And his lord being angry, delivered him to the torturers until he paid the debt.-MATT. xviii. 34.
The servant spoken of in our text owed his master an immense sum, equal to nearly twenty million dollars in our money; and because of his sin the master cast him into prison until he should pay the last farthing. Like this servant of the parable we are all debtors to God in satisfaction for our sins. Every conscious moment of our existence there is recorded in the book of life something to our credit or something against us; and at the end of our days upon earth the Lord will reckon up our debts, and demand a strict account of them. Even those who die in God's favor must nevertheless pay in the fires of purgatory the debt of satisfaction which they owe for their sins.
I. The nature and existence of purgatory,
1. Purgatory is the place and state of expiation for all those who have died in the friendship of God, but without having fully satisfied for their sins.
2. That purgatory really exists is plain, (a) from Holy Scripture: "It is a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead that they may be loosed from their sins" (2 Mach. xii. 46); Tobias commanded his son to give an alms to the poor for the liberation of a just man's soul (Tobias iv. 18); the inhabitants of Jabes Galaad fasted seven days for Saul and Jonathan after the latter's death (i Kings xxxi. 13) ; our Lord told the Pharisees that certain sins would not be forgiven either in this world or in the world to come (Matt. xii. 32) ; the Fathers see a reference to purgatory in those passages where our Lord speaks of a prison from which a man shall not be released until he has paid the last farthing (Matt. v. 2; Luke xii. 59). (b) The Church has always taught the doctrine of purgatory, as we know from the practice of praying for the dead, from the early liturgies, Councils, and writings of the Fathers, (c) The doctrine of purgatory is most reasonable, since on the one hand nothing defiled shall enter into heaven (Apoc. xxi. 27), and on the other hand the God of justice will not punish slight faults with eternal penalties, (d) The doctrine of purgatory is most consoling and helpful for the living as well as the dead.
3. The sufferings of the souls in purgatory are severe and consist in the deprivation of the vision and presence of God, and in certain positive afflictions; but they are resigned to God's will, they are certain of their salvation, and they know that their sufferings are not eternal.
1. Purgatory is the place and state of expiation for all those who have died in the friendship of God, but without having fully satisfied for their sins.
2. That purgatory really exists is plain, (a) from Holy Scripture: "It is a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead that they may be loosed from their sins" (2 Mach. xii. 46); Tobias commanded his son to give an alms to the poor for the liberation of a just man's soul (Tobias iv. 18); the inhabitants of Jabes Galaad fasted seven days for Saul and Jonathan after the latter's death (i Kings xxxi. 13) ; our Lord told the Pharisees that certain sins would not be forgiven either in this world or in the world to come (Matt. xii. 32) ; the Fathers see a reference to purgatory in those passages where our Lord speaks of a prison from which a man shall not be released until he has paid the last farthing (Matt. v. 2; Luke xii. 59). (b) The Church has always taught the doctrine of purgatory, as we know from the practice of praying for the dead, from the early liturgies, Councils, and writings of the Fathers, (c) The doctrine of purgatory is most reasonable, since on the one hand nothing defiled shall enter into heaven (Apoc. xxi. 27), and on the other hand the God of justice will not punish slight faults with eternal penalties, (d) The doctrine of purgatory is most consoling and helpful for the living as well as the dead.
3. The sufferings of the souls in purgatory are severe and consist in the deprivation of the vision and presence of God, and in certain positive afflictions; but they are resigned to God's will, they are certain of their salvation, and they know that their sufferings are not eternal.
II. The souls in purgatory are helped by our suffrages.
1. This is the teaching of Scripture, as we can see from the passages quoted above, and has been constantly taught by the Church from the beginning.
2. That the just on earth can assist the souls in purgatory is certain from the doctrine of the Communion of Saints. All the members of the Church form one society and one mystical body, and hence there is an interchange of good offices between them. The help we give the souls in purgatory mitigates their sufferings and hastens the time of their deliverance.
3. The chief means of suffrage are Masses, prayers, works of satisfaction, the heroic act of charity, and indulgences.
4. The Councils of Florence and Trent have declared that Masses are the principal means of assisting the souls in purgatory.
5. After the Sacrifice of the Mass the most suitable means of helping the holy souls are prayers.
6. Works of satisfaction embrace all our good works inasmuch as being difficult they have a compensatory value for the temporal punishment due to sin; hence the benefit of our fasts, alms deeds, crosses, etc., can be transferred to the suffering souls. The heroic acts of charity consist in the total transfer to the holy souls of all our satisfactions, whether acquired by our own efforts, or offered for us by others. during our life or after our death.
