Jesus Christ is the only Way and Truth and Life - No one comes to the Father except by Him.

For as it was not possible that the man who had once for all been conquered, and who had been destroyed through disobedience, could reform himself, and obtain the prize of victory; and as it was also impossible that he could attain to salvation who had fallen under the power of sin,-the Son effected both these things, being the Word of God, descending from the Father, becoming incarnate, stooping low, even to death, and consummating the arranged plan of our salvation, upon whom [Paul], exhorting us unhesitatingly to believe, again says, "Who shall ascend into heaven? that is, to bring down Christ; or who shall descend into the deep? that is, to liberate Christ again from the dead." Then he continues, "If thou shall confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shall be saved." And he renders the reason why the Son of God did these things, saying, "For to this end Christ both lived, and died, and revived, that He might rule over the living and the dead." And again, writing to the Corinthians, he declares, "But we preach Christ Jesus crucified; "and adds, "The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? " - St. Irenaeus, Against Heresies, Book III, Chapter XVIII, Section 2.

See: Traditional Catholic Prayers: Traditional Catholic Prayers: January 1 is the Feast of the Circumcision - January 6 Epiphany

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Tuesday, November 29, 2011

The Athanasian Creed

Whoever wills his salvation before all else let him profess the Catholic faith.
For unless a person keeps this faith whole and entire, he will undoubtedly be lost forever.
Now the Catholic faith is this: that we worship one God in the Trinity and the Trinity in unity.
Neither confounding the Persons, nor dividing the Substance.
For there is one person of the Father, another of the Son, another of the Holy Spirit.
But the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit have one divinity, equal glory, and coeternal majesty.
What the Father is, the Son is, and the Holy Spirit is.
The Father is uncreated, the Son is uncreated, and the Holy Spirit is uncreated.
The Father is infinite, the Son is infinite, and the Holy Spirit is infinite.
The Father is eternal, the Son is eternal, and the Holy Spirit is eternal.
Nevertheless, there are not three eternal beings, but one eternal being.
So there are not three uncreated beings, nor three infinite beings, but one uncreated being and one infinite being.
Likewise, the Father is omnipotent, the Son is omnipotent, the Holy Spirit is omnipotent.
Yet there are not three omnipotent beings, but one omnipotent being.

Thus the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God.
However, there are not three gods, but one God.
The Father is Lord, the Son is Lord, and the Holy Spirit is Lord.
However, there as not three lords, but one Lord.
For as we are obliged by Christian truth to acknowledge every Person singly to be God and Lord, so too are we forbidden by the Catholic religion to say that there are three Gods or Lords.
The Father was not made, nor created, nor generated by anyone.
The Son is not made, nor created, but engendered by the Father alone.
The Holy Spirit is not made, nor created, nor generated, but proceeds from the Father and the Son.

There is, then, one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three sons; one Holy Spirit, not three holy spirits.
In this Trinity, there is nothing before or after, nothing greater or less. The entire three Persons are coeternal and coequal with one another.
So that in all things, as is has been said above, the Unity is to be worshipped in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity.
He, therefore, who wishes to be saved, must believe thus about the Trinity.

It is also necessary for eternal salvation that he believes steadfastly in the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Thus the right faith is that we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is both God and man.

As God, He was engendered of the substance of the Father before time; as man, He was born in time of the flesh of His Mother.
He is perfect God; and He is perfect man, with a rational soul and human flesh.
He is equal to the Father in His divinity, but inferior to the Father in His flesh.
Although He is God and man, He is not two, but one Christ.
And He is one, not because His divinity was changed into flesh, but because His humanity was assumed unto God.
He is one, not by a mingling of substances, but by unity of person.
As a rational soul and flesh are one man: so God and man are one Christ.
He died for our salvation, descended to the waiting souls of the faithful departed, and rose from the dead on the third day.
He ascended into heaven, sits at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From there He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
At His coming, all men are to arise with their own bodies; and they are to give an account of their own deeds.
Those who have done good deeds will go into eternal life; those who have done evil will go into the everlasting fire.
This is the Catholic faith. Everyone must believe it, firmly and steadfastly; otherwise He cannot be saved.
Glory be to Thee, O equal Trinity, one God, before all ages, now and forever.
Amen.

