WHAT IS PURGATORY?
Purgatory being a derivative of the word “Purge” is a spiritual place (a prison) in the spirit realm where souls who died in a state of grace are being purified and made perfect by fire before entry into heaven is granted.
It is a place for the FINAL stage of “Purification” or “Sanctification” that began here on earth. This final stage of purification (sanctification) is God’s final work on our soul through His sanctifying grace. It is God’s sanctifying grace that transforms our soul fitting for Heaven and to bring us into that perfect union and perfect relationship with God – a transformation that He began on our soul here on earth. “Only the PURE in heart will see God.” (Matthew 5:8). Are we “Pure” in heart when we leave this earth? While our soul has grown in holiness in God’s sanctifying grace, corruption remains on our soul and we remain with sin. And scripture tells us: “no sin is allowed in Heaven.” (Revelation 21:27).
Have you ever wondered why God threw out the man who was not wearing wedding clothes during His wedding banquet? Sin and the devil in us are trying to enter heaven through us and only God can identify his deceit and impersonation. When God sees sin and the devil in us, He throws us into the refinery fire, the fire of purity. These are the people who did not complete their purification and/or sanctification on earth by suffering, prayer and mortification after repentance. God gives perfection through the fire of purifying grace; He purifies the soul of such people in purgatory in order to get rid of that evil impulse in us which causes us to sin.
Saint Paul tells the Hebrews that the spirits of righteous men in Heaven “have been made PERFECT.” (Hebrew 12:23). Considering this statement, we won’t be mistaken if we say there is a final stage of purification or sanctification between leaving this earth and entering Heaven that we must undergo to be cleared up completely in God’s sanctifying grace for a pure heart so we can see God fully.
The Holy Spirit, who is our helper, sees us through purification or sanctification both in the physical and in the spiritual realms. If the earthly purification and/or sanctification are not complete on earth, we will have to complete it in Purgatory by God’s sanctifying grace to make our hearts pure, because without being pure of heart, we can’t see God fully.
Some people misinterpret the meaning and concept of Purgatory. Purgatory is not for the damned, nor is it a second chance to be saved. Purgatory is for the saved (those who repented of their sins before death) for the final stage of purification. Purgatory is a spiritual place of which earth stood between it and Heaven. The time experienced in Purgatory is not the same with the ordinary time experienced on earth. That is, time in the afterlife does not work the same as it does on earth. Nevertheless, we pray for those in Purgatory that their time in Purgatory will be shortened and reach perfection to be in full union with God more quickly.
Let’s use the following flow diagram to further explain the concept of Purgatory and how the living plays a key role in helping souls in Purgatory.
The little arrows represent movement of prayers and requests. You will notice that from earth, prayers and requests moves directly up without falling – straight to heaven, getting to the saints and from the saints to our Queen the mother of Jesus and from Jesus to the FATHER of all. The FATHER through the Holy Spirit directs the Angels to carry out the act of releasing souls in Purgatory and that is represented by the largest arrows. Did you notice the arrow of souls in Purgatory? It could not go straight up because they have fallen and in need of my prayers and your prayers offered to God on their behalf. They rely on the living to help them obtain mercy from God. Jesus Christ who is seated at the right hand side of His FATHER intercedes for us. Also there is no solution for souls and spirits in hell fire. Prayers can’t be offered on their behalf. Read 1John 5:16-17.
The souls in Purgatory cannot pray for themselves because they are under the Justice of God, but we can pray for them and God will grant them mercy. We can as well offer to God on their behalf our sufferings and good deeds so that their days in purgatory can be shortened. Catholics can go to the sacrament of confession where Jesus forgives our sins but He also starts healing our souls of the damage sin has done as we do the sacrament of penance. And so He makes us stronger so that we become less attached to sin and so obtain less time in Purgatory for them and for ourselves too during our turn.
We can say the Rosary, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, the Precious Blood Chaplet and the Chaplet of God’s Love and Mercy for the souls in Purgatory. These prayers are very powerful for them or the best way of all to help them is to get a mass offered for them which is the Sacrifice of the everlasting covenant of Jesus at Calvary nearly 2000 years ago can be offered to the FATHER for souls in Purgatory.
Also, if it pleases the FATHER, He can bless us by permitting the angels who carry out the act of releasing souls from Purgatory to enable us see souls released as a result of our help and this is represented by the large arrow from the angels which point to the earth.
No earthly man is perfect except Jesus our Lord, therefore everybody will be made perfect by the purifying fire of love and how long we spend in the fire depends on how much we achieved in doing God’s will during our live on earth.
The following testimonies are copied from the book written by Fr. F.X. Schouppe, S.J. titled: “PURGATORY Explained by the Lives and Legends of the Saints”, Chapter 15, pg. 59-62.
