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1472 To understand this doctrine and practice of the Church, it is necessary to understand that sin has a double consequence.
Grave sin deprives us of communion with God and therefore makes us incapable of eternal life, the privation of which is called the eternal punishment of sin.
On the other hand every sin, even venial, entails an unhealthy attachment to creatures, which must be purified either here on earth, or after death in the state called Purgatory. This purification frees one from what is called the temporal punishment of sin.
These two punishments must not be conceived of as a kind of vengeance inflicted by God from without, but as following from the very nature of sin. A conversion which proceeds from a fervent charity can attain the complete purification of the sinner in such a way that no punishment would remain.
1473 The forgiveness of sin and restoration of communion with God entail the remission of the eternal punishment of sin, but temporal punishment of sin remains. (cf. Council of Trent (1551): DS 1712-1713; (1563): 1820.)
While patiently bearing sufferings and trials of all kinds and, when the day comes, serenely facing death, the Christian must strive to accept this temporal punishment of sin as a grace. He should strive by works of mercy and charity, as well as by prayer and the various practices of penance, to put off completely the old man and to put on the new man. (Ephesians 4:22-24)
There are two important points to make:
Purgatory has nothing to do with ones salvation. Those being purified in Purgatory have been saved by Jesus Christ. Period!!
Purgatory in no way takes away from
the finished work of Christ, rather
it medicinally applies the finished
work of Christ to the Christian.
Purgatory has to do with the personal holiness of our soul. Revelation tells us that nothing
impure shall enter Heaven. (Revelation 21:27)
In Church history there have been two paradigms used to explain Purgatory:
the juridical or disciplinary paradigm which involves punishment, for the purpose of rehabilitation, not wrath, and
the more popular medicinal paradigm.
One form of the medicinal model goes as follows. Let's say one day
you got really mad at me, so mad
that you punched your fist through
the windshield of my car. Afterward, I forgive you and
paid for the repair to my car,
and
paid for my window shield to
be replaced.
Jesus paid the price in this paradigm,
but you still have a bleeding hand
with glass in it.
In order to make you whole or holy we have to bring you to the hospital
and have the doctor painfully remove
the pieces of glass from your hand.
This painful, healing process is nothing less
then the Holy Hospital of Heaven,
we call Purgatory. Just as when the doctor puts alcohol on a cut or wound so it can prevent infection and heal, so Purgatory purifies the imperfections of our soul.
Does this make sense?
If not, there is another medicinal paradigm the explains Purgatory in the posting below.
