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| By "Anne," a Lay Apostle | |
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| December 21, 2006 St. Andrew Do you know people who believe that God exists but who persist in living for themselves and for their physical appetites? Of course you do. There are many like this. These people believe in God and they believe God is good. These people are not bad people. They do not rejoice in evil. I am referring here to a person who is on the side of goodness but who could not be bothered working very hard for that side. He leaves the work to others, perhaps even admiring and applauding their efforts. In the worst cases, he actually ridicules and impedes those who serve God. What would be just for this person? Let us consider. Because there is little self-sacrifice, there is little growth. Eventually, this life ends and this person meets Jesus. This person has more failures in love than successes. There are many moments of failure in this life because when the Lord needed this one to say "no" to self and "yes" to God, this person refused and decided for his personal enjoyment. There is time squandered and love squandered. In meeting Jesus and being exposed to the Lord's pure, total, selfless love, how do you think this person feels? Pause for a moment and think about this. Now, my friends, I have just described purgatory for you. Is it just and merciful that this person be allowed to see his life and his failures, as well as his successes? Is it helpful to this person, in terms of healing? Will each person benefit from the truth? My friends, in order for this person to enjoy heaven and be comfortable in heaven, he must at the very least understand heaven. Unless the person examines himself honestly and repents, he will not be in a condition to grow. Time in purgatory allows for this understanding and this growth. This person will examine his failures so that he can understand what would have been the holy response. Then, this person will come to terms with the fact that he rejected God's will and he will accept himself and forgive himself. After that, he will be with others who have been purified in the same way and he will experience fellowship, learning about tolerance and acceptance of the pain of others. Shortly after that, this person will be at complete peace with himself and the life he lived and he will come to heaven, experiencing unity with Jesus and community with the saints. Do not fear purgatory. It would be like fearing medicine that could immediately alleviate pain. You would not fear such a medicine. You would take it with the greatest eagerness and thank God for it. Think of purgatory in the same way. For further information regarding the Lay Apostolate of Jesus Christ the Returning King, or to purchase Heaven Speaks booklets, please contact Direction for Our Times on the Web at www.directionforourtimes.com , or mail inquiries to the following address: 9000 West 81st St., Justice, IL 60458, U.S.A. |
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"In Cordibus Jesu et Mariae"
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