The Body of Christ: The Church

Dear friends, when we think of the Body of Christ, we reflect on how the physical body parts work together in harmony. Each part has a unique role, and when all are healthy, it affects the entire body. The Body of Christ is the Church, comprising three components: the triumphant church, the militant church, and the suffering church.

The Triumphant Church: these are our loved ones we celebrate with great joy who have made it to heaven. Having lived like us in all things and been sanctified by the blood of the Lamb, they are now rejoicing in heaven. We celebrate their triumph and thank God with them, seeking their intercession for the militant church and the suffering church.

The Militant Church: As pilgrims on earth, we are still on the journey to heaven. In every experience, we are not disappointed, but rather, we ask deeper questions about what God is teaching us. Pilgrims have great opportunities to repent and readjust to follow God's ways in all things. The triumphant and militant church joins hands to pray for the suffering church.

The Suffering Church: The suffering church consists of those who have died in God's friendship but still need to be purified before entering heaven. This is where the doctrine of Purgatory comes in – a temporary state meant to sanctify them, so that they can enter heaven. Some might ask, "Where's Purgatory in the Bible?" A better question might be, "Where else can we make sense of God's mercy and justice together?"

However, the scripture provides clues, Jesus' words in Matthew 12:32 suggest forgiveness is possible beyond the grave, but not in heaven or hell. There must be a middle place, a state of purification.

In Revelation, it says, "Nothing unclean will enter heaven" (Rev 21:27), yet St. Paul reminds us that "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). If nothing unclean can enter heaven, and most of us die imperfect, then divine mercy must provide a way to cleanse us. That mercy is Purgatory – God's finishing school for the imperfectly holy.

The doctrine of Purgatory is rooted in God's justice and mercy. Purgatory is a state where those who are good but not good enough to enter heaven can be sanctified.

There's this old story of St Catherine of Siena, a 15th century mystic who once described Purgatory as "not a dungeon of despair, but a place of Love's final cleansing." She said, "The souls in Purgatory are not sad, they burn with love for the God whom they would soon behold. The fire that purifies them is the fire of mercy."

Adding his voice St. Gregory said ``the offering of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass for the poor souls in Purgatory is of great benefit to them, and they long for it with grievous wailings.'' Similarly St. Jerome teaches that "The souls who are suffering in Purgatory and whom the priest prays for on the Altar during Mass do not feel the tortures of Purgatory during the time that the Mass lasts. They ask for nothing more, they wish for nothing more than this bloodless Sacrifice.

The early Christians believed in praying for the dead, too. Tertullian wrote, "It was the custom of the church to make offerings for the dead." St. John Chrysostom urged priests to offer Masses for the faithful departed, saying, "Let us not hesitate to help those who have died and to offer our prayers for them."