Purgatory: Place and Purpose

Lord, I am one among many, and I am not lost.

I start this posting with this prayer which only just now occurred to me, and which I hope applies to the moment.

For reasons and to the purpose of sights and scenes granted to me, I undertake to speak to the matter of Purgatory. To the matter, its being, its purpose, but always I hope first and foremost to the purpose of prayer for the souls in Purgatory. To their salvation, their reunion with God, their absolute resolution in the presence of God, the Father, our Lord, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, in the company of all the saints and angels, guided by the love, the perfect love, of our mother, the Blessed Virgin.

I must really sound like I know what I'm doing, so far! But there are a dozen or a thousand ways to address such a dyed-in-the-wool topic as Purgatory. I've seen the web sites and read a few tracts here and there. They are, all in all, fine publications. All to the purpose of prayer for the benefit of the repose of the departed. Briefly, the Catholic church holds that those in the faith who have not attained perfection (purity, or complete absolution) at death must undergo cleansing in Purgatory before they can enter the Kingdom of Heaven, before they can dwell for all time, immemorial in the present of the Lord.

The history of Catholic literature, including the lives of particular saints, is rich with insights that build upon scriptural references. I could go on. Many do, but I won't. No, it is not to my purpose to repeat what others have asserted, or to provide links, references, etc. Anyone can locate these. No, building on my previous post, of this date, I will allow as being sufficient to assert what I know in my life in Christ.

You will see a posting I made called "November Dream" in 2012, which revolved around a vision of Purgatory. My vision, which I ascribe to the Grace of God in deference to the favors of the Blessed Virgin, comprised a scene that differs from the "cleansing fire" described by others. But I have to say, that where it is asserted that Purgatory is "like unto a cleansing fire," it therefore states that is not a fire, but only "like unto" one. In the vision granted to me, Purgatory was more in the nature of a confluence of bodies awaiting release. And indeed, last night I was granted a supporting vision, of souls collected en masse, almost like the pistils of a flower, faces streaming into a collected, yearning pattern.

I saw corridors, walls, as of a subterranean palace. Why all this? Well, I have felt compelled to address the purpose of my mission in this life (as explicated in other postings). So yesterday (while on a run) I asked the Lord to grant me a vision to confirm my purpose in speaking for those who cannot speak well, or in praying for the souls of those in Purgatory.  And this was the clincher (Catholics will like this...), I concluded my prayer by saying, "Lord, I will not take your non-response as a denial (!) I bet he loved that.

God is with us, and we are in the Lord. If we all knew this, the world would transform.

To the purpose of the here and now, I believe that prayers for the souls in Purgatory suffice to release those souls, those individual souls, persons, like you and me, to the presence of God. I agree with the tenets and the writings of others that the souls of the departed are dependent on the prayers of the faithful. I do not believe that the departed are subject to fire, but to what is "like unto" a cleansing fire.

In my visions, or what has been granted to me, what is like unto a cleansing fire is separation from God. Imagine dying and being somehow conscious, or aware, or present in oneself and with others, waiting. Waiting for God. In limbo (as the Old Testament describes it). Imagine not being...complete, finished. I believe that this is the penultimate fate that waits us, all of us, perhaps "only" most of us! But that's enough for me to believe that prayers for those who, like us, are not pure (and who can say - who would dare to say - they are purely in God) should be a present and pressing concern.

I said "penultimate" because one who is on Christ is assured of gaining admittance. We have an ultimate reward. We know this from the Word.

And yet, of all the works available to us, even as we feed the hungry or administer to the needs of the oppressed, can we afford to put aside this incredible opportunity to free the souls of those in waiting so that they can enter Heaven? Do we understand what this means? Catholic literature is certain on the point that those whom one releases will pray for their benefactors - but, more than that - let me say, that as souls populate (or should I say "occupy") heaven, so will the earth and the universe, the reality of the here and now, the present and future historical occasion - so will this place and time be drawn toward the Kingdom, the Revelation of His Kingdom, when all souls in Christ will be drawn into the presence for all eternity.

I wrote in my previous posting of the melding of faith and the every day. Here and now, in this present time, let us pray for the souls in purgatory, especially those who are most forsaken, that we may effectively make paradise a reality. We vote on laws; we consider the environment; we school ourselves and our children.

We are assiduous in what we and others define as our ethical duties. I, for one, speaking only for myself (and as I wrote in the posting mentioned above) believe in choice and in life; I believe in freedom as the Lord has granted us freedom to choose what is right and just. I believe that God is the author of the universe, historically and in the here and now, into eternity, in the present and in future forms.

I have no choice therefore but to say, categorically, that Purgatory exists, is real, is formed within the greater purpose of God as a place and a purpose; that we, here and now, are granted this opportunity and Grace: to pray for the souls in Purgatory, as others will pray for us, for our souls when we have passed from this life. Yes, if you would believe in your own salvation, pray for others who, like yourself, believed in life, love, and ultimate peace. Pray as you would pray for yourself, with no thought of social or economic barriers - no barriers of place or time. Pray joyfully, and as if there were no choice. As if, both presently and ultimately, the fate of the living universe were in the balance.

This is complete love. Love given and taken, both in part and made whole, to say, Father in heaven, have mercy on the souls in Purgatory, especially those who are most forsaken. Amen.