can the soul in purgatory pray for themself?

-- (giesumariagiuse@hotmail.com), December 06, 2002

Answers

Response to purgatory

Sure, but while you are in purgatory, you can't achieve any *merits* for yourself - that's why it is so important to pray for the souls who are there - offer them YOUR merits (or those of the saints in Heaven).

Good question ! :-)

-- Christine L. :-) (chris_tine_leh_man@hotmail.com), December 06, 2002.

Response to purgatory

There are 4 places: 1)Paradise= Earth, 2) Heavenly paradise for those worthy to enter the first time, 3) Purgatory for those not commiting mortal sins, and 4) hell of darkness ( not fire) for those truly offending God.

Back in the 1980s one of my relatives was into Satanism. Heavy metal music ( Ozzy Osbourne, Iron Maiden, Dio...) was in part to blame.I had the experience of seeing the satanic Bible. I tried to convince the person to leave that kind of life. After 3 years, I failed. One night, that was after I had my first 2 revelations, I said: one night, God will give you a revelation that will change your life. 7 years later it happened. He wanted to know where his father was after dying. 3 months later, he had a revelation.

First, he entered a place where people are judged. A person was carrying him to that place by flying. He could see everyone who had died. They were waiting in line to be judged. Those worthy were sent to the good place, those not worthy were sent to two different places. He entered a dark place where people were crying, screaming, lamenting. He was told not to discuss with anyone what he saw there.

After leaving the dark place, he entered a lighted place where people who had done wrong were doing tasks God had assigned to them. Their faults were not bad enough to go into the dark place. They were there for different intervals. This was more like when people go to jail, knowing they will get out some day. Once finished with their assignment which sometimes exceeded hundreds of years, they could line up for heaven.

My relative couldn't enter heaven. He could see at a distance those worthy to enter. Those not worthy trying to enter were destroyed by fire.There were things he saw he was told never to discuss with anyone.

Since that day (8 years ago) this person became a changed person: Left friends, places, boooks, magazines,...

As to your question, can the soul in purgatory can pray for itself: no, but can make up for what it did if God is willing. Also, the person before dying must have asked for forgiveness to those he injured and insulted. Before 40 days have passed when the person has died, one can try to forgive those people that wronged us for God to have mercy on them. After he/she is judged, it is too late. This you find in Mathew 5:21-26,24:45-51,25:31-46, Luke 12:57-59,Luke 16:19-31,20:27-38.

-- Elpidio Gonzalez (egonzalez@srla.org), December 06, 2002.

Response to purgatory

The only thing a soul in Purgatory could request for himself/herself would be a shorter time in Purgatory. He/she already has everything else that a soul could desire - eternal salvation! I doubt that a soul's "time" in Purgatory would be shortened simply because that soul asked to have it shortened. In fact, such considerations are probably meaningless anyway, since Purgatory exists outside of time, and the very concept of "time in Purgatory" is therefore probably not valid. In any case, the Church teaches that souls in Purgatory can do nothing to benefit themselves, but those of us who are still on earth can aid them by our prayers and sacrifices.

-- Paul (PaulCyp@cox.net), December 06, 2002.