Purgatory: Part II

The following text concerning purgatory comes from visions recounted in Mist of Mercy by "Anne," a lay apostle. She has received permission from her local ordinary, Bishop Leo O’Reilly, for the distribution of messages which she receives from Jesus, God the Father, Our Blessed Mother, the angels and saints (see article, "Discernment of Lay Apostolate of Jesus Christ the Returning King," Marian Private Revelation section). This is part II of a two-part series.
– Ed.

April 30, 2006 

Today Our Lord brought me over the heavenly Kingdom. He stopped in the Valley of Solitude and I looked down at the stream, forest, mountains and valleys. Jesus said, "This is all for you, Anne. Do you understand?" 

Indeed I did. At that moment, I understood the smallest bit of truth that all that is in heaven belongs very personally to each one of us in a separate and complete way. It is similar to the understanding I had that Jesus walked the earth each day for each one of us separately. Each Bible story has something to say to each of us on any given day and Jesus actually lived each day thinking of each one of us, almost as though He had lived a separate and complete life for every one of us. 

Perhaps this truth is self-evident to others. I never understood it until today and I know that I got only the barest glimpse of understanding. When Jesus said, "This is all for you, Anne," He spoke the truth. 

That truth is just as true for every single one of us.  

We went over the Holy City and over the night sky, over the new day city and out again into the lighter night sky, and on again into the park. Jesus began to talk about souls. He said that purgatory prompts and completes the process of self-acceptance. Jesus explained this. 

Some souls understand that Jesus exists. They believe in God. They do not live this belief, however, and they do not make decisions based on their belief. They do not serve. 

Some souls understand that Jesus exists. They believe in God. They make many decisions based on this belief and live good lives. They serve partially. 

Some souls understand that Jesus exists. They believe in God. They live this belief and make most or all of their decisions based on this belief. These souls are saints. They serve in near totality. 

It is a challenge for a person to conform his life to something he has not seen but therein lay the merit of our earthly service. We do not see this heavenly Kingdom. We do not see the saints who have gone before us. We cannot touch the stones or trees or water in heaven. We are, however, given great grace in our souls with which to understand and believe the Truths of God. The Sacraments provide treasures of grace to strengthen our understanding of God. 

Souls who live for the world deny these truths. They do not wish to believe because they do not wish to serve God. They desire their own will. When these souls die, they have to come to terms with the fact that they knew God existed and chose against Him on some occasions. They have to admit and acknowledge that they knew of God's existence because this is the land of truth and there is no bantering or word play. The truth is plain to see here. 

On earth souls try to tie each other up in knots with clever arguments designed to distract from the truth. This will not work in the heavenly Kingdom. We will be able to relax there and there will be no need to be clever in that respect. This will be a relief because one gets tired of having to constantly expose the enemy's distortions and traps. I find that some souls try to put me in a paper bag with their words and I am always trying to fight my way out. I am at peace about this, as every soul should be. When we are being challenged and we lack the words, we must simply say nothing. Ultimately, it is God's fight, not ours. He always wins in the end. The worst scenario is that Jesus will find me an inadequate servant. Well, that's just fine by me. Jesus already knows I am inadequate. 

With regard to the three distinctions in the way a soul responds to the knowledge of God, each soul will have to come to terms with their response to the grace that was given to them on earth. This is what purgatory does for us. It aligns our life on earth, our service and non-service, to the reality that is heaven. We see heaven before us. Behind us is our response to the grace given to us on earth, otherwise known as the truth of our life. We must make the journey from one to the other. The two have to be merged in order for us to be ready for eternity. 

It's good, I find. This process is a good thing. It is another aspect of God's great and perfect mercy. 

Jesus brought me to a woman praying in the mists. She prayed heartbreakingly for her husband. I understood that she had blocked God's grace in their family. Her husband, destined for a high level of holiness, had not been allowed to bring his faith into their home and family. This woman had ridiculed him and mocked him until he remained silent about his feelings for God. 

Her remorse was pitiful. She begged God selflessly not to allow her husband to be held accountable. She was asking that she be allowed to take responsibility for his not achieving the level of holiness he should have achieved. 

Jesus answered her prayer and told me that in the last days of his life, her husband would advance in holiness at a miraculous pace, allowing him to be as holy as he would have become given a sympathetic and accepting atmosphere in the home. I gather he did not fight for his faith with his wife and it is for this she fears he will be held accountable. 

I see that this man chose to keep the peace in his family with good motives of family unity. God is rewarding this and granting exceptionally gracious graces in response to the prayers of this wife and mother because their children will be affected profoundly by their father's holiness in this, his last agony on earth. 

I was glad to know this but I could not bear that this woman be left here in the mists. I begged Jesus for something for her and the mists began moving gently, blowing away. She rose to walk into the final area but first stopped and smiled in our direction. It was a beautiful smile, filled with gratitude to God. 

I said, "Lord, does she know We are here?" 

He said, "Yes, but she does not see Us." 

Jesus 

May 5, 2006 

"Anne, you suffer from the falseness of others. Understand that this is temporary. You know that in the heavenly Kingdom, all is truth. Be at peace in the temporary suffering that I will for you as I will not allow My mission to be damaged to the degree that its effectiveness is lessened. If you walk with Me, you walk with truth. All around you may be lies and falseness, but in your soul there is My heavenly truth and the knowledge that all souls in heaven rest in truth. Souls on earth may be fooled by falseness, but they will have perfect knowledge when they arrive here. The lies of the enemy cannot hurt you any more than I allow. Let this comfort you and give you courage. If it is My will that a soul suffer in this way, then I must be allowed freedom to work in the soul of the victim. I want only what is best for humanity. To that end I allow a certain amount of suffering for My friends. Be at peace because no soul that follows Me will be abandoned to the enemy of Truth. You will find that the greater the suffering on earth, the greater the glory for heaven." 

May 7, 2006 

On this day our Lord showed me that souls who follow Him on earth can come directly to heaven. I understood that souls who come right to heaven spend some time enjoying and becoming accustomed to unity with Jesus in a place like the Valley of Solitude. I love it there because I love the forest. I understood though that some souls will find themselves near an ocean or a desert or another kind of place. The place where they become accustomed to unity with Jesus will be totally pleasing to each individual. This is only the beginning of heaven for each of us. 

Because there are no separations in heaven, a soul is not confined to this area and is free to move at will. That stated, the soul will be in such a state of bliss and wonder that the soul will require some time to remain with the Lord and become comfortable with His continual and blessed presence. 

Jesus said that most souls should come more or less directly to heaven. God is not unreasonable and He did not make it too difficult to live a holy life on earth. It is simple really. I understood that in this time fewer souls go directly to heaven than in other times because fewer souls are living in holy simplicity according to God's will. God is not pleased with this, of course. 

When Jesus showed me the mist of purgