Purgatory is the state of existence as the body of Christ, which is short of full divine union. Purgatory is our participation in the human nature of Christ, while we work toward divine union. That’s us, that’s now. Our Purgatory begins now on earth, if necessary we may, (must) continue our purgation after the death of our body. We do well to complete our Purgatory now, in this life.
In this life our purgation proceeds in parallel with our spiritual advancement. After death our efforts at spiritual advancement cease, and no personal merit may be gained, but purgation of self may continue.96
Numerous private revelations from the saints and others,
reveal after death Purgatory varying greatly. The lowest levels are Hell like, but anyone may advance to the higher levels which are increasingly pleasant. It is difficult to assign any sort of earth based time or duration to after death Purgatory.
95 At what point in time does a person become a member of the body of Christ? In the case of sacraments delivered, it is at that moment. In the matter of baptism by desire (non-sacramental union with Christ), it is certain to Christ, but not to the Church.
It would be difficult to believe that a faithful person of any faith, does not have union with God, (belief is the first degree of union with God). This union would necessarily be union with Christ, who is the person of God responsible for making union with humanity.
96 The end point of spiritual advancement is not just elimination of selfish action, but our very self being is eliminated as we become a member of the single person of Christ. This is reunion with God, who detaches us into creation, so that we may freely perfect our virtues and reunite them to God.
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Because God offers to share his life with man (2Pet 1:4),
anyone joining God in his life must be free of every imperfection. If Christ forgives our sins of impatience for example, we are not turned into a perfectly patient person.
Forgiveness is more than a declaration, it is real reformation of soul.
It is a Catholic teaching that we may not advance in merit in Purgatory. Learning does occur, and this is the entire point of Purgatory, but without any increase in personal merit. In every case a student in Purgatory will advance from his current sharing in the human nature of Christ, to the divine union or marriage which is a permanent sharing in the divine nature of Christ.
The accidents of life remain just that, accidents. The wife need not become a nun, and parish priest need not become a desert monk. Better still is that God provides his own person as our interior guide in our moral conscience. The less attention we give to the accidents of life, the better we will hear the interior voice of God in our conscience. Purgatory was never a part of the plan. It is forced upon us by original sin, but there is no need to continue it beyond this life.
The apostle Paul speaks in some detail about a state of purgation after death in 1Cor 3:10-15. Here Paul speaks of building upon an existing foundation of Christ, (salvation). If a quality structure (gold, silver, gems), having no impurity is constructed it will stand at judgment. If an imperfect structure is built, that will combust when subjected to the flames of the Holy Spirit, (wood, straw), then it and the builder (the student and instructor), will need purgation by this fire prior to Heaven.
Here purgation due to erroneous teaching is discussed, but willful moral imperfection also requires reformation before the attainment of Heaven.
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Catholic teaching is of four afterlife states: Heaven, Hell, Purgatory, Limbo. 1Samuel 28:15 tells of the prophet Samuel in the afterlife of Limbo. With the coming of Christ, the holding area of Limbo was no longer needed, those able to entered Heaven, those needing purgation entered Purgatory. Limbo no longer seems to be operational.
”Maybe your purpose on this planet,
isn’t on this planet.”
— United States Space Force, recruiting slogan