Monday, November 28, 2011

Traditional Catholic Prayers: Jesus Christ the Son of God, who established His Eucharist

Traditional Catholic Prayers: Jesus Christ the Son of God, who established His Eucharist


This is the only Eucharist we must have part of.



At the Last Supper, Our Lord Jesus Christ instituted the Eucharist. This is for Baptized Christians only. One can believe in God with a salvific faith before Baptism or even without Baptism. St. Augustine makes an example of someone alone in a desert with no water to baptize with and no one to baptize the singular person there. If that person were to come to faith in the true Triune God, then that is a saving faith, even if he should die of thirst moments later. Is that salvation somehow retracted if he should live instead? Of course not. The water Baptism is an outward sign of an inward grace that is established by the person's confession of faith in God and the Holy Spirit's response to that confession. The Holy Spirit actually prompts, but does not force the person's confession in the first place.





The Last Supper is the New Testament fulfillment of the Old Testament type of the Paschal Lamb of the Passover that God commanded the Israelites to eat at the beginning of the Exodus from Egypt. The last supper is where Christ instituted His real presence (recreated unbloody by the Holy Spirit in the epiclesis in our communions) as it would be offered the next day on His Most Holy Cross as the only Sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins. This sacrifice was prefigured in the son, Isaac, that Abraham was willing to offer to God, but God substituted the Ram (prefiguring Christ) instead. Eid al-Kabir, "the Greater Eid," is the reverent Muslim holiday recalling the faith of Abraham in that sacrifice.







THE LORD'S EUCHARIST - CLICK ON PICTURE TO GO TO HOW TO CELEBRATE THE EUCHARIST



The Lord's Eucharist - Click on picture to go to how to celebrate the Eucharist
St. John 21:14 This is now the third time that Jesus was manifested to his disciples, after he was risen from the dead.









The Great tribulation is ever increasing in its proximity to us, though the exact time is known by God alone. The Church Fathers said that the faithful at that time would withdraw to private places to preserve the Eucharist in its purity. Below is the original house Church.


In the ancient Church there was no term such as "confect" the Eucharist. The Eucharist is present in the bread and in the wine and water (wine and water mixed approximately half and half) by the power of the Holy Spirit.


From the second chapter of the Acts of the Apostles below:


Acts:2:
41 They therefore that received his word were
baptized: and there were added in that day about three thousand souls.
42 ¶ And they were persevering in the
doctrine of the apostles and in the communication of the breaking of bread and in prayers.

Notice what is the practice of the faith in Christ as per the preaching of the Gospel by St. Peter himself and the Apostles on the day of Pentecost, which is when Christ told them to wait for and then preach the Gospel, when they would be guided to do so by the Holy Spirit.


Acts

4 And eating together with them, he (Jesus) commanded them, that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but should wait for the promise of the Father, which you have heard (saith he) by my mouth.
5 For John indeed baptized with water: but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit, not many days hence.


Christians, read Catholics, are to be baptized


Mt:28:19:
19 Going therefore, teach ye all nations: baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.


(that is done with the above formula that Our Lord gave us and with water at that time, once in your life, with the proper intent, so that the Holy Spirit bestows actual baptism of the blood of Christ upon you)


Christians, read Catholics, are to persevere in the doctrine of the apostles

Christians, read Catholics, are to persevere in the communication of the breaking of bread (holy communion of the Eucharist)

Christians, read Catholics, are to be in prayers

Notice it is done house to house - in house churches:


Acts:2:

44 And all they that believed were together and had all things in common.
45 Their possessions and goods they sold and divided them to all, according as every one had need.
46 And continuing daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house, they took their meat with gladness and simplicity of heart:


When you use the Didache, written by the Apostles in 49 A.D. at the council of Jerusalem, for the Eucharist, it would be proper to use the words of Institution and the Epiclesis (calling down of the Holy Spirit to bless gifts and make them into the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ) which were written by St. James the lesser of Jerusalem in his liturgy, he is the same person as the author of the Epistle of St. James (Jms:1:1: James, the servant of God and of our Lord Jesus Christ,...). See the attached file, "Original Eucharist", for complete Eucharist celebration for house Church.

