PURGATORY
" THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE GO TO PURGATORY."
10 JANUARY 1983
" MY MERCY DOES NOT WANT THIS, BUT JUSTICE DEMANDS IT. " BY JESUS CHRIST
( 20 )---PAGE---11 FROM-------" DIVINE MERCY-------IN MY SOUL "------- BY SISTER M. FAUSTINA KOWALSKA
1------- VICKA---ONE OF THE SIX VISIONARIES FROM MEDJUGORJE
" VICKA ALSO HAS BEEN TO PURGATORY.
AFTER THE JOURNEY TO PURGATORY, SHE WAS SO HORRIFED BY THE PLIGHT OF THE ABANDONED SOULS THERE THAT SHE PLEADED WITH THE BLESSED MOTHER, WHO BROUGHT HER THERE, TO ALLOW HER TO HELP THEM, FOR THE BLESSED MOTHER TOLD HER THEY CANNOT HELP THEMSELVES.
THEY ARE TOTALLY DEPENDENT UPON THE PRAYERS AND PENANCE OF THE PEOPLE OF EARTH TO BE FREED FROM THEIR PLACE OF PURGATION---AND GO TO HEAVEN.
THE BLESSED MOTHER WARNED VICKA OF THE SERIOUSNESS OF HER REQUEST.
SHE ADVISED VICKA TO DISCUSS THIS OFFER ON BEHALF OF THE POOR SOULS IN PURGATORY WITH HER CONFESSOR, FATHER JANKO BUBALO. VICKA DID. FATHER BUBALO ASKED VICKA TO PRAY AND FAST FOR THREE DAYS THAT SHE MIGHT HAVE THE STRENGHT TO PERSEVERE IN HER DESIRE TO HELP THE POOR SOULS.
ON THE THIRD DAY SHE RECEIVED PERMISSION FROM HER SPIRITUAL DIRECTOR TO UNDERSTAKE THIS SACRIFICE TO HELP THE SOULS IN PURGATORY. THUS BEGAN VICKA'S SPIRITUAL ODYSSEY ON THEIR BEHALF, THAT THEY MIGHT BE FREED FROM THAT PLACE OF PURGATION AND GO TO HEAVEN.
WHEN I ASKED, " DO YOU KNOW THE POOR SOULS WELL ? "
SHE REPLIED, " YES. I CAN FEEL THEM. THEY SUFFER SO MUCH !
THEY ARE SO NEEDY.
THEY ARE SO ABANDONED BY THEIR LOVED ONES ON EARTH !
IT IS A JOY, A PRIVILEGE TO HELP THEM. "
VICKA BECAME ILL AS QUICKLY AND MYSTERIOSLY AS HER SACRIFICE WAS ACCEPTED BY THE BLESSED MOTHER. SOME BELIEVED HER ILLNESS WAS A MYSTICAL ILLNESS. SHE HAD, IN FACT, A MEDICALLY DIAGNOSED BRAIN TUMOR, SWELLING OF THE JOINTS WHICH EVENTUALLY RESULTED IN HIGH FEVERS AND COMAS.
THROUGHOUT HER ILLNESS, VICKA'S JOY WAS OBVIOUS TO ALL WHO SAW HER. " I KNOW THE VALUE OF SUFFERING, " SHE SAID. " ALL SUFFERING IS FOR SOMEONE.
IT IS A PRIVILAGE TO SUFFER WITH JESUS. "
AS QUICKLY AS VICKA'S SACRIFICE WAS COMPLETED, SHE WAS INSTANTLY CURED ON THE EXACT DATE THE BLESSED MOTHER HAD PROMISED MANY MONTHS EARLIER.
THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY ATTENDING VICKA, AS WELL AS THE FRANCISCANS OF SAINT JAMES PARISH WHO WERE AWARE OF THE MYSTERIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING VICKA'S ILLNESS, HAD MEDICALLY VERIFIABLE EVIDENCE OF VICKA'S COMMITMENT TO THE POOR SOULS IN PURATORY. "
" I WAS REMEMBERING THAT PUGATORY IS AN ENDLESS SPACE OF ASHY COLOR. IT WAS QUITE DARK. I COULD FEEL PEOPLE STRANGLING AND SUFFERING THERE.
THE BLESSED MOTHER TOLD US WE SHOULD BE PRAYING FOR THE SOULS STRANDED IN PUGATORY. SHE SAID THAT OUR PRAYERS AND SACRIFICES CAN RELEASE THEM FROM THAT PLACE.
THE PEOPLE THERE ARE HELPLESS. THEY ARE REALLY SUFFERING.
WE CAN BE LIKE JESUS A LITTLE BIT IF WE JUST DO SOME VOLUNTARY PENANCE FOR THE SOULS IN PURGATORY,
ESPECIALLY :
---> ---> ---> FOR THE ONES WHO ARE ABANDONED BY THEIR FAMILIES ON EARTH.
I EXPERIENCE THEIR PRESENCE. I AM AWARE OF THEIR SUFFERING. I KNOW SOME OF THEIR TORMENT. THEY ARE SO LONELY THAT IT IS ALMOST SICKENING TO REMEMBER THOSE MOMENTS I WAS THERE. IT IS REALLY A GREAT JOY TO DO PENANCE FOR THE POOR SOULS BECAUSE I KNOW HOW MUCH IT HELPS THEM.
