A magnifying glass shows a diamond’s flaws beneath the facets. There are carbon deposits, tiny cracks, scratches, and discolorations.
Precious stones were made a part of The Creation Program to provide an analogy to The Human Soul and The Sacraments provided by The Only Church Jesus Founded.
Gems can be heated, re-cut, re-set, re-polished, repaired, and regain value. If the stone is too badly flawed, no process can fix it. If it can’t be sold to some unsuspecting person, it is re-classified as “industrial” and used for other purposes.
The innate tendency of things to fall apart, Original Sin, is healed by Baptism. The awareness of flaws comes from Confession. Their repair, by Absolution. Accessing the Process of ongoing strengthening is Confirmation. Marriage joins in producing more souls to strive for flawlessness. Holy Orders provides the most special souls the power to help others to reach the necessary flawlessness. Last Rites allow for overlooked flaws to be made new.
The departed soul may still have imperfections. Purgatory provides a place to purge them. The pain is great, but is so welcome that no one there says, “Forget it. I’d rather be stained and flawed than put up with this agony.”
Purgatory is The Loving Programmer’s version of a jeweler’s “Diamond Repair Shop”. Tiny lasers burn away dark deposits. Angels empowered to act as 3-D printers in fill in carefully cleaned gaps and cracks with perfectly positioned spiritual equivalents of molecules, atoms, and electrons.
Purgatory’s pain is alleviated by the increasing joy of the growing closeness to God as repairs are made.
After the purification of Purgatory, the glittering gem of a perfectly restored soul takes its proper place in Heaven, reflecting the Glory of God. Restoring diamonds and souls on earth and in Heaven.
One concept of Purgatory includes “Those who refuse to believe in Purgatory can’t go there.” That pomposity predicts impending perdition.
What’s a Protestant to do? Even if they can’t quite make the leap to becoming a Catholic, smarter Protestants don’t want to close the only door through which their soul may be saved.
“I may not be strong enough to be a Catholic, but I sure hope I get to go to Purgatory rather than hell.” That may be enough. “may.” Catholic Fundamentalism would be horribly remiss not to add the reality of “may”.
Believing in Purgatory alone may not be enough to get there and it would be a great sin to lead someone to rely on what really is not enough. Still, it is a start.
