Purgatory


The impermanent part of Hell is called Purgatory. Purgatory has various denominations and sections that cater to various types of shortcomings and defects that the soul has to correct before it enters Heaven. 

Since Heaven is absolutely clean in every respect nothing unsullied can enter it. A soul that is designated as good by his friends and relatives is only relatively good in absolute reality he has numerous defects. But this soul is not so bad that it deserves Hell. Nevertheless all the defects have to burned out like the dross from gold until it becomes pure and blameless in God's sight. It is only then that the soul enters heaven and lives there forever. 

The disposition of a soul in Purgatory

Note that the soul, though suffering greatly, is absolutely at peace and reconciliation with God. He is glad to have overcome the devil and the world and won eternal life. He realizes how immensely great and exhalted God is while at the same time seeing how miserable his own soul is. Worst of all he sees the grievousness of his sin and how the most insignificant of them is intensely detestable in God's sight. He sees the absolute purity of God and that of God's abode - Heaven. He feels awkward to enter heaven, somewhat like a man with filthy shoes full of mud entering a five star hotel and leaving filthy marks on the white carpet. He is glad to be in a place like Purgatory where he can wash off the shortcomings of his character and become a whole soul.

 

 

What torments the Holy Souls in Purgatory

F                   Manifold are the sufferings, which those blessed souls must endure, but the greatest of all is the reflection that their sins in life are the cause of their present torments.

F                   The second pain which causes these holy souls much suffering, is the time lost in life, when they might have gained merits for Heaven; and the thought that they are unable to repair this loss, because the time of life and merit is passed

F                   Another great pain of the holy souls is caused by the hideous vision of their guilt, for which they now suffer. In this life. The hideousness of sin is not seen as in the life to come; and this is one of the greatest sufferings of Purgatory.

F                   The pain that still more afflicts these holy souls, the spouses of Jesus, is the thought of having, during life, displeased by their sins that God Whom they so ardently love. Some penitents have felt so much pain and sorrow in thinking of having, by their sins, offended so good a God that they died of grief. The souls in Purgatory understand far better than we do, the claims that God has to our love; they love Him with all their strength. Hence, at the thought of having offended Him during life, they experience pain that surpasses all other pain.

F                   Another great suffering is caused these holy souls by the ignorance of the time of their deliverance. They are certain of being one day being released, yet the uncertainty of the time when their purgatorial term will have ended gives them great pain.

F                   The holy souls are, indeed, comforted by the recollection of the passion of Jesus Christ, and the Holy Sacrament of the Altar, since they know they are saved by the passion of Jesus Christ, and have received, and still receive, so much consolation from Holy Masses and Holy Communion. Nevertheless, they are greatly pained by the recollection of their ingratitude for these two great gifts of the love of Jesus Christ.

F                   A further great sorrow of these holy souls consists in their ardent desire for the beatific vision. Slowly and painfully the moments of their purgatorial imprisonment pass by; for, they love God deeply, and desire to be delivered from their sad prison in order to praise Him forever.

F                   Another bitter sorrow of these souls is caused by the reflection that God had distinguished them by so many graces not granted to others, and that they compelled Him, by their sins, to condemn them to these sufferings, and that they had deserved Hell, and were pardoned and saved only by the mercy of God.

F                   Great are all the sufferings of the holy souls; the fire, the grief, the darkness, the uncertainty of the time of their deliverance from prison; but the greatest of all these sorrows is this, that these holy souls are separated from their divine Spouse, and deprived of His beatific vision.

 

 

More on Purgatory