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Do You Believe in Purgatory? http://ping.fm/YpX44

Do You Believe in Purgatory

In the Catholic Church, the Mystical Body of Christ consists of three Churches: The Church Militant – we the faithful who dwell on earth, The Church Triumphant – the elect who are in the presence of the Beatific Vision in Heaven, and The Church Suffering – those who are no less members of the Body but who are in Purgatory.

We want to talk of Purgatory, The Church Suffering.  Those souls who dwell in Purgatory are more privileged than those who dwell on earth, in that they are assured of entering into the Kingdom of God one day; whereas, those who are part of the Church Militant are vulnerable and have to fight the wages of sin that are constantly ready to attack and drag them down to Hell.  The Church Suffering plays a compassionate role in God’s Plan to save His children for Himself.  For God has always loved us; and as He is unchanging, His Love is unchanging; and part of that unchanging Love is Purgatory.

Even the renowned pagan philosophers, Plato and Virgil spoke of Purgatory.  Plato taught that souls who had lived a fairly good life, who had walked the middle road, were enclosed in a place where they were purified of their sins.  Virgil maintained that souls couldn’t free themselves of the sins they had committed while they were alive, and therefore had to go to a place where there was pain and where they suffered to atone for the sins of their past life.

What we have believed from the very beginning, right from the Old Testament till today, holds true for all time:

(1) Souls who are in Purgatory are those who have died in a state of Grace but have not been purged (cleansed), have not paid unresolved debts owed for offenses committed during the soul’s time on earth.

(2) Purgatory is the place where Poor Souls are washed clean of all remaining blemishes, all imperfections, venial sins and faults.

Those outside our Church, who do not understand Purgatory, and God’s Mercy in providing this gift to us, often argue there is no reference to Purgatory in the Bible.  Listen to Machabees in the Old Testament!  Hear what the Jews believed, and you will see that it was not only in life after death, but in the cleansing, necessary to free them of sin.

“On the following day, since the task had now become urgent,

Judas and his men went to gather the bodies of the slain

and bury them with their kinsmen in their ancestral tombs.

But under the tunic of each of the dead they found amulets sacred to the idols of Jamnia, which the law forbids the Jews to wear, so it was clear to all that this was why these men had been slain.  They all therefore praised the ways of the Lord, the just Judge Who brings light to the things that are hidden.  Turning to supplication, they prayed that the sinful deed might be fully blotted out.  The noble Judas warned the soldiers to keep themselves free from sin, for they had seen with their own eyes what had happened because of the sin of those who had fallen.  In doing this he acted in a very excellent and noble way, inasmuch as he had the resurrection of the dead in view; for if he were not expecting the fallen to rise again, it would have been useless and foolish to pray for them in death.

But if he did this with the view to the splendid reward that awaits those who had gone to rest in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought.

Thus he made atonement for the dead that they might be freed from this sin.” (IIMach 12:39-46)

Judas, the Machabean, was not satisfied with just recognizing the fallen with a grand funeral.  Seeing the sins that had been hidden, he commanded a collection be taken up among the remaining soldiers.  This he sent to the Temple in Jerusalem as an offering, so that sacrifice would be offered to wipe out the sins and transgressions they had committed against the law of the Jews, that of worshiping false idols.  Is this not what we do, when we have Masses said for the dead?

The Jews, who have faithfully followed the Old Testament for thousands of years, have always believed in purification in the next world.  The tradition, that of praying for the dead, has been passed down from generation to generation.  For example, a child is required to pray for his deceased parent, for one year, a prayer that is called “Kadis.” (pronounced Kadesh)  This prayer is so holy, so special, that one is never to recite this prayer except for the purpose of praying for a dead parent.  If there is no life after death, then why pray; it is all over; this world is all there is; their prayers are for no purpose.  Why pray?  If there is no remedy, no hope for the soul of the departed parent, or if there is no need for remedy, or if there is no place where the soul can be remedied, then why pray?

Another tradition is that of lighting candles for the dead, called “Yortsite” candles.  Now, if you do not believe in life after death and the resurrection of the dead, why would you light candles for them?  And if the Jews did not believe that there is a middle place between the earth and Heaven, that which we Catholics call Purgatory, then it would be foolishness to light.