Acts:2:
1 ¶ And when the days of the Pentecost were accomplished, they were all together in one place:
2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a mighty wind coming: and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.
3 And there appeared to them parted tongues, as it were of fire: and it sat upon every one of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit: and they began to speak with divers tongues, according as the Holy Spirit gave them to speak.
5 ¶ Now there were dwelling at Jerusalem, Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.
6 And when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded in mind, because that every man heard them speak in his own tongue.
7 And they were all amazed, and wondered, saying: Behold, are not all these that speak Galilean?
8 And how have we heard, every man our own tongue wherein we were born?
9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites and inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,
10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome,
11 Jews also, and proselytes, Cretes, and Arabians: we have heard them speak in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.
12 And they were all astonished, and wondered, saying one to another: What meaneth this?
13 But others mocking, said: These men are full of new wine.
14 ¶ But Peter standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and spoke to them: Ye men of Judea, and all you that dwell in Jerusalem, be this known to you and with your ears receive my words.
15 For these are not drunk, as you suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day:
16 But this is that which was spoken of by the prophet Joel:
17 And it shall come to pass, in the last days, (saith the Lord), I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy: and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.
18 And upon my servants indeed and upon my handmaids will I pour out in those days of my spirit: and they shall prophesy.
19 And I will shew wonders in the heaven above, and signs on the earth beneath: blood and fire, and vapour of smoke.
20 The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood, before the great and manifest day of the Lord to come.
21 And it shalt come to pass, that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him, in the midst of you, as you also know:
23 This same being delivered up, by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, you by the hands of wicked men have crucified and slain.
24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the sorrows of death, as it was impossible that he should be holden by it.
25 For David saith concerning him: I foresaw the Lord before my face: because he is at my right hand, that I may not be moved.
26 For this my heart hath been glad, and my tongue hath rejoiced: moreover my flesh also shall rest in hope.
27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hades: nor suffer thy Holy One to see corruption.
28 Thou hast made known to me the ways of life: thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.
29 Ye men, brethren, let me freely speak to you of the patriarch David: that he died and was buried; and his sepulchre is with us to this present say.
30 Whereas therefore he was a prophet and knew that God hath sworn to him with an oath, that of the fruit of his loins one should sit upon his throne.
31 Foreseeing this, he spoke of the resurrection of Christ. For neither was he left in hell: neither did his flesh see corruption.
32 This Jesus hath God raised again, whereof all we are witnesses.
33 Being exalted therefore by the right hand of God and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath poured forth this which you see and hear.
34 For David ascended not into heaven; but he himself said: The Lord said to my Lord: Sit thou on my right hand,
35 Until I make thy enemies thy footstool.
36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know most certainly that God hath made both Lord and Christ, this same Jesus, whom you have crucified.
37 ¶ Now when they had heard these things, they had compunction in their heart and said to Peter and to the rest of the apostles: What shall we do, men and brethren?
38 But Peter said to them: Do penance: and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of your sins. And you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
39 For the promise is to you and to your children and to all that are far off, whomsoever the Lord our God shall call.
40 And with very many other words did he testify and exhort them, saying: Save yourselves from this perverse generation.
41 They therefore that received his word were baptized: and there were added in that day about three thousand souls.
42 ¶ And they were persevering in the doctrine of the apostles and in the communication of the breaking of bread and in prayers.
43 And fear came upon every soul. Many wonders also and signs were done by the apostles in Jerusalem: and there was great fervor in all.
44 And all they that believed were together and had all things common.
45 Their possessions and goods they sold and divided them to all, according as every one had need.
46 And continuing daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house, they took their meat with gladness and simplicity of heart:
47 Praising God and having favour with all the people. And the Lord increased daily together such as should be saved.


