Purgatory - A New Problem

Your prayers could well be the means of souls moving from purgatory to heaven. Purgatory is where souls are purified of any venial sins or any residual effect of sin at the time of death because Scripture tells us that nothing unclean can enter Heaven. Have a read of this from Catholic Answers: https://www.catholic.com/tract/purgatory

When we were children we were told that ghosts could be souls needing prayers to get them out of purgatory. There were various reasons given as to why it was possible to see them. The only reason I recall was that they could be people who died before repaying a debt, but the reasons were only speculation and not official Church teaching.

 

Thanks Delours, I have often wondered about this because twice in my life I have had experiences with some kind of spirit that was able to move objects, make sounds and scared my little brother very badly when we were kids. I have read that it is important to pray for those that have passed on for the reasons you gave and knowing some of the people close to me, I know they can likely use those prayers badly and I hope that they are helping them. I think we all can use them and I hope that we all are remembered by those we love and maybe even some who never knew us but understand the importance and have empathy for others.

We are so very blessed to have such a Church and Tradition. I only wish that I had come back to it much sooner.

 

Spirits moving objects wouldn't necessarily be ghosts of the faithful departed. They could be poltergeists which, to my very limited understanding, could be an entirely different kind of spirit. Anyway, prayer and trust in God is always the best solution.

I'm relieved at the suggestion that souls who have been released from purgatory through our prayers go on to pray for us in Heaven. The way things are going, they might be the only prayers we get. I attended yet another "celebrating the life of the deceased" funeral Mass this morning. Although it was all very nice and civilised and the deceased was indeed a good practising Catholic, she hadn't been martyred nor worked any miracles so canonising her seemed a little presumptuous. At this rate, it won't occur to anyone surviving us that we need their prayers and nobody will urge them to pray for us. Funeral Masses are turning into as much of a theatrical performance as wedding ceremonies. Pardon my cynicism.

 

That's why we are here at MOG....to talk with folks who actually know and believe our catholic truths...because as you said Padraig, it's hard to find a lot of folks who share our faith.

 

Maria Simma comments on this over and over again, which must have been her experience in her native Austria. Especially regarding clergy. That people do not believe in Purgatory, do not believe in Guardian angels, no not believe in hell, do not believe in apparitions and so. Their Faith had been pruned down to a kind of new Protestantism. It's so sad.

The effects of this loss of the mystical is clear to see. If only 2% of people in Vienna go to Church we can see that the Church has died there. That people no longer believe in anything but the material

'Cardinal Christoph Schonborn of Vienna told Vatican Radio January 27 that 1.8 million people live in Vienna and “only 2 percent of them frequent Sunday Mass.”

“Where do the others live their lives? What moves their hearts? What are their hopes and concerns and fears?” the cardinal asked.'

http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/new...s-to-respond-to-crisis-by-being-missionaries/

 

Can't remember if I mentioned this a few months ago or not. When I was in junior high, there was a girl in the class behind me who died from complications of juvenile diabetes. This was several decades ago, and at almost every mass I felt the urge to mentally mention her name when we are asked to remember those who have died. Last year, I started wondering why I kept thinking about her, as I knew her only as the name of a classmate. I finally arranged to have a Mass said for her, and ever since then, I haven't felt any promptings to remember her at Mass. I am hoping that Mass was the "push" she needed to get into Heaven.

 

Oh you were so right to do that! Saints have said that it is sometime just one mass that is needed to release a soul from purgatory....that's how powerful it it! And it's so easy to do. If you have anyone in need of a conversion, a mass could make all of the difference. You will meet their souls in heaven!