‘Rulers of the people, and elders! If you are questioning us today about an act of kindness to a cripple, and asking us how he was healed, then I am glad to tell you all, and would indeed be glad to tell the whole people of Israel, that it was by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, the one you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by this name and by no other that this man is able to stand up perfectly healthy, here in your presence, today.
A recent episode of one of my favorite Protestant Preachers spoke of how Catholics believe in Purgatory. In his interpretation there is only heaven and hell. At death you go to Heaven or Hell. No in-between. Of course he is wrong. He is speaking of those who are saved in the Protestant interpretation or in Heaven the way a Catholic believes. A Protestant believes that if you accept Jesus as your savior you are going to Heaven. A Catholic believes that you have to be in the state of Grace to be in full Communion with God.A person who dies in the Protestant Philosophy believes that it is a done deal that they go to Heaven. Not so! If that person dies robbing a bank the answer is no.
Even Jesus says to the person who follows the commandments and gives to the poor says that he was close to the Kingdom of God. Sat Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 9:25-27 Every athlete exercises discipline in every way. They do it to win a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one. Thus, I do not run aimlessly; I do not fight as if I were shadowboxing. No, I drive my body and train it, for fear that, after having preached to others, I myself should be disqualified. Our journey to Heaven is not a single acceptance, but a continuation of following the Commandments, loving our fellow humans, including Muslims, Jews and Athehists.
The people in Purgatory are saved in the Protestant idea. They have little blemishes from venial sins.They may have done everything right but did they love one another. I am not sure how people get to Purgatory, but I do know that if it is a Mortal Sin then they are not there.
Now what am I saying. When I work for the government, I would sometimes take a government pen home. I would try to remember to bring it back the next day but would somehow forget. I slept. So what I did was throw the pens in a drawer and once or twice a year I would bring them back. If the tops or bottoms were broken, I would throw them in the drawer. The were not mine and I wanted to bring them back. I did, because I had more than enough pens of my own and I did not want to steal.
A Catholic can do all the right things in our Journey to Heaven but still make small mistakes that are not Mortal sins but can keep us from full Communion with Jesus. T
So, I still believe is Purgatory. I believe in the name of Jesus. I try to follow the Commandments and when I don’t then I go to Reconciliation. I make a daily Act of Contrition. I say a daily Rosary. I say other prayers.
I try!
So do you. Nonetheless, we are athletes in our journey to Heaven. Some of those athletes are in Purgatory. We need to pray for them. The season of Spring is Hope. Easter is Hope. We are in training and so are they.
Prayer of Saint Gertrude
Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the holy soul in purgatory, for sinners everywhere for sinners in the universal Church those in my own home and within my family. Amen!
I say the above prayer a number of times during my day. Athletes are always in training.
Happy Easter!
God Love You Always
Bob Burford
PS: Please Pray for Pope Leo XIV. Please Pray for Cancer victims and their caregivers. Pray for the conversion of Russia and the salvation of the Ukrainian and Russian people and their soldiers. Pray for the Holy Land. Pray for peace! The impossible could and can happen. (Saint Rita) Never deny God! Pray for justice for immigrants! Pray for justice for our President and all government officials! Pray for Immigrants! Pray for Peace!
