The Feast of All Souls, Thursday, November 2, 2023

Wisdom 3, 1–9

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 his elect.

We understand the state of those who have departed from this life in the grace of God and yet imperfect through venial sins as being purged until dazzling white to stay temporarily in a place or state which we call purgatory.  The saints speak of the purifying fires of purgatory.  We should understand these “fires” rightly for their effect is to eliminate any dross, to burn away any rust which mars the soul blemished by these venial sins — sins that are not of malice, yet still sins.  The fifteenth century St. Catherine of Genoa writes in her treatise on purgatory that the souls actually rejoice in their purging:  “I do not believe it would be possible to find any joy comparable to that of a soul in purgatory, except the joy of the blessed in paradise — a joy that goes on increasing day by day as God more and more flows in upon the soul.”  There are no screams and curses here as in the fires of hell, but rather the praises of God, whose embrace draws the purifying soul ever nearer.  It is, above all, a place of hope and expectation.

It should not be the goal of the lax or hesitant Christian on earth, for these do not go there.  It is a place (or, process) for those who lived their lives according to the Gospel of Jesus and died in the state of grace but whose love is not yet perfect, whose purity is not quite pure enough, who failed in small ways that can be made up for.  We might think of purgatory as a gate at an airport where people wait for their loved ones to arrive.  The waiting is an agony, and yet we know that there will come an end to it.  We can even look up at the schedule and see the time our loved one’s flight will arrive.  As we wait we think of the last time we saw this family member or friend; we think of all the enjoyment we shall share when he or she arrives.  The time may seem to drag, but it is only our anticipation building.  And then our loved one arrives and the time of waiting is immediately forgotten.  Our love and excitement have built up to a crescendo and we are ready to sweep our visitors up in our arms and not let them go.  Except that in purgatory, it is God who sweeps us up into his arms.

How much better to go straight to heaven than to pause in purgatory till we are ready!  But how blessed are we that God offers us a purgatory!  We can and should assist the souls there with our prayers and by having Masses offered for them.  We can also ask for their help, for they can help us with their prayers.  

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.  May they rest in peace.  Amen.