Saint Magdalen de Pazzi, in her celebrated vision where the different prisons of Purgatory were shown to her, saw the soul of her brother, who had died after having led a most fervent Christian life.
Nevertheless, this soul was detained in suffering for certain faults, which it had not sufficiently expiated upon earth. These, says the saint, are the most intolerable sufferings, and yet they are endured with joy. Ah! Why are they not understood by those who lack the courage to bear their cross here below? Struck with this frightful spectacle which she had just contemplated, she ran to her Prioress, and casting herself upon her knees, she cried out, “O my dear mother, how terrible are the pangs of Purgatory! Never could I have believed it, had not God manifested it to me… And, nevertheless, I cannot call them cruel; rather are they advantageous, since they lead to the ineffable bliss of Paradise.” To impress this more and more upon our minds, it has pleased God to give certain holy persons a small share in the pains of expiation, like a drop of the bitter cup which the poor souls have to drink, a spark of the fire which consumes them.
The historian Bzovius, in his history of Poland, under the date 1598, relates a miraculous event which happened to the venerable Stanislaus Chocosca, one of the luminaries of the order of St. Dominic in Poland. One day, whilst this Religious, full of charity for the departed, recited the Rosary, he saw appear near him a soul all enveloped in flames. As she besought him to have pity on her, and to alleviate the intolerable sufferings which the fire of Divine Justice caused her to endure, the holy man asked her if this fire was more painful than that of earth? “Ah!” she cried, “all the fires of earth compared to that of Purgatory are like a refreshing breeze.” Stanislaus could scarcely believe it. “I wish,” he said, “to have a proof. If God will permit, for your relief, and for the good of my soul, I consent to suffer a part of your pains.” “Alas! You could not do this. Know that no human being could endure such torment and live.
However, God will permit you to feel it in a light degree. Stretch forth your hand.” Chocosca extended his hand, and the departed let fall a drop of sweat, or at least of a liquid which resembled it. At the same instant the Religious uttered a piercing cry and fell fainting to the ground, so frightfully intense was the pain. His brethren ran to the spot and hastened to give him the assistance which his condition required. When restored to consciousness, he related the terrible event which had occurred, and of which they had a visible proof. “Ah! My dear Fathers,” he continued, “if we knew the severity of the Divine Chastisements, we should never commit sin, nor should we cease to do penance in this life, in order to avoid expiation in the next.”
Stanislaus was confined to his bed from that moment, he lived one year longer in the cruelest suffering caused by his terrible wound; and then, for the last time, exhorting his brethren to remember the rigors of Divine Justice, he peacefully slept in the Lord. The historian adds that this example reanimated fervor in all the monasteries of that province.
Similar fact occurred in the life of Bl. Catherine de Racconigi. One day, when suffering so intensely as to need the assistance of her sisters in religion, she thought of the souls in Purgatory, and, to temper the heat of their flames, she offered to God the burning heat of her fever. At that moment, being rapt in ecstasy, she was conducted in spirit into the place of expiation, where she saw the flames and braziers in which the souls are purified in great torture. Whilst contemplating, full of compassion, this piteous spectacle, she heard a voice which said to her, “Catherine, in order that you may procure most efficaciously the deliverance of these souls, you shall participate, in some manner, in their torments.” At that same moment a spark detached itself from the fire and settled upon her left cheek. The sisters present saw the spark distinctly, and saw also with horror that the face of the sick person was frightfully swollen. She lived several days in this state, and, as Bl. Catherine told her sisters, the suffering caused by that simple spark far surpassed all that she had previously endured in the most painful maladies. Until that time Catherine had always devoted herself with charity to the relief of the souls in Purgatory, but from thenceforward she redoubled her fervor and austerities to hasten their deliverance because she knew by experience the great need in which they stood of her assistance.
Because you are reading this, searching for answers to better serve God, I know there is still hope for you. God’s offer of salvation remains open for all who will accept it. However, you cannot delay forever. Now is the time to return to God and repent of your sins because you don’t know what the next hour or the next day holds, therefore make good use of the opportunity while you are still alive to reconcile with God, else, if you die without repenting, Jesus Christ being merciful will cease to be and you will receive Justice instead of mercy. May this never be your portion in Jesus name! Amen!
For those who still doubt the existence of Purgatory, let me ask them some questions to get them thinking:
1. What do you think is the fate of aborted babies?
2. What do you think will happen to a new born baby in the afterlife if he/she dies immediately after child birth without the baptism that cleanses us from the inherited sin of Adam and Eve?
3. What is the fate of a sinner, who returned to God and repented, then dies the next day in a state of grace?
4. What will be your fate if you die now?
For Further Reading: Isaiah 48:10, Zechariah 3:1-8, 9:11, 13:9, Matthew 3:10-11, Hebrews 11:35-40.