Purgatory until the end of the world

The very instant anyone who finds himself in purgatory knows when they enter…

• … is that there’s nothing they can do to help themselves. The time for that was when they were on earth, when they were supposed to be generous enough in walking in our Lord’s presence that when they died they would go straight to heaven.
• … is that unless someone helps them with a prayer or two they won’t be helped along toward heaven. However much they thought they were paying attention to God while they lived, they didn’t quite get it that Jesus is also making our fellow human beings members of His Mystical Body. They have to come to realize the extent of our Lord’s love for them by learning how much the members of the body are supposed to work together for the good of all. When someone prayers for them – that is when they will learn more of the love of God for them. And then they will be closer to offering a thanksgiving in heaven.
• … is that they can’t ask for these prayers. They are silent. This was the original intent of the moment of silence for those who have died, listening to the silence, and thus responding by offering a prayer or two as best we can.
• … is that even if they could ask, we wouldn’t hear them as we also are so obtuse in our fallen human nature to hear these members of the family of faith. One asks, then, if we hear the cries for help from the those right around us in this world.
• … is that they are there until the end of the world, well, unless we pray.
• … is that is most unlikely that we will pray for them. After all, out of sight, out of mind, out of prayers.

So…

• … if we do pray for them, not having been asked, not knowing the result, thinking all the while that our prayers are weak and quite useless, imagine that surely our Lord sees all of this and mightily approves of our hope in His mercy and makes our prayers effective.
• …. imagine the great joy when prayers come the way of those in purgatory. They have not been forgotten. Someone does love them. And with God-speed they race to the gates of heaven.
• … imagine the gratitude and thanksgiving. It is such that our Lord Jesus Himself exclaims that it will be these souls for whom we have paid our debt, for whom we have prayed, who have now made it to heaven, who will themselves welcome us into the eternal habitations, that is, heaven.

It’s a good practice every day, any time during the day, to pray three Hail Mary’s for the souls in purgatory. You will be amassing an army praying for you in return, with enthusiasm, with more hope for you than you could possibly have for yourself, cheering you on.

• Hail Mary…
• Hail Mary…
• Hail Mary…