BAÑOC
If there are only two options— heaven and hell–, can we imagine how unfair God is? Those who are not perfect and cannot enter heaven , will they automatically go to hell? No one is perfect.
Today we commemorate the All Souls’ Day while yesterday we celebrated the All Saints’ Day.
With all due respect to other religions, Catholics have considered today and yesterday’s celebrations as big deals.
Yesterday, we offered prayers for the saints who are our intercessors to our God while today we visit the different cemeteries where our departed loved ones were buried to show our love and offer prayers for them so they can joyfully enter into the kingdom of heaven.
The doctrine on purgatory is consistent with teaching that God is justice.
He is a perfect judge.
“God is righteous judge and always condemns the wicked.”(Psalm 7:11)
The Catholic doctrine speaks of first judgment and the last judgement .
The first judgment happens right after a man dies while the second or last judgment will happen during the second coming of Christ.
“Everyone must die once, and after that be judged by God.”(Hebrew 9:27).
This refers to the first judgment . The souls of the righteous will go to heaven. In fact, the Bible mentioned of holy individuals who are already in heaven.
Catholics believe that there is heaven, hell and purgatory .
The good go to heaven and the bad will go to hell. So what about purgatory? Who are those who would go to that place?
The Bible says, “ But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anynone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the lamb’s book of life”( Revelation 21:27).
This means that only saints or holy can enter heaven.
If there are only two options — heaven and hell —, can we imagine how unfair God is? Those who are not perfect and cannot enter heaven , will they automatically go to hell? No one is perfect.
“ For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. “(Romans 3:23).
It may not be hard to understand if those robbers, murderers, rapists, etcetera will go to hell.
But what about those who committed minor offenses like theft of chicken eggs? Will they go to hell?
Imagine the principle in our Revised Penal Code about giving a commensurate penalty to the offense committed by an offender.
If the crime committed is grave, the penalty may be life imprisonment.
But if the offense committed is just a minor one than the penalty varies.
If this is applicably by our earthly laws with human judges, there is more sense that God will give commensurate punishment.
After all, He is a fair judge.
So who will go to the purgatory?
In a simple understanding, they are those who cannot enter heaven because they are not perfectly clean, but will not also go to hello because their offenses committed are very minor.
There is a place for them called purgatory.
It is a place where commensurate penalty is imposed.
All who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification , so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven. (Catechism of the Catholic church, Different Edition, pg .294).
Our prayers today can help the souls in purgatory.
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