Attached file Original Eucharist



Words in dark red are instructions and not to be said out loud. Words in light red and black are to be said out loud.


Mix the cup half and half with water and red wine, the hosts can be purchased from stores that sell Christian supplies. The people are those of the house Church there with the celebrant. The house Church selects the celebrant from among their own. The celebrant appoints the deacons in a house Church large enough to have them, otherwise their part is done by the people. If you are celebrating alone then you do the part of the celebrant and the people and the deacons.





+




In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit



Our Father Who art in heaven,

hallowed be Thy name,

Thy kingdom come,

Thy will be done

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

and forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those who trespass against us,

and lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.



(2) First, concerning the cup:



We give you thanks, our Father,

for the holy vine of David your servant, which you have made known to us through Jesus, your servant;

to you be the glory unto the endless ages of ages to come.



(3) And concerning the broken bread:



We give you thanks, our Father,

for the life and knowledge

which you have made known to us through Jesus; your servant;

to you be the glory unto the endless ages of ages to come.



Just as this broken bread was scattered

upon the mountains and then was

gathered together and became one,

so may your church be gathered together

from the ends of the earth into your kingdom;

for yours is the glory and the power unto the endless ages of ages to come.


The People: It is becoming and right.

Then the celebrant prays: Verily it is becoming and right, proper and due to praise Thee, to sing of Thee, to bless Thee, to worship Thee, to glorify Thee, to give Thee thanks, Maker of every creature visible and invisible, the treasure of eternal good things, the fountain of life and immortality, God and Lord of all:
Whom the heavens of heavens praise, and all the host of them; the sun, and the moon, and all the choir of the stars; earth, sea, and all that is in them; Jerusalem, the heavenly assembly, and church of the first-born that are written in heaven; spirits of just men and of prophets; souls of martyrs and of apostles; the six-winged seraphim, which cover their faces with two wings, their feet with two, and with two they fly, crying one to another with unresting lips and the many-eyed cherubim, dominions, archangels, especially St. Michael and St. Gabriel, authorities, powers and angels with unceasing praises: Holy, holy, holy, O Lord God Pantocrator

(Aloud.) With loud voice singing the victorious hymn of Thy majestic glory, crying aloud, praising, shouting, and saying:-

The People: Holy, holy, holy, O Lord of Sabaoth, the heaven and the earth are full of Thy glory. Hosanna in the highest; blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.

The celebrant, making the sign of the cross on the gifts + , says: Holy art Thou, King of eternity, and Lord and giver of all holiness; holy also Thy only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom Thou hast made all things; holy also Thy Holy Spirit, which searches all things, even Thy deep things, O God: holy art Thou, almighty, all-powerful, good, dread, merciful, most compassionate to Thy creatures; who didst make man from earth after Thine own image and likeness; who didst give him the joy of paradise; and when he transgressed Thy commandment, and fell away, didst not disregard nor desert him, O Good One, but didst chasten him as at merciful father, call him by the law, instruct him by the prophets; and afterwards didst send forth Thine only-begotten Son Himself, our Lord Jesus Christ, into the world, that He by His coming might renew and restore Thy image;
Who, having descended from heaven, and become flesh of the Holy Spirit and Virgin Godmother Mary, and having sojourned among men, fulfilled the dispensation for the salvation of our race; and being about to endure His voluntary and life-giving death by the cross, He the sinless for us the sinners, in the night in which He was betrayed, nay, rather delivered Himself up for the life and salvation of the world,

Then the celebrant holds the bread in his hand, and says: Having taken the bread in His holy and pure and blameless and immortal hands, lifting up His eyes to heaven, and showing it to Thee, His God and Father, He gave thanks, and hallowed, and brake, and gave it to us, His disciples and apostles, saying:-

(here break the bread and set back down on the plate)

The Deacons say: For the remission of sins and life everlasting.

Then he says aloud: Take, eat: this is my body, broken for you, and given for remission of sins.

The People: Amen.

