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Author Topic: A Question About Purgatory  (Read 1934 times)

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Offline BernardoGui

A Question About Purgatory
« on: December 11, 2022, 04:26:23 PM »
I'm hoping to understand how venial sins are counted against us.
Let's say I went to confession on a Sunday and confessed all the sins, both mortal and venial,
that I could recall. The priest gives me absolution but a few days later I die. In those few days I didn't
commit any mortal sins but a number of venial sins. 
Will my time in purgatory be based on just these handful of venial sins or all the sins I have accuмulated
throughout my life?
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Offline Nadir

Re: A Question About Purgatory
« Reply #1 on: December 11, 2022, 04:53:00 PM »
If you have confessed and been absolved, then God has forgotten your mortal sins. On that count you now have a clean slate. When I go to Confession I pray the be forgiven for those I am  confessing "and all the sins of my past life". I think that covers "all the sins I have accuмulated throughout my life."

But you will pay the price for your venial sins with time in purgatory.
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Offline jvk

Re: A Question About Purgatory
« Reply #2 on: December 11, 2022, 06:22:33 PM »
I don't know about that, Nadir.  I always thought that even though your sins HAVE been forgiven, we still have to suffer for the offense we've given to God, either in this world or the next.  Yes, it's true that God does "forget" your sins in the sense that past mortal sins that have been absolved through confession won't be held against you at the moment of your death, but you are still accountable for the action. 

To the OP, who can say how God will judge your time in Purgatory?  There are so many factors besides just the sins you commit!  Your faults, your acts of charity, your prayers, state of life, etc are all considered.  I would suggest you read the book "Purgatory".  It gives an excellent explanation of it, as well as many interesting anecdotes.  Actually, I'd recommend every Catholic read it. 
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Offline The Mrs

Re: A Question About Purgatory
« Reply #3 on: December 11, 2022, 06:29:39 PM »
Quote from: jvk on December 11, 2022, 06:22:33 PM
I don't know about that, Nadir.  I always thought that even though your sins HAVE been forgiven, we still have to suffer for the offense we've given to God, either in this world or the next.  Yes, it's true that God does "forget" your sins in the sense that past mortal sins that have been absolved through confession won't be held against you at the moment of your death, but you are still accountable for the action.

To the OP, who can say how God will judge your time in Purgatory?  There are so many factors besides just the sins you commit!  Your faults, your acts of charity, your prayers, state of life, etc are all considered.  I would suggest you read the book "Purgatory".  It gives an excellent explanation of it, as well as many interesting anecdotes.  Actually, I'd recommend every Catholic read it.
I second that, reading the book, “Purgatory “ will give you a good picture of how to avoid it.  There are many things you can do, including helping the poor souls in Purgatory that will lessen your own time.  That book is very insightful.
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Offline BernardoGui

Re: A Question About Purgatory
« Reply #4 on: December 11, 2022, 06:46:17 PM »
Quote from: jvk on December 11, 2022, 06:22:33 PM
I don't know about that, Nadir.  I always thought that even though your sins HAVE been forgiven, we still have to suffer for the offense we've given to God, either in this world or the next.  Yes, it's true that God does "forget" your sins in the sense that past mortal sins that have been absolved through confession won't be held against you at the moment of your death, but you are still accountable for the action.

To the OP, who can say how God will judge your time in Purgatory?  There are so many factors besides just the sins you commit!  Your faults, your acts of charity, your prayers, state of life, etc are all considered.  I would suggest you read the book "Purgatory".  It gives an excellent explanation of it, as well as many interesting anecdotes.  Actually, I'd recommend every Catholic read it.
God makes the rules, it's his universe and we're his creatures, however I don't quite understand having to pay for sins that I've been forgiven of through the act of contrition, especially by means of indescribable torture lasting centuries. 
"though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow" Isaiah 1:18 
This doesn't exactly line up with what a lot of the visions various saints have had of purgatory. 
If your child disobeys you and he is truly sorry, asks for forgiveness, you forgive him. Do you then 
give him the equivalent of a million spankings and call it mercy?
What am I missing here?
I get that no impure thing can enter heaven or God's presence but at the risk of sounding like a protestant, it sounds like Christ is paying only the debt for our mortal sins while we have to expiate venial sins in horrific ways for possible centuries(as the seers of Fatima were informed about their deceased friend).
Sometimes I wonder why God did not expand upon such an important stage of the afterlife in the Bible itself, rather than by means of private revelations by saints over a thousand years after the Bible was completed.
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