St. Paulknew the Jewish Law.  When he was converted by the Lord, he used this knowledge of the law, to try to bring his brothers and sisters of the Hebrew Faith to the Messiah they had been awaiting, Jesus the Christ

Now, Paul had been a Pharisee.  Like them, he believed in a middle state between Heaven and Hell.   At one point, to explain the teaching of the Resurrection,St. Paulreferred to the Jewish custom of devoutly praying for the dead:

“If the dead are not raised, what about those who have themselves baptized on behalf of the dead?  If the raising of the dead is not a reality, why be baptized on their behalf?  And why are we continually putting ourselves in danger?  I swear to you, brothers, by the very pride you take in me, which I cherish in Jesus Christ our Lord, that I face death every day.  If I fought those beasts atEphesusfor purely human motives, what profit was there for me?  If the dead are not raised, let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” (1Cor 15:29-33)

WhatSt. Paulwas saying was: If there is no resurrection, then why pray for the dead, why go through all the pious rituals for the dead?  Is he not also saying: If there is no place where the dead can be purified, why pray for the dead?  For if they are in Heaven, there is no necessity as they are already sanctified; or if they are in Hell there is no hope of sanctification, as they are already damned.  So, there has to be a place where the dead are forgiven; although he does not specifically use the word Purgatory, he is affirming a place of purification which we call Purgatory.

Purgatory and the New Testament

We hear Jesus speaking out about “getting angry,” that he who does so will be liable to judgment.  He warns:

“Lose no time; settle with your opponent while on your way to court with him.  Otherwise your opponent may hand you over to the judge, who will hand you over to the guard, who will throw you into prison.  I warn you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.” (Matt 5:25-26)

Again, is He not referring here to Purgatory?  Is Jesus not saying, make retribution here on earth rather than suffer the pains of Purgatory from which you will not be released until the debt is fully paid?

Hope did not die on the Cross.  From the Holy Cave of Jesus’ Heart, opened by the centurion’s sword, Hope came to us, once again.  Whereas in theCaveofBethlehem, Hope was born into the world, on Calvary, from His Side new Hope came into the world,MotherChurch.  We call that hope Purgatory.  And that’s how we will be saved, by this Hope!

We love You.

Bob and Penny Lord

http://www.bobandpennylord.com/bookbhhp.htm

Do You Believe in Heaven? http://ping.fm/GBrTQ​11616/​Do-You-Believe-In-Heaven.html

Do You Believe In Heaven?

A rainbow is a promise.  God our Father reaffirmed the promise He made about our Redemption in the Garden of Eden (Gen 3:15) when Noah landed on the rock after having spent forty days and forty nights in the ark during the  flood.  The Lord stopped the rain, and gave us a double rainbow.

“God said: `Here is the sign of the Covenant I make between Myself and every living creature with you for all generations; I set My bow in the clouds and it shall be a sign of the Covenant between Myself and you and every living creature of every kind.” (Gen 9:12-15)

Our Lord Jesus fulfilled the promise that God the Father made.  As he committed to St. Dismas, the good thief, from the Cross, He also pledges to us:

“Indeed, I promise you, this day you will be with Me inParadise.” (Luke 22:43)

We believe that when we die, when we shake off this mortal coil, (William Shakespeare – Hamlet) we go to the next step in our eternal existence, from a physical, bodily life, to a new life, a new beginning.

We read that in Heaven we will know perfect happiness.  We will see God in His Beatific Vision, in the fullness of His Glory.  St. Thomas Aquinas, after having a vision of Heaven, stopped writing his Summa Theologiae, and stated to one of the brothers, “The end of my labors has come.  All that I have written appears to be as so much straw after the things that have been revealed to me.” (Butler’s Lives of the Saints )

Some questions most asked are: “How close to the Lord will I be in Heaven?  Will I know the Lord like the Saints know Him?”  It reminds us of the time when the mother of James and John asked of Jesus:

“Command that these two sons of mine sit, one at Your right and the other at Your left, in Your kingdom.” (Matt 20:21)

You recall He replied to James and John:

“…to sit at My right and My left, this is not Mine to give but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by My Father.”(Matt 20:23)

How well do you know Jesus on earth?  Is He your priority?  Who is your God?  Is it god with a small “g” or the One and true God with a capital “G” Whom you worship?  In Paul’s letters to the Romans, he answers this question most clearly:

“For those who live according to the flesh are concerned with the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the spirit with the things of the spirit.  The concern of the flesh is death, but the concern of the spirit is life and peace.” (Romans 8:5-6)

How much time do you spend on matters of the spirit, of eternal life, in preparation for life with the Lord in Heaven?  And how much time do you spend on the preservation of the body, the flesh that is decaying and passing away?  It is the spirit which remains with us, our soul.

How much time do you spend getting to know Jesus?  Is it difficult to believe that it would come to pass that those who have loved the Lord more on earth will love Him more and have more of Him in Heaven?  As you cannot love someone you do not know, the more you have gotten to know Him on earth, the greater capacity you will have to love Him in Heaven.  It makes sense!  A thimble full of liquid is as full as a gallon jug.  One is not fuller than the other, but one takes in a greater capacity than the other.  The Mercy of God in Heaven is that you will never know what you are missing.  If you did, it would not be Heaven; it would not be perfect happiness.  We believe you will have the fullness of His Love, but is it to the fullness of how much you have loved Him?  No one really knows; but what do you think?