Then he takes the cup, and says: In like manner, after supper, He took the cup, and having mixed wine and water, lifting up His eyes to heaven, and presenting it to Thee, His God and Father, He gave thanks, and hallowed and blessed it, and filled it with the Holy Spirit, and gave it to us His disciples, saying, Drink ye all of it; this is my blood of the new testament shed for you and many, and distributed for the remission of sins.

The People: Amen.



(set cup back down)

The celebrant: This do in remembrance of me; for as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show forth the Lord's death, and confess His resurrection, till He come.

The Deacons say: We believe and confess:

The People: We show forth Thy death, O Lord, and confess Thy resurrection.

The celebrant (Oblation): Remembering, therefore, His life-giving sufferings, His saving cross, His death and His burial, and resurrection from the dead on the third day, and His ascension into heaven, and sitting at the right hand of Thee, our God and Father, and His second glorious and awful appearing, when He shall come again with glory to judge the quick and the dead, and render to every one according to His works; even we, sinful men, offer unto Thee, O Lord, this dread and bloodless sacrifice, praying that Thou wilt not deal with us after our sins, nor reward us according to our iniquities;
But that Thou, according to Thy mercy and Thy unspeakable loving-kindness, passing by and blotting out the handwriting against us Thy suppliants, wilt grant to us Thy heavenly and eternal gifts (which eye hath not seen, and ear hath not heard, and which have not entered into the heart of man) that thou hast prepared, O God, for those who love Thee; and reject not, O loving Lord, the people for my sake, or for my sin's sake:

Then he says, thrice: For Thy people and Thy Church supplicate Thee.

The People: Have mercy on us, O Lord our God, Father Almighty.

Again the celebrant says (Invocation): Have mercy upon us, O God Almighty. Have mercy upon us, O God our Saviour Jesus Christ Our Lord. Have mercy upon us, O God, according to Thy great mercy, and send forth on us, and on these offered gifts, Thy all-holy Spirit.

Then, bowing his neck, he says: The sovereign and quickening Spirit, that sits upon the throne with Thee, our God and Father, and with Thy only-begotten Son, reigning with Thee; the consubstantial and co-eternal; that spoke in the law and in the prophets, and in Thy New Testament; that descended in the form of a dove on our Lord Jesus Christ at the river Jordan, and abode on Him; that descended on Thy apostles in the form of tongues of fire in the upper room of the holy and glorious Zion on the day of Pentecost: this Thine all-holy Spirit, send down, O Lord, upon us, and upon these offered holy gifts;

And rising up, he says aloud: That coming, by His holy and good and glorious appearing, He may sanctify this bread, and make it the holy body of Thy Christ.

The People: Amen.

The celebrant: And this cup the precious blood of Thy Christ.

The People: Amen.



Here receive Communion. Receive the host and say first "the Body of Christ" and then the cup and say first "the Blood of Christ".



We give you thanks, Holy Father,

for your holy name which you

have caused to dwell in our hearts,

and for the knowledge and faith and immortality

which you have made known to us

through Jesus your servant;

to you be the glory unto the endless ages of ages to come.



You, almighty Master, created all things for your

name's sake,

and gave food and drink to men, Adam and Eve, to enjoy,

that they might give you thanks

but to us, from the first Adam to the last Saint, you have graciously given

spiritual food and drink,

and eternal life through your servant Christ Jesus Our Only Lord and Saviour.



Above all we give thanks because you are mighty

to you be the glory unto the endless ages of ages to come.




Remember your church Lord,

to deliver it from all evil

and to make it perfect in your love

and gather it, the one that has been sanctified,

from the four winds into your kingdom,

which you have prepared for it

for yours is the power and the glory unto the endless ages of ages to come.



May grace come, and may this age pass away.

Hosanna to the God of David.

If anyone is holy, let him come;

anyone is not, let him repent. Maranatha!



We give You thanks, Father, for the fragrant ointment Your Holy Spirit our Paraclete which You have made known to us through Jesus Your servant; to you be the glory unto the endless ages of ages to come. Amen.



