⚖️ Purgatory is Real: Why God’s Justice Demands Purification (Fr. Mark Beard)

Father Mark Beard delivers a clear and theologically precise homily defending the Catholic doctrine of Purgatory. He insists that Purgatory is not an act of God's vengeance, but a necessary final step of purification rooted in His perfect Justice, and he uses the testimony of Saint Faustina to illustrate this truth.

The Necessity of Justice
You Can't Pick and Choose (0:01): Father Beard challenges the audience to recognize that you cannot choose to believe in only the "Mercy" of God while ignoring His equally perfect Justice. God cannot be unjust.

The Debt of Sin (0:29): He uses the analogy of a debt. When you commit a mortal sin and go to Confession, the sin (the guilt) is removed, but the temporal punishment (the debt) often remains. If you die with that debt, God's Justice demands it be paid.

The Problem with Dying "Just Saved" (0:37): Father Beard points out that many believers die "just saved" but are not yet holy enough to enter the perfection of Heaven. He quotes Revelation 21:27, stating that "nothing unholy shall enter into it [Heaven]." Purgatory is the final, necessary stage of purification.

The Testimony of Saint Faustina
Mercy Doesn't Want It, Justice Demands It (0:52): Father Beard shares the testimony of Saint Faustina, who asked Christ why Purgatory exists. Christ's answer was profound: "My mercy doesn't want it, but justice demands it." This exchange proves that Purgatory is a direct consequence of God's perfect nature, not a tool for punishment.

🙏 Our Duty to the Holy Souls
We Can Help Them (1:03): The great mercy of this doctrine is that we can help the souls in Purgatory through our Masses, prayers, sacrifices, and good works.

The Final Call (1:40): The goal of the Christian life is not just to avoid hell, but to achieve perfect holiness and enter heaven immediately. Until then, Purgatory is the final act of God's love and justice.

Don't ignore the truth of Purgatory! Pray for the Holy Souls and work daily toward your own purification.