For me, I want to have the most of Him in Heaven and on earth that I, in my imperfections and weaknesses, can possibly have.  I walk confident, with faith in my Lord Jesus and inSt. Paul’s words which reassure us,

“And the One who searches hearts knows what is the intention of the Spirit, because it intercedes for the holy ones according to God’s Will.” (Romans 8:27)

Whatever He deigns to give me, I know I will be ecstatic, for I know that the love that He has for me, and for you, far surpasses our hopes and dreams.  He is the Cup of Love Which runs over.  We can not drink enough to empty the cup of never-ending love which He pours out to us.

To me, Heaven must be like when we are about to go on a pilgrimage.  Our pilgrimages have always been longer than just the weeks at the Shrines, because we are preparing months before, in anticipation of what is to come.  Do we look upon Heaven in the same way?  If we do, then we will be able to sample a little bit of Heaven right here on earth.  When we instruct pilgrims to prepare for their pilgrimage, we always suggest they read background material on the Saints or the Apparitions or perhaps the Miracles of the Eucharist so that when they arrive at the Shrine, they will know and understand more what the Lord has in store for them; and in so doing, will get so much more out of their pilgrimage.

Our time on earth is a pilgrimage to our final Home, with Heaven in our sights.  We need someone with experience to guide us on a pilgrimage to the Shrines.  What makes us think we can find our way to Heaven without assistance?  If you go on a pilgrimage which turns out instead to be a tour, with a guide who knows little about the Shrines and the Apparitions, the Saints and the Miracles, etc., then you will not receive all that the Lord, His Mother, the Angels and the Saints have prepared for you at the different Shrines.  Heaven is the Shrine, we all long to go to, where we will be in the company of the Lord and His whole Heavenly family.  Will we know Him and them?  As most of us studied long and hard to learn professions, so that we could live more fully our time on earth, do we not think it worth it to spend the rest of our lives learning about our Faith, so that we will live more fully our eternal time in Heaven?

Heaven and Holy Scripture

Heaven is mentioned frequently in Holy Scripture.

Jesus spoke of Heaven when He was delivering the Sermon on the Mount, in one of the Beatitudes:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt 5:3)

Then in John’s Gospel, Jesus refers to Heaven as His Father’s house:

“In My Father’s house there are many dwelling places.  If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?” (John 14:2)

In St. Peter’s epistle, we hear Heaven once again mentioned, as the crown of glory:

“And when the chief Shepherd is revealed, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.” (Peter 5:4)

St. Paulmentions Heaven repeatedly, as he brings hope to us, for ourselves and our loved ones.  He also teaches what will be required from us to achieve that crown of glory:

“But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the spirit is alive because of righteousness.”

“If the Spirit of the One Who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the One Who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also, through His Spirit that dwells in you.” (Romans 8:10-11)

“The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if only we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.”

“I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us.” (Romans 8:16-18)

“Those He predestined He likewise called; those He called He also justified; and those He justified He in turn glorified.” (Romans 8:30)

Bob and Penny Lord

http://www.bobandpennylord.com/bookbhhp.htm

 

It’s That Glorious Time Again!

It’s Christmas time, that glorious time – a time to ponder on the many gifts He has given us, and give thanks! As we sit here, our hands trembling with excitement as we place them on the keyboard of our computer, our thoughts coupling with our feelings, it is almost as if we can hear Our Lord reaching out to us! Oh Lord have we been too busy to spend some quality time before You present in the tabernacle?

Have we been too absorbed with man and his false promises, Lord we have forgotten Your ongoing promise to be with us till the end of the world, and we despair!

Well, Lord we, Your children are returning to church! We come to You on bended knees. We pause now to remember how, during World War II, our families processed through the streets of Brooklyn on bended knees, pleading with You to bring home our loved ones.

Now more than ever we realize we have to proclaim You, Our Lord from the roof tops, for You want all Your children, all of us to trust in You, to put our lives in Your Hands. Let us give thanks to God Our Father, for giving us His Son Jesus Who died for us, one of His last acts leaving us His Body and Blood in the Holy Eucharist, the Man-God with us here in our Church, available to hear us, to help us, to guide us!

God created a beautiful world and when He was creating, He chose to fashion a country filled with all the resources needed to not only survive, but to prosper. God is in charge! Sometimes when things look dark and foreboding, helpless and hopeless, we forget that Our Lord has not left us orphans.