7. An indulgence is not a permission to commit sin, nor a forgiveness of the guilt of sin; it is the remission outside of the Sacrament of Penance of some of the temporal punishments due to sin. In granting an indulgence the Church draws upon the superabundant merits and satisfactions of Christ and the saints.
8. That the Church has the right to grant indulgences is proved, (a) from the power of loosing given her by Christ (Matt. xvi. 19) ; (b) from the fact that, under the guidance of the Holy Ghost, she has exercised this power from the beginning (2 Cor. ii. 10).
9. There are two kinds of indulgence: (a) plenary, or the remission of the entire punishment due to sin; (b) partial, or the remission of only a portion of the temporal punishment due to sin. An indulgence of forty days or seven years means the remission of as much temporal punishment as would have been paid by one of the ancient canonical penances of forty days or seven years duration. 10. The conditions for gaining an indulgence are: (a) the state of grace, at least at the completion of the work, and freedom from those venial faults whose punishment we wish to cancel (for a plenary indulgence freedom from all affection to sin is necessary); (b) the devout fulfilment of the works prescribed by the Church; (c) the intention at least in general of gaining the indulgence. It is a good practice to form the intention every morning of gaining all the indulgences possible on that day. Most indulgences can be applied to the souls in purgatory; when so applied they are offered to God with the request that He may accept them for the benefit of the suffering souls. Such application of indulgences is highly pleasing to God and beneficial to the poor souls.
1. This is the teaching of Scripture, as we can see from the passages quoted above, and has been constantly taught by the Church from the beginning.
2. That the just on earth can assist the souls in purgatory is certain from the doctrine of the Communion of Saints. All the members of the Church form one society and one mystical body, and hence there is an interchange of good offices between them. The help we give the souls in purgatory mitigates their sufferings and hastens the time of their deliverance.
3. The chief means of suffrage are Masses, prayers, works of satisfaction, the heroic act of charity, and indulgences.
4. The Councils of Florence and Trent have declared that Masses are the principal means of assisting the souls in purgatory.
5. After the Sacrifice of the Mass the most suitable means of helping the holy souls are prayers.
6. Works of satisfaction embrace all our good works inasmuch as being difficult they have a compensatory value for the temporal punishment due to sin; hence the benefit of our fasts, alms deeds, crosses, etc., can be transferred to the suffering souls. The heroic acts of charity consist in the total transfer to the holy souls of all our satisfactions, whether acquired by our own efforts, or offered for us by others. during our life or after our death.
7. An indulgence is not a permission to commit sin, nor a forgiveness of the guilt of sin; it is the remission outside of the Sacrament of Penance of some of the temporal punishments due to sin. In granting an indulgence the Church draws upon the superabundant merits and satisfactions of Christ and the saints.
8. That the Church has the right to grant indulgences is proved, (a) from the power of loosing given her by Christ (Matt. xvi. 19) ; (b) from the fact that, under the guidance of the Holy Ghost, she has exercised this power from the beginning (2 Cor. ii. 10).
9. There are two kinds of indulgence: (a) plenary, or the remission of the entire punishment due to sin; (b) partial, or the remission of only a portion of the temporal punishment due to sin. An indulgence of forty days or seven years means the remission of as much temporal punishment as would have been paid by one of the ancient canonical penances of forty days or seven years duration. 10. The conditions for gaining an indulgence are: (a) the state of grace, at least at the completion of the work, and freedom from those venial faults whose punishment we wish to cancel (for a plenary indulgence freedom from all affection to sin is necessary); (b) the devout fulfilment of the works prescribed by the Church; (c) the intention at least in general of gaining the indulgence. It is a good practice to form the intention every morning of gaining all the indulgences possible on that day. Most indulgences can be applied to the souls in purgatory; when so applied they are offered to God with the request that He may accept them for the benefit of the suffering souls. Such application of indulgences is highly pleasing to God and beneficial to the poor souls.
LESSONS,
1. From a consideration of the sufferings of purgatory we should learn how great is the punishment for venial sin, and should strive to avoid it in future, and do penance now for the sins of the past.
2. Since it is in our power to help the suffering souls, we should be zealous to do for them what we hope others will do for us when we are in need.
1. From a consideration of the sufferings of purgatory we should learn how great is the punishment for venial sin, and should strive to avoid it in future, and do penance now for the sins of the past.
2. Since it is in our power to help the suffering souls, we should be zealous to do for them what we hope others will do for us when we are in need.
