Purgatory -- suffering in purgatory.

As the Church Militant, let us always remember to pray for the holy souls in purgatory.

Lately I have been thinking of our brethren on their way to heaven.  I do not know the nature of their sufferings, but I have an inkling as to part of it.

Firstly, why purgatory?
In order to enter heaven we must be pure.  Purgatory purifies us.
When we die we are bound to our eternal destinies.  God, in His infinite mercy, may even allow the most sinful of us to make a final decision as to where we would like to spend all of eternity.  He will not force us, but I am guessing that He will give us a clearer vision of our choice.  He will not send us to hell.  We freely choose heaven or hell.
If we choose heaven we must be purified.
Christ paid the ultimate price that we cannot pay due to our very nature as mere creatures.  He paid that price once with His death on the cross.
But Divine Justice demands that we must take ownership of our sins and accept the punishment for them.  This punishment may come to us while still alive on this earth.  Whatever we have not paid the 'fine' for must be paid after death ... thus purgatory.  
Purgatory is a time for us to be cleansed.  Some of us need only to wipe the stains off our fingers before being pure for heaven.  Others require a long hot bath with lots of painful scrubbing.

This brings me to my thoughts about some of the nature of our sufferings.
When we die and have truly chosen heaven we know that we are being denied the 'beatific vision'  --  seeing God 'face to face'.  To be destined for heaven means that, above all else, we desire to be in God's presence and truly 'see' Him in all His glory.  
For the Church Militant, we have access to God Himself in the Holy Eucharist.  The God of the universe, in the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, appears on the altar in every Catholic Mass by the power of the Holy Ghost working through a validly ordained priest.  We can receive God Himself on our tongues if we are living in a state of grace.  This, too, is denied to the holy souls in purgatory

Please remember to pray for these holy souls, especially this November 11th, Rememberance Day.

- Reg.