He said, “You are my friends if you do what I command you. I no longer speak of you as slaves, for a slave does not know what his master is about. Instead, I call you friends, since I have made known to you all that I heard from My Father.” (John 15:14-15) If we believe what Scripture tells us, well, we have to make a choice!

If we believe God is in charge, then we have to make a decision! We have to make choices!

Mother Angelica has told us over the years, God gave us brains to discern truth from falsehood, to separate good from evil. Over the years she has said, the world tells you “Do not be judgmental!” I can hear her right now, “Why did God give us brains but to use them, to make judgments!”

There are so many petitions we are making, pleading for miracles, and God help me I have made a promise to our Lord, If He would just answer my prayers, I would dedicate every waking moment to shout from the mountain tops, God did it! God is in charge! God is in charge! Believe and God will answer your prayers.

Believe in God and not in man. Turn yourself over to God and He will make His Will known and done.

There is a song we use at the end of a talk or a mission and it goes, “You’ll know them by their fruits!” I don’t know why, but every time we sing that song, it is difficult to keep from crying:

“We have seen and we believe

We will share our faith with everyone

You’ll know them by their fruits

We have seen and we believe

We will share our faith with everyone.

” We love you!

God bless you and our country!

Have a Blessed Christmas

http://bobandpennylord.com

Saint Therese of Lisieux and her walk toward Jesus

Over the years, I have wondered how the Little Flower, another title of the great and yet humble Doctor of the Church, St. Therese of Lisieux, got the name Therese of the Child Jesus.  Visiting Les Buissonnets, home of the Martin family, on pilgrimage, we discovered a small manger, in the back of the Martin garden, with a bed of straw, upon which lay a tiny Creche and all the little figures of the Nativity.  We were told Therese made this, when she was just a little child, and that she always had a deep devotion to the Child Jesus.

Throughout her Autobiography of a Soul, and in many letters she wrote to her family, we find her addressing the Child Jesus, inviting Him to use her as His little toy:

“I had offered myself, for some time now, to the Child Jesus as His little plaything. I told Him not to use me as a valuable toy children are content to look at but dare not touch, but to use me like a little ball of no value which He could throw on the ground, push with His Foot, pierce, leave in a corner, or press to His Heart if it pleased Him; in a word, I wanted to amuse little Jesus, to give Him pleasure; I wanted to give myself up to His Childish Whims. He heard my prayer.

Saint Therese not only loved Him as the Child Jesus, she desired to love Him as a child, with a child’s heart.  Taking to heart Jesus’ words, “…whoever does not accept the kingdom of God, as a child will not enter into  it,”  she speaks to Him as a child.  If  you look closely, with the eyes of a child, yourself, you will see a little child, the child Therese putting on the imaginary armor she will later don, when she plays Jeanne d’Arc.  Dream and  you too can enter the child’s innocent world she lived in:

“I want to love You like a little child. I want to fight like a brave warrior Like a child full of little attentions, Lord, I want to overwhelm You with caresses, And in the field of the Apostolate, like a warrior I throw myself into the fight! Your Heart that preserves innocence, won’t betray my trust! In You, Lord, rests my hope. When in my heart the storm arises, to You, Jesus, I lift up my head. In Your merciful look I read: `Child, for you I made the Heavens.’”

Saint Therese does battle

At fourteen years of age, Saint Therese desired to enter the Carmel, where her sisters were cloistered.  She found herself waging battle with insurmountable obstacles blocking her way.

First, according to the Rule of the Mother and foundress of their Order, Saint Teresa of Jesus, no more than two from one family could be in the same House.  Her sisters Pauline and Marie were already a part of the Community.

Second and most important, Saint Therese was only fourteen years old; much too young to enter!

Third, if that wasn’t enough to discourage the most determined, she had to get permission from her father, whom she dearly loved and who dearly loved her.

Fourth, when she was able to convince her dear father, she had to face her uncle.  She waited six months before approaching him.  He’d played a great part in raising her and her sisters, since their mother had died, and he predictably denied her permission to enter!  Saint Therese dramatically writes of this time,

“…it was night everywhere, the dark night of the soul;” I felt, like the Lord in His agony, that I was quite alone without anyone on earth or in Heaven to console me; God Himself seemed to have abandoned me.”

Her sister Pauline interceded with their uncle and he gave his permission.

Now Fifth, she had to gain permission to enter, from the Superior of the Convent.  He insisted she had to wait until she was twenty-one years old!  He finally acquiesced, throwing her a bone, “Of course, the final decision rests with the Bishop.”

On the way to the Bishop’s office, Therese prophesied,

“I said, I’d go to the Holy Father himself, if the Bishop of Bayeux wouldn’t let me enter the Carmel at fifteen.”

The Bishop promised an answer after their pilgrimage to Rome.

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