When I think of purgatory, I immediately think of suffering and pain but suffering and pain with a purpose, and that purpose is to be purified for Heaven. Truly, there is no other way to salvation except by way of the cross, and ultimately the Cross of Jesus Christ. No wonder the saints embraced suffering and so many saw their cross as the greatest gift from God. It is because by their cross, the Lord has sanctified and made them holy. Now they are in Heaven. The saints voluntarily experienced “purgatory” on earth so that they were already pure enough to be in Heaven.
Original Sin is the reason we need purging. Because of the fall of Adam and Even, we have become very prone to sin. The fall has caused us to be very ignorant and susceptible to the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil. We have sinned more numerous times than there are stars in the sky—in our thoughts, our words, in what we have done, and what we have failed to do. The sins we have committed and stil commit have injured our nature and we are in need of great repair. Yes, we are forgiven of our sins in Confession, but our tendency to sin still remains and that’s the “broken window” that committing sin leaves behind. There is a need for us to be purged of our bad habits and tendencies to sin.
Praise God for our life here on Earth where we can in this lifetime be purged, illuminated and unified to God. We need to be aware of our sinfulness and weakness so that we can allow God’s grace to sanctify us evermore. If we are striving to be saints, then we must strive to know our sins, the darkness of our intellect, and weakness of our will. We must know with all that we are, our weakness without the constant presence and grace of God. Let us never be confident in our works or our ways. Let us not let pride fool us into thinking even for a moment, that we don’t need God.
I think the people in purgatory want to be there. It’s hard to imagine that because like I said earlier, when I think of Purgatory, I think of suffering and pain. I think those in purgatory want to suffer and want to be in pain because they can see more clearly than ever, the purpose of their suffering and pain. The suffering comes from the purging, cleansing, purifying, and refining sanctifying grace of God. By the intercession of others, they are being made perfect for Heaven. Let us learn from our brothers and sisters in the Church Suffering, that our suffering always has a purpose.
As for us, we are even more blessed. Unlike those in purgatory, we, the Church Militant, have access to the limitless fountain of grace and mercy in the Sacraments. We don’t have to wait for Purgatory to be purified for Heaven. We can take advantage of all prayers and Sacraments the Lord has given us. We can, with our lives, love God and our neighbour very concretely.
I don’t think suffering is something God intentionally causes to punish us but it’s something He allows. He allows it so that a greater good to come from it. Greater good such as getting rid of a bad habit, growing more in virtue, forgiveness and mercy between family members and loved ones, uniting of relationships, and so much more. However, the ultimate greater good that comes from suffering is our eternal salvation and communion with God.
“For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, because we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen; for the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” —2 Cor. 17–18
Let us not be afraid of suffering but embrace it, and always see it as a necessity for the sanctification and salvation of our souls. Let us never forget that to follow Jesus, we must deny ourselves and take up our cross daily.
Praise God for our cross. Praise God for our suffering. Praise God for the eternal glory that awaits us in Christ Jesus. Amen!