In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit




+






Monday, November 14, 2011

Baptism into Christ Jesus


1 Peter 3:
In Christian Suffering13. And who is there to harm you, if you are zealous for what is good? 14. But even if you suffer anything for justice’ sake, blessed are you. So have no fear of their fear and do not be troubled. 15. But hallow the Lord Christ in your hearts. Be ready always with an answer to everyone who asks a reason for the hope that is in you. 16. Yet do so with gentleness and fear, having a good conscience, so that wherein they speak in disparagement of you they who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. [verses 13 - 16, see fn. 1] 17. For it is better, if the will of God should so will, that you suffer for doing good than for doing evil. 18. Because Christ also died once for sins, the Just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God. Put to death indeed in the flesh, he was brought to life in the spirit, 19. in which also he went and preached to those spirits that were in prison. [fn. 2] 20. These in times past had been disobedient when the patience of God waited in the days of Noe [Noah] while the ark was building. In that ark a few, that is, eight souls were saved through water. 21. Its counterpart, Baptism now saves you also (not the putting off of the filth of the flesh [the water is referred to], but the inquiry [response] of a good conscience after God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ; 22. who is at the right hand of God, swallowing up death that we might be made heirs of eternal life; for he went into heaven, Angels, Powers and Virtues being made subject to him.

Translation is late 1940's CCD Douay Rheims Catholic
___________________________

[fn. 1]
These passages below from Saint Paul and Saint Peter are linked. See Mt. 5:10 "Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Saint Peter affirms this in 1Pet. 3:14 below. This was seen in action in Thessalonica recorded in Acts 17:5-9 and referred to in 1 Thess. 2:14 below.
Acts 17:5-9 - [5] But the Jews, moved with envy, and taking unto them some wicked men of the vulgar sort, and making a tumult, set the city in an uproar; and besetting Jason's house, sought to bring them out unto the people.
[6] And not finding them, they drew Jason and certain brethren to the rulers of the city, crying: They that set the city in an uproar, are come hither also; [7] Whom Jason hath received; and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus. [8] And they stirred up the people, and the rulers of the city hearing these things, [9] And having taken satisfaction of Jason and of the rest, they let them go.
Just as the Jews persecuted Our Lord Jesus Christ, they also persecute those who follow Him. Our Lord tells us we are blessed when this occurs just as the prophets were blessed by God for being faithful to Him when the Jews persecuted and killed them - which they did to Our Only Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, but He rose again and will return and raise and judge all men.
Saint Paul

1 Thess. 2: [14] For you, brethren, are become followers of the churches of God which are in Judea, in Christ Jesus: for you also have suffered the same things from your own countrymen, even as they have from the Jews, [see Acts 17:5-9] [15] Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and the prophets, and have persecuted us, and please not God, and are adversaries to all men; [16] Prohibiting us to speak to the Gentiles, that they may be saved, to fill up their sins always: for the wrath of God is come upon them to the end. (DRV)

