All Souls Day

Holy Souls

As a kid, I always thought that there was only Heaven and Hell. If we do well and follow God’s law, we would go to Heaven and if we did otherwise we would be condemn to Hell. On the other hand, Purgatory was a white empty space where we just go for awhile until we meet God. That has been my thought for a very long time, just until a few years ago, at a confirmation class session on Hell and Purgatory. That was when I realize what and why we go to Purgatory for real.

What is PURGATORY?

Diagram  to show life after death

The word PURGATORY comes from a Latin word “purgare” that means to make clean or purify. This purification is important because, as said in the Bible “nothing unclean will enter the presence of God in Heaven” (Rev. 21:27).”Purification of the Soul is needed to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of Heaven” which is experienced by those who die in the state of God’s grace and friendship. 

ABOUT PURGATORY

What does the SOUL go through is PURGATORY?

St. Faustina

St. Faustina in her diary explains of her vision of Purgatory:

" I saw my Guardian Angel, who ordered me to follow him. In a moment I was in a misty place full of fire in which there was a great crowd of suffering souls. They were praying fervently, but to no avail, for themselves; only we can come to their aid. The flames, which were burning them, did not touch me at all. My Guardian Angel did not leave me for an instant. I asked these souls what their greatest suffering was. They answered me in one voice that their greatest torment was longing for God. I saw Our Lady visiting the souls in Purgatory. The souls call Her “The Star of the Sea”. She brings them refreshment. I wanted to talk with them some more, but my Guardian Angel beckoned me to leave. We went out of that prison of suffering. [I heard an interior voice which said] ‘My mercy does not want this, but justice demands it. Since that time, I am in closer communion with the suffering souls.’” (Diary, 20)

Saint Faustina Visit Purgatory with Her Guardian Angel

St. Catherine of Genoa

St.Catherine of Genoa’s mystical experience of Purgatory: 

“No tongue can tell nor explain, no mind understand, the grievousness of Purgatory. But I, though I see that there is in Purgatory as much pain as in Hell, yet see the soul which has the least stain of imperfection accepting Purgatory, as I have said, as though it were a mercy, and holding its pains of no account as compared with the least stain which hinders a soul in its love.
“I seem to see that the pain which souls in Purgatory endure because of whatever in them displeases God, that is what they have fully done against His so great goodness, is greater than any other pain they feel in Purgatory. And this is because, being in grace, they see the truth and the grievousness of the hindrance which stays them from drawing near to God.” (Treatise on Purgatory)

What do WE do for the Souls in Purgatory?

St. Gertrude the Great

While they are there, the prayers offered up by them does not apply to them but to us on Earth. They cannot pray for themselves because they have ignored God during their life. So, it is our prayers that will help them. It is very important for us to prayer for the Souls in Purgatory. 

Our Lord told Saint Gertrude the Great that the Chaplet of the Holy Souls would release 1,000 souls each time it is said.

CHAPLET OF THE HOLY SOULS IN PURGATORY

Guide on how to pray the Chaplet

      SIX ways to HELP the SOULS in PURGATORY

     While HEAVEN and HELL is easy to understand for many, PURGATORY is something that many find hard to understand. One of my favourite examples which I read from a blog of a priest is that of children playing football in mud outside in the backyard.  And their grandmother who lives out of state comes to visit them, the children run toward her wanting to give her a hug.  But the grandmother stops them and says, "First clean yourselves up and then give me that hug that you and I want."  God our Father in Heaven. loves us, his only one desire is for all of us to be united with him in his Kingdom, but the reality is, like the children in the story we are often “covered with mud” (our worldly attachments and sin) when we die we need to be cleansed and purified before we enter into God’s Heavenly Kingdom of the all Holy Ones. Our prayers and sacrifices help those in purgatory in that process of purification and it is a very big act of charity that we cannot forget to conduct. I am very sure that all of us would appreciate those prayers when we die, so let us not forget to the same for those who have died before us.