Fridays with DaNte
02-11-2007
We just received our report card! Not everyone got decent grades, but it's alright! It's only the first term! *quoting Ms. Jessica* This week was also the starting of the SPH Cup Tournament, however we lost the tournament. Twice. Sob!!! We played against PSKD (last year's PH Cup champion) and Kanisius (this year's SMAK1 Cup champion). They were tough opponents, but we managed to not let ourselves lose easily. We did our best anyway, and there's a lot of things we should improve. Let us begin our Friday night then!
Erratic Picture of the Day
I made this picture... Very picturesque, right?
Auspicious Quotes
"It is better to deserve honors and not have them than to have them and not deserve them."
Mark Twain
Word of the Day
Vigilant (adj) - keeping careful watch
Topic of the Day
Purgatory: Fact or Myth?
02-11-2007
We just received our report card! Not everyone got decent grades, but it's alright! It's only the first term! *quoting Ms. Jessica* This week was also the starting of the SPH Cup Tournament, however we lost the tournament. Twice. Sob!!! We played against PSKD (last year's PH Cup champion) and Kanisius (this year's SMAK1 Cup champion). They were tough opponents, but we managed to not let ourselves lose easily. We did our best anyway, and there's a lot of things we should improve. Let us begin our Friday night then!
Erratic Picture of the Day
I made this picture... Very picturesque, right?Auspicious Quotes
"It is better to deserve honors and not have them than to have them and not deserve them."
Mark Twain
Word of the Day
Vigilant (adj) - keeping careful watch
Topic of the Day
Purgatory: Fact or Myth?
Recently, my mom just attended a church seminar about the spirits that dwell in this world. We only see these kind of spirits in the horror movies, horror series or whatsoever but believe it or not, they exist. Personally, though, I don't really believe it, but this topic intrigues me. However not all of these spirits are evil. Some spirits just mingle out and about in this world, waiting for someone to pray to God to give these individual spirits mercy and grace. By the way, I do not mean to be bias to certain culture or religion, I am writing this on sheer interest, and I would like to share this with you all. So what exactly is purgatory?
The Catholics believe imperfectly purified spirits, or spirits who does not repent fully, will be purged in purgatory. God pardoned their minor sins, but they still have to pay for the cost. As I read from a website, it was mentioned that God did not see sins equally, and God will not punish people equally as people who committed a more nefarious sin. The scripture stated that "it is appointed for men to die once, and after that comes judgment" (Heb. 9:27). They will be cleansed and punished for their sins in a purifying conflagration. The process of purgatory will completely pay off their sins and this will allow them to receive God's promise of eternal life. Most people believe that the purgatory is a fiery place, but this fact is still unconfirmed.
The process of purgatory does not only depend on the sins of the spirits though. It was believed that people have to pray and ask for God's mercy to release them from this purification. By praying for them, they may finally rest peacefully for eternity. Hence the Catholic church often have a so-called "Spirit Mass" or "Misa Arwah" in Indonesian. The mass prayed for the spirits of the dead so they can be released from purgatory and reconcile with the Creator once again. That is why most people will attend this mass to pray for their dead relatives or ancestors.
The term 'purgatory' does not appear in the Bible, however that doesn't mean it does not exist entirely. The term incarnation and trinity does not appear in the Bible as well, but many doctrines taught in it. It was mentioned in 1 Corinthians 3:15 that "He will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire". This cannot mean that spirits 'he' or whoever 'he' is, will go to hell, since no one will be salvaged there; it also cannot mean heaven, since there are no sufferings in heaven. In the book of Maccabees, which had been cut by Protestants, it was mentioned that "In doing this he acted in a very excellent and noble way, inasmuch as he had the resurrection of the dead in view; for if he were not expecting the dead to rise again, it would have been useless and foolish to pray for them in death. But if he did this with a view to the splendid reward that awaits those who had gone to rest in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Thus he made atonement for the dead that they might be freed from this sin" (2 Macc. 12:43–45). Prayers are not required for those in heaven, and prayers will not help those in hell. This leads into a probability of some people is in a temporary unknown condition. From this verse it was said that prayers for the dead were approved as well. This statement could somehow confirm the existence of the purgatory in our lives.
I would like to remind you all that I only write this only for sheer interest and knowledge, not as a taunt or to raise any controversy, nor a mockery to any religion. I myself is still dubious about the existence of purgatory itself, and I am not trying to convince you all that purgatory does exist. But, we all know that God will forgive our sins and He will always accept us no matter what. Therefore we should reconcile and be a compliant follower of Him so we will be saved through his grace. After all, it is a much safer way than being burned in purgatory anyway.
Joke of the Day
A gentleman entered a busy florist shop that displayed a large sign that read, "Say It With Flowers." "Wrap up one rose," he told the florist. "Only one?" the florist asked. "Just one," the customer replied. "I'm a man of few words." The Catholics believe imperfectly purified spirits, or spirits who does not repent fully, will be purged in purgatory. God pardoned their minor sins, but they still have to pay for the cost. As I read from a website, it was mentioned that God did not see sins equally, and God will not punish people equally as people who committed a more nefarious sin. The scripture stated that "it is appointed for men to die once, and after that comes judgment" (Heb. 9:27). They will be cleansed and punished for their sins in a purifying conflagration. The process of purgatory will completely pay off their sins and this will allow them to receive God's promise of eternal life. Most people believe that the purgatory is a fiery place, but this fact is still unconfirmed.
The process of purgatory does not only depend on the sins of the spirits though. It was believed that people have to pray and ask for God's mercy to release them from this purification. By praying for them, they may finally rest peacefully for eternity. Hence the Catholic church often have a so-called "Spirit Mass" or "Misa Arwah" in Indonesian. The mass prayed for the spirits of the dead so they can be released from purgatory and reconcile with the Creator once again. That is why most people will attend this mass to pray for their dead relatives or ancestors.
The term 'purgatory' does not appear in the Bible, however that doesn't mean it does not exist entirely. The term incarnation and trinity does not appear in the Bible as well, but many doctrines taught in it. It was mentioned in 1 Corinthians 3:15 that "He will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire". This cannot mean that spirits 'he' or whoever 'he' is, will go to hell, since no one will be salvaged there; it also cannot mean heaven, since there are no sufferings in heaven. In the book of Maccabees, which had been cut by Protestants, it was mentioned that "In doing this he acted in a very excellent and noble way, inasmuch as he had the resurrection of the dead in view; for if he were not expecting the dead to rise again, it would have been useless and foolish to pray for them in death. But if he did this with a view to the splendid reward that awaits those who had gone to rest in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Thus he made atonement for the dead that they might be freed from this sin" (2 Macc. 12:43–45). Prayers are not required for those in heaven, and prayers will not help those in hell. This leads into a probability of some people is in a temporary unknown condition. From this verse it was said that prayers for the dead were approved as well. This statement could somehow confirm the existence of the purgatory in our lives.
I would like to remind you all that I only write this only for sheer interest and knowledge, not as a taunt or to raise any controversy, nor a mockery to any religion. I myself is still dubious about the existence of purgatory itself, and I am not trying to convince you all that purgatory does exist. But, we all know that God will forgive our sins and He will always accept us no matter what. Therefore we should reconcile and be a compliant follower of Him so we will be saved through his grace. After all, it is a much safer way than being burned in purgatory anyway.
Joke of the Day
DaNte
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