Purgatory

The place of purification

Catholic and mystical tradition

"We are all sinners; we all lead a life in which we can sin; from this life we will all have to leave. For God will be as merciful to you as you have been merciful to your neighbour; so much will you receive in the next life as you give in the present. Pray therefore for the dead, so that when they are in eternal life they will not forget to pray for you".
(Sermon 44)

Every man from the moment of his death receives in his immortal soul eternal retribution, in a particular judgment that puts his life in relation to Christ, whereby either he will pass through a purification, or he will immediately enter into the bliss of heaven, or you will immediately give yourself forever.
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1022)

Men, not having been able to heal death, misery, ignorance, have decided not to think about it to make themselves happy.

Pascal, in his thoughts, emphasizes that certain adults in full activity give in to fun: the number of urgent things that need to solve distracts them from the essential question: What will I become after death? This observation made a humorist say: Here rests one who never knew why he lived.

Life is something serious: during it we have to prepare our eternity. If we failed with this life, we will not have other opportunities, we could not try again, but we will have to answer for the space we left for love in our hearts and actions.

So, it is about believing in an afterlife where there is, in the place where time and eternity gather, the Judgement. Purgatory, born by the infinite God’s mercy, it is necessary for the salvation of the souls; otherwise most of the souls were condemned to the eternal damnation.

It is clear that mankind in order to achieve God’s intimacy must be pure. If this purification does not happen on hearth, it will happen put of time in love furnace. In here the soul should get purified in order to receive God’s embrace.

Purgatory has been also a great resource of humanity. The idea that it is possible to redeem evil with good actions also for one’s own dead, it is brilliant: it deletes the impassable limit of death, it balances earth injustices and gives a positive power to all the actions.

Following we could understand easier on which biblical basis the doctrine of the Church is built, which are and how last the punishments of Purgatory. There are also the illuminating words of the Holy Father John Paul II about the necessary purification in order to meet God. And then there are also the visions and the treatise of Saints, known by the Church, and some mystics. For some of them we added a short biography in order to understand deeply their spirituality.

Saint Catherine from Genoa, Mary Simma, Saint Veronica Giuliani, Sister Faustina Kovalka, Saint Geltrude from Helfta, Saint Margherita Mary Alacoque and others will lead us through a fascinating world, which is waiting for us after death. But the first question we have to answer is: can we visit the souls in Purgatory.

A special invitation
If you want to come to this joy and acquire the virtues, listen to Jesus' invitation: "All you will ask faithfully in prayer, you will get it" (Mt 18:20). In fact, without prayer, no spiritual journey is possible, nor can we follow the footsteps of Jesus our Savior.

If you want to match the invitation, or just pray from your home, click here and you will find an extraordinary prayer group. You will, therefore, be spiritually united with so many brothers spread across all continents, and your life will change.

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You can visit the prayer group after reading and pondering the following interesting pages.