MSI Press Blog

From today's Morning Prayer: A man is not justified by observance of the law but only through faith in Jesus Christ (Galatians 2:16)   It’s easy to read that line and think it’s about doctrine — justification, grace, salvation. But Paul wasn’t writing to theologians. He was writing to people trying to live faithfully in a messy world. So what does this mean when your boots are actually on the ground? The Law as Control The “law” isn’t just ancient ritual. It’s any system we use to prove we’re good enough — the checklist, the performance, the self‑audit. We follow rules, meet expectations, and hope that doing everything right will make us right. But Paul says: that’s not how transformation works. You can’t spreadsheet your way into holiness. Faith as Relationship Faith isn’t a loophole in the law; it’s a relationship that changes how we walk. It’s trust — not in our own compliance, but in Christ’s companionship. It’s believing that grace meets us where formulas fail. On the ground, ...

  Few ideas in Christianity are as misunderstood as purgatory. For some, it sounds like a second chance after death. For others, it sounds like a lesser version of hell. Neither is quite right. Purgatory is best understood as an answer to a very human problem: What happens if we belong to God—but are not yet fully ready to be in His presence? What Purgatory Is In the teaching of the Catholic Church , purgatory is: A state of purification For those who die in God’s grace But are not yet fully purified It is not a place where destinies are decided. That decision has already been made. Purgatory is not about whether you are saved. It is about being made ready for the fullness of that salvation. Who Goes to Purgatory? This is where clarity matters. Not all souls go to purgatory. Christian teaching distinguishes three broad possibilities after death: Immediate union with God (the “community of saints”) Some souls—those already fully purified—enter directly into heaven. T...