A rehash of past Purgatory experiences; dreams or actual sightings.

A rehash of past Purgatory experiences; dreams or actual sightings.

Looking back over past articles there are seven that I wrote and a few more where I alluded to my belief in their reality.  As I spent time reading the book named “Purgatory” by Fr. F. X. Schouppe, S. J. and watching the documentary that was televised on EWTN, the emphasis on the realism that caught my undivided attention was enough for me.  

Six of the articles consisted of dreams and each was very vivid with entire memories that are still with me today.  Since those were published I have seen a number of authors writing about them as well.  Whether my writings were responsible or the Holy Spirit is active in having each of us promote this truth for the world to see for themselves.  

The one article that was not a dream began before the documentary and was very emphatic in emphasizing the existence of Purgatory for me.  One day my wife and I were parking in the Church lot of St. Bernard Parish and as I got out of the car I noticed a man dressed in black and his glance caught my eye and we nodded to each other.  As I stepped to the passenger side of the car and opened the door for my wife to get out I turned to the direction of this man who had disappeared from my sight.  This time from first seeing him and returning my head in his direction could not have taken much more than 10 seconds.  Where could he have gone in such a short interval?   I was parked in the center of the lot and if he continued walking away from me he would’ve still been in my view.  And if he had walked in my direction I would still see him.  Neither of these occurred.  I told my wife “I just saw my guardian angel.”  At least there was no other explanation in my mind.

Later that evening or one day later I woke up from sleep and there he was standing beside our bed, looking down at me.   I was completely awake at that point and was not in a dream.  I was assured that he was indeed my guardian angel.  On another night, my wife got out of bed to use the bathroom and told me she saw him on the other side of our bed  staring at me.  One more evening when she got up to use the bathroom she saw someone standing near me in my office as I was writing and he actually blocked her view of me, again standing in front of me.  

Of course these three instances began to take root and after viewing the documentary I realized this visitor was from purgatory seeking my prayers confirming the different times some priests or others from the documentary were actually real events.  I wrote that I always believed in the existence of purgatory, but just shelved the reality.  Then my memory took me back when I became a night adorer to the Sacred Heart, praying at 3 AM every morning.  One night, while praying I heard a scream so loud and earth shattering that I ran to the front porch expecting the worst.  Looking up and down the street and realized the street was empty and so serene that it was almost like a nightmare.  Returning to my prayers a voice said,”3 am is the time of the most evil occurrences, the scream came for the depths of hell, and finished by telling me to pray for the souls in purgatory.  Years later with the book on purgatory, the documentary on EWTN and my remembrance of this scream, I was more than certain of the existence of purgatory.

My wife’s sister said her pastor blatantly stated he didn’t believe in purgatory.  He said God couldn’t be that mean to send souls there, and the Church did not teach on this anyway.  I told her to tell him to read the CCC as it is found in articles 1030 and 1031.  It is true and he should know better than I that there are probabilities we should not hide because we think our theology is correct when in fact it is not.

None of the dreams regarding scenes of purgatory revealed periods of ugliness.  Their demeanor reflected peace for many, children pleased that they were on their way to somewhere peaceful, and many sitting in a congregation all with faces that were stoic as if waiting for my prayers.  Perhaps these suggestions were my own doing, but we must remember those who end up in purgatory are not being punished for their sins.  They are already in the State of Grace.  “All who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven.”  (CCC 1030).

“The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned.  The Church formulated her doctrine of faith on Purgatory Especially at the Councils of Florence and Trent.  The tradition of the Church, by reference to certain texts of Scripture, speaks of a cleansing fire.”  (CCC 1031).

Listening to the theology of this truthful element of the teaching of the Catholic Church should be a welcoming of God’s eternal justice so that no soul can enter the Beatific Vision with any sign of filth that Purgatory removes.  Most priests I spoke with welcome that point following death;  it means our souls are saved and we will not face judgment.

Why this anxiety among many Catholics exists to keep them from accepting this truth is a mystery.  If they believe in God’s mercy, and trust in the divine grace that is ours with no effort there should be a peace that surpasses all mysteries  

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Ralph B. Hathaway