple
which emphasized doing penance for
the faithful departed.
You said:
Also, when does
one stop praying for a family
member who has died?
It seems that it could be our
whole life.
We can never have an absolute assurance
when a loved one has been purified
of any remaining self-love. That
is why perpetual prayer is also recommend.
This is exactly one of the
reasons
I started my other web site dedicated
to praying for the Holy Souls in
Purgatory.
I work on this with a different colleague,
Brian Bagley. Our goal is to have
Purgatory Prayer Programs started
in all fifty states. Our mottos:
God's Guest of tomorrow!
Heaven can't wait!
Just e-mail us the small amount of
required information and we will
sent you our FREE start-up Purgatory
Prayer Program.