Saint Peter

1 Peter 3: [11] Let him decline from evil, and do good: let him seek after peace and pursue it: [12] Because the eyes of the Lord are upon the just, and his ears unto their prayers: but the countenance of the Lord upon them that do evil things. [13] And who is he that can hurt you, if you be zealous of good? [14] But if also you suffer any thing for justice' sake, [see Mt. 5:10] blessed are ye. And be not afraid of their fear, and be not troubled. [15] But sanctify the Lord Christ in your hearts, being ready always to satisfy every one that asketh you a reason of that hope which is in you. (DRV)
[fn. 2] "19. in which also he went and preached to those spirits that were in prison." This is explained by St. Irenaeus in Against Heresies Book IV, Chapter XXVII, Section 2.
2. It was for this reason, too, that the Lord descended into the regions beneath the earth, preaching His advent there also, and [declaring] the remission of sins received by those who believe in Him.385 Now all those believed in Him who had hope towards Him, that is, those who proclaimed His advent, and submitted to His dispensations, the righteous men, the prophets, and the patriarchs, to whom He remitted sins in the same way as He did to us, which sins we should not lay to their charge, if we would not despise the grace of God. For as these men did not impute unto us (the Gentiles) our transgressions, which we wrought before Christ was manifested among us, so also it is not right that we should lay blame upon those who sinned before Christ's coming.
Notice there is no purgatory here, it is the "the righteous men, the prophets, and the patriarchs" who are in the place rendered a "prison" in the text here in 1 Peter 3:19. "Prison" has dual meaning here; it is the grave, first of all, since when Adam sinned then it was the lot of men to die - and secondly it is the "bosom of Abraham" that Our Lord Jesus Christ referred to as the place of the abode of the souls of the faithful departed awaiting the resurrection of the dead (Luke 16:22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom. And the rich man also died: and he was buried in hell., which after the resurrection of Christ, the Church referred to Abraham's bosom as the "bosom of Christ"). At the same time, Saint Irenaeus is not saying that wanton disregard for God's commandments is somehow allowed for anyone. We must repent and ask for God's forgiveness. Also, he is saying that we must not impute sins recorded in the Old Testament to the prophets and patriarchs just as they do not impute our sins to us who would later come to the same Christ for forgiveness. This is also in Our Lord's Prayer He taught us to Pray: "Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our supersubstantial bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation. But deliver us from evil. Amen." We must, of course, confess our sins to God and ask for forgiveness and at the same time we do not hold our fellows in the body of Christ as indebted to us but as Jesus told Peter, how often do you forgive - seven times? Nay but, seven times seven times. The meaning is there is no limit. This doesn't apply to those outside the body of Christ. Instead, if they are willing, tell them about the gift of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and His forgiveness.

Matthew 26

36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Neighbor in the above verse means our brothers and sisters in Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, regardless of any other connection to us they may have or not have.

Note as well, that in the Apostles Creed there is a phrase that Our Lord Jesus Christ descended into "hell" incorrectly used by translators (the same word "hell" is also incorrectly used by translators in the Acts Of the Apostles 2:27 [Acts 2:27] and related scriptural verses). That is not correct, it is a bad translation from the Latin. It should read the same as the above place wherein Our Lord went to preach to those departed spirits of men that were in fact saved but awaiting the announcement that their Saviour, who is the same Saviour of us, Jesus Christ, had come. He went in to them in the time between His death on the Cross (a living death with NO bodily corruption [Acts Of Apostles 2:27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in the abode of the dead, nor suffer thy Holy One to see corruption.]) and His resurrection and announced the glorious and long awaited news that He had come with the salvation promised to Adam by God when Adam had sinned. This salvation is for Adam and Eve (who were among the ones awaiting Christ) and all of Adam's children that put their faith in the true God. Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ went in to the abode of the dead, but He did not remain there. He never went into hell, the abode of the damned, nor did He ever preach any forgiveness to them - see Luke 16:22 above, the rich man went into hell, damned forever. At His ascension, after His resurrection, Our Lord Jesus Christ translated the bosom of Abraham to heaven with Him instead of an interim lower place. Therefore, as St. Paul and the Church Fathers attest, spiritual journeys into heaven are quite possible for those whom God grants the gift. We therefore have no reason to doubt the night journey of Muhammad (pbuh) to heaven. Three and seven heavens do not disagree. We don't mean the gnostic versions of any of it. God's throne is in the third heaven beyond and above the created universe. The first heaven is the atmosphere, the air. The second heaven is what we call outer space. The seven heavens are the journey anyone would make through the solar system past the seven visible planets. The second heaven extends to where the third heaven is, the uncreated throne room of the living God. It is not spatial as we think of created spatial places, it is the uncreated light and presence of the living God above all and beyond all, who created all that has been created and Whose presence (Tawhid in Islam, Nous in Patristic Christianity) is infinite, it is the mind of God and has the quality of His uncreated energy and is present transcendently throughout all of His creation. God is not present in hell. That is maintained by Him in existence by His will and is the abode of the damned. It is sheer terror and suffering and torment and darkness and has the quality present of nonphysical but extreme and utterly real fire that burns but does not consume, there is real pain. The "worm" of the damned souls does not die.