The Necessity of Purgatory

“The souls of the just are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them. They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead; and their passing away was thought an affliction and their going forth from us, utter destruction. But they are in peace. For if before men, indeed, they be punished, yet is their hope full of immortality; chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed, because God tried them and found them worthy of himself. As gold in the furnace, he proved them, and as sacrificial offerings he took them to himself. In the time of their visitation they shall shine, and shall dart about as sparks through stubble; they shall judge nations and rule over peoples, and the LORD shall be their King forever. Those who trust in him shall understand truth, and the faithful shall abide with him in love: Because grace and mercy are with his holy ones, and his care is with the elect.” (Wisdom 3:1-9)

Today is All Souls’ Day, a day that commemorates the faithful departed. It is a reminder of the souls in purgatory and our need to pray for them. Purgatory is a place of hope, a necessary stop on the way to his heavenly Kingdom. Only that which is pure and perfect can stand before God. It is in purgatory that this purification takes place. The Lord will wash us with his goodness that comes from his cross. We are washed by the Blood of the Lamb. The suffering in purgatory is caused by the longing to be with our Lord, trusting in his promise of eternal life but knowing that we aren’t quite there yet. Purgatory is a stopping place, once we get there we are guaranteed to someday be in heaven, it is part of the journey.  God has found us worthy of him and he is cleansing us for the heavenly banquet. We pray for the souls in purgatory and once they reach heaven they pray for us, it is all part of the communion of believers.

I take great comfort in knowing that my loved ones who have gone before me are in heaven praying for me. When I was struggling because of the many deaths at work over the past couple of months, Fr. Jason told me that he believed that all the children that I have cared for over the years that have died, will be waiting to greet me when I enter heaven. What a beautiful sight that will be! When I was sharing this with a friend of mine, she told me that she prays for my mom’s soul often. The last time she was praying for my mother, she had a vision that my mom was caring for the patients I had taken care of that had died. This was my mother’s “job” in heaven. This brought comfort to me and also to my siblings and dad when I shared it with them.

“I will give the victor the right to sit with me on my throne, as I myself first won the victory and sit with my Father on his throne.” (Revelation 3:21)