Are you neglecting the Holy Souls this month?

PRAY FOR THE HOLY SOULS

St. Therese of Lisieux who is a doctor of the church has her own view of Purgatory.  She maintains that one does not need to go to Purgatory.  While still only a novice, she spoke to Sister Maria Philomena, who believed in the impossibility of going to Heaven without first passing through purgatory.  Therese’s response was, “You do not have enough trust.  You have too much fear before the good God.  I can assure you that He is grieved over this.  You should not fear Purgatory because of the suffering there, but should instead ask God to take you straight to Heaven.  As soon as you try to please Him in everything and have an unshakable trust He purifies you every moment in His love and He lets no sin remain.  It is then you can be sure that you will not have to go to Purgatory.”

She maintained that we offend God if we do not trust Him enough to take us to Heaven as soon as we die.  When she found out that her novices talked occasionally that they would probably have to expect to be in Purgatory, she corrected them saying, "Oh!  How you grieve me!  You do a great injury to God in believing you're going to Purgatory.  When we love, we can't go there." 

Now, this is a development of the doctrine of Purgatory, but only for those who don't know God, who are not childlike, who don't trust.  It is so correct to see things this way.  It is true that God will judge us at one point, but He is always and first our Father Who suffers when He has to punish His child and sees him suffering.  The child should do His will just out of love, and not to avoid punishment.  This really means that God does not want Purgatory!  He allows His children to suffer, but only as if He had to look away.

Once St. Therese had a confrontation regarding this topic with Sr. Marie Febronia, who was sub-prioress.  She heard that Sr. Therese encouraged her novices to believe that they could go straight to Heaven.  She did not like this as she considered this kind of confidence presumptuous, and thus she reproached Sr Therese.  Therese tried lovingly and calmly to explain to Sr. Febronia her point of view but with no success as she clung to her belief.  For Therese God was more Father than Judge, and she concluded by saying, "My sister, if you look for the justice of God you will get it.  The soul will receive from God exactly what she desires."

Soon after this Sr. M. Febronia died.  Three months after her death Sr. Therese had a dream which she related to her Mother Prioress, "Sr. Febronia came to me last night and asked that we should pray for her.  She is in Purgatory, surely because she had trusted too little in the mercy of the good Lord.”  Sr. Febronia told her, “You were right.  I am now delivered up to the full justice of God but it is my fault.  If I had listened to you I would not be here now."

St. Therese also tells us that there are many people who refuse the mercy of God when He offers it.  On knowing this she said to the Lord, “If they do not want Your mercy, give it to me.  I want it.”  She maintains that this also helps her to bypass Purgatory.  We too can ask God for His mercy which others refuse to accept.

Heavenly Father, today we pray for all the Holy Souls in purgatory, especially for our loved ones and for those who have no one to pray for them.  May our prayers release help to them today from the pains of purgatory and unite them with You in heaven.

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