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Question
Good evening,
I have a question. I have already read your answer to a faithful’s query about indulgences. I understood your reply, but then at once another question arose in my mind: we believe that whatever sin we commit, there is a temporal punishment connected to it, but can we also infer this from any biblical passage? And how can we reconcile the fact that Jesus paid for our sins with the idea that we have to atone for our sins ourselves?
Kind regards,
Marco
Answer
Dear Marco,
1. The question of temporal punishment is intimately connected to Purgatory. Well, the fact that temporal punishments exist is well corroborated by the Sacred Scripture.
2. First, we have the teaching of the Lord who, in the Sermon on the Mount, says: “Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny”(Matt. 5:25-26).
As you can see, prison and payment are mentioned here.Saint Cyprian, an ancient holy Father, comments:”It is one thing to stand for pardon, another to arrive at glory; one thing, being cast into prison, not to go out thence, till one has paid the last farthing, another to receive at once the reward of faith and courage ; one thing, being tortured by long anguish for sins, to be long cleansed, and purged by fire, another to have purged all sins by suffering; lastly, one thing to wait in suspense to the Day a of Judgment for the sentence of the Lord, another to be at once crowned by the Lord.(Saint Cyprian, Epistle LV, ad Antonianus, 16).
3. Another teaching of the Lord that alludes to a punishment that can be atoned for in future life and is therefore equivalent to a temporal and not eternal punishment is the following: “therefore I tell you, people will be forgiven for every sin and blasphemy, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come” (Matt. 12:31-32). Here is Saint Augustine’s comment: “for otherwise that should not be truly spoken concerning some, that ‘they shall not be forgiven, neither in this world, nor in the world to come’: unless there were some who, although they have no remission in this, yet might have it in the world to come”. (Saint Augustine, bishop of Hippo, The City of God, 24,21, translation by Marcus Dods).
And here is Saint Gregory the Great’s: “in such state as a man departeth out of this life, in the same he is presented in judgment before God. But yet we must believe that before the day of judgment there is a Purgatory fire for certain small sins : because our Saviour saith, that he which speaketh blasphemy against the holy Ghost , that it shall not be forgiven him y neither in this world , nor in the world to come ? Out of which sentence we learn, that some sins are forgiven in this world, and some other may be pardoned in the next : for that which is denied concern- ing one sin, is consequently understood to be granted touching some other. But yet this, as I said, we have not to believe but only concerning little and very small sins” (Dialogues, 4, 39, translation by P.W.).
4. A third text is Saint Paul’s: “According to the grace of God given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it. But each one must be careful how he builds upon it, for no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there, namely, Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, the work of each will come to light, for the Day will disclose it. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire (itself) will test the quality of each one’s work.If the work stands that someone built upon the foundation, that person will receive a wage. But if someone’s work is burned up, that one will suffer loss; the person will be saved, but only as through fire” (1Cor 3:10-15).
5. Therefore the Catechism of the Catholic Church says: “this teaching is also based on the practice of prayer for the dead, already mentioned in Sacred Scripture: ‘Therefore Judas Maccabeus made atonement for the dead, that they might be delivered from their sin’ (2Macc 12:45). From the beginning the Church has honored the memory of the dead and offered prayers in suffrage for them, above all the Eucharistic sacrifice, so that, thus purified, they may attain the beatific vision of God. The Church also commends almsgiving, indulgences, and works of penance undertaken on behalf of the dead: ‘Let us help and commemorate them. If Job’s sons were purified by their father’s sacrifice, why would we doubt that our offerings for the dead bring them some consolation? Let us not hesitate to help those who have died and to offer our prayers for them’ (St. John Chrysostom, Hom. in 1 Cor. 41, 5)”(CCC 1032).
I wish you all the best, I remember you to the Lord in prayer and I bless you.
Father Angelo