Analogies in Explaining Purgatory

Analogies are a handy way to explain difficult concepts in ways that people can begin to wrap their heads around. In Catholicism, we deal with many such ideas and an analogy sometimes is a good way to begin getting folks to at least grasp the possibility. One such concept, of course is the Trinity. How “Three” can be “One” is hard for the fleshly mind to get a handle on. I sometimes use the analogy of the egg. There are three parts to an egg: the shell, the white and the yolk. They are all the egg and without any one of them the egg doesn’t serve its purpose. In fact, we use the overall word to describe them: EGG shell. EGG white and EGG yolk. So, to do we use the overall name to describe the Trinity: GOD the Father, GOD the Son and GOD the Holy Spirit.

Another concept that is hard for many people to understand is that of Purgatory… especially Protestants. They confuse Purgatory with Hell and think of Purgatory as “paying for our sins”. They believe that Purgatory somehow cheapens Calvary. Nothing could be further from the Truth, but with Scriptures like: “but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7) and “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) it’s easy to see where they go wrong. This is where analogies may help.

The Analogy of the Dish Washer

I’m not talking about your home dishwasher that you have under your countertop. I’m talking about professional dishwashing in a food service environment. For instance, in some restaurants they have large machines that slide open on each side into which big racks filled with plates, cups and bowls, as well as a basket for silverware are placed. Before they go in the Dishwasher has to remove all debris from them… scraping and usually hosing them down with a pressure washer. Then they go into the machine and extremely hot water at high pressure does the cleaning.

When they come out the other side, the plates and so on are removed and stacked for their next use. But the silverware goes into another bath called “the Sanitizer”. Here a chemical designed to kill bacteria is applied. In fast food restaurants, a similar process takes place. There are three sinks. The first has very hot soapy water in which they are scrubbed clean. Then they go into another sink where they are rinsed. Finally, they go into a third sink in which they are sanitized. They must stay in this sink for a set amount of time after which they are removed and are ready to use again.

Calvary fulfills the purpose of the first two steps in each case. It “cleanses us from every sin”. But Purgatory fills the role of the final step. It “purges” us of that invisible “bacteria” left behind by that sin. It sanitizes us and prepares us for whatever use God has for us next.

The Analogy of the Board

If you take a length of board and hammer nails into it you have marred the wood. If you remove the nails the holes where they were would still be visible. You can fill the holes with wood putty, sand it and paint it and the holes will no longer be visible… but they are still there. To remove them you’d have to regenerate the wood to make it whole again. Our souls are the board and sin is the nails. Calvary removes the nails, fills and paints the holes… but Purgatory completes the regeneration begun at Baptism. So, then we are a “new creation” fit for use by the Master Carpenter in any way He sees fit.

No Analogy is Perfect

That all analogies come short in some regard is absolutely true. Remember, we are trying to explain the infinite Truth of God in fallible, human reasoning using finite, sin scarred minds. But perhaps these will give a common ground to demonstrate that what the Truth really is “possible” Sometimes, that’s the best you can do.