" VICKA, DO YOU KNOW IF OUR LOVE ONES WHO HAVE PASSED AWAY CAN HEAR OUR PRAYERS ? "
" YES, OF COURSE. AND MANY OF OUR FAMILY MEMBERS WHO HAVE DIED DESPERATELY NEED OUR PRAYERS.
THE BLESSED MOTHER SAYS WE MUST PRAY COURAGEOUSLY FOR THEM SO THAT THEY MIGHT GO TO HEAVEN. THEY ARE POWERLESS TO HELP THEMSELVES. "
2------- MIRJANA---ONE OF THE SIX VISIONARIES FROM MEDJUGORJE
"MIRJANA, HAVE YOU TRULY SEE PURATORY ?
YES, MANY PEOPLE, WERE THERE. THEY WERE SUFFERING IMMENSELY. IT WAS A PHYSICAL SUFFERING. THERE WAS MUCH PHYSICAL SUFFERING. I COULD SEE THE PEOPLE SHIVERING, THRASHING, AND WRITHING IN PAIN.
THE BLESSED MOTHER WAS WITH ME.
SHE EXPLAINED TO ME THAT SHE WANTED ME TO SEE PURGATORY.
SHE SAID SO MANY PEOPLE ON EARTH TODAY DO NOT EVEN KNOW ABOUT PURGATORY.
" MIRJANA, HAVE MANY PEOPLE TODAY FORGOTTEN ABOUT THE JUSTICE OF GOD ?
SINCE NOTHING CAN LIVE IN THE SIGHT OF GOD BUT PURE LOVE,
GOD'S JUSTICE CLEANSES.
THAT IS WHY WE HAVE PURGATORY.
" MIRJANA, ARE YOU SAYING PURGATORY IS AN INSTRUMENT OF GOD'S JUSTICE ?
WE HAVE BEEN TAUGHT THAT GOD'S JUSTICE IS NOT LIKE MAN'S JUSTICE,
FOR GOD HAS NO CRUELTY. CRUELTY IS AN ATTRIBUTE OF PRIDE.
THE BLESSED MOTHER HAS SAID GOD IS PURE LOVE.
" MIRJANA, WHY DID THE BLESSED MOTHER WANT TO SHOW YOU PURGATORY ?
SHE SAID :
--->--->" SO MANY PEOPLE WHO DIE ARE QUITE ABANDONED BY THEIR LOVED ONES. "
THEY CANNOT HELP THEMSELVES IN PURGATORY. THEY ARE TOTALLY DEPENDENT ON THE PRAYERS AND SACRIFICES OF THE GENEROUS PEOPLE ON EARTH WHO REMEMBER THEM. OUR BLESSED MOTHER HOPES HER OWN CHILDREN WILL HELP THE SOULS IN PURGATORY BY PRAYER AND FASTING AND VARIOUS PENANCES FOR THE POOR SOULS TO MAKE RESTITUTION FOR THEM.
" MIRJANA, WHY DO PEOPLE OF THE EARTH HAVE TO MAKE RESTITUTION FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE DIED ? "
BECAUSE THOSE WHO HAVE DIED NO LONGER HAVE FREE WILL AS THEY HAD ON EARTH. THEY NO LONGER HAVE A BODY. IT'S NO LONGER POSSIBLE FOR THEM TO MAKE UP FOR THE THINGS THAT THEY DID WHEN THEY HAD THEIR BODY THAT HURT AND HARMED THEMSELVES AND OTHERS. "
" MIRJANA, HOW DO THE PRAYERS OF THOSE WHO ARE STILL ON EARTH AND THE PENANCES HELP THOSE WHO HAVE DIED ?
THE BLESSED MOTHER EXPLAINED THAT THE PRAYERS AND PENANCE OF THOSE ON EARTH SOFTEN HEARTS OF STONE, MELTS HEARTS OF STONE. WHEN THE HEARTS OF STONE OF GOD'S CHILDREN ARE MELTED, GREAT LOVE IS POSSIBLE, EVEN ON THIS EARTH.
" MIRJANA, IS IT TRUE OR DO YOU KNOW WHETHER THE POOR SOULS IN PURGATORY CAN SEE US ON THE EARTH ? "
THEY CAN SEE THEIR LOVED ONES DURING THOSES MOMENTS WHEN WE PRAY FOR THEM BY NAME.
" MIRJANA, IVAN TOLD ME THE BLESSED MOTHER SAID THEY ARE VERY LONELY AND SHE HERSELF GOES THERE OFTEN TO COMFORT THEM. "
WE TOO CAN COMFORT THEM WITH OUR PRAYERS AND SACRIFICES.
ALL OF THE ABOVE QUOTES ARE FROM THE BOOK
" THE VISIONS OF THE CHILDREN " BY JANICE T CONNELL
St. Faustina’s Visions of the Souls in Purgatory
In her account of another vision, St. Faustina describes Purgatory as a "great crowd of suffering souls" undergoing purification. Further, she says that the souls are "praying fervently, but to no avail, for themselves; only we can come to their aid" (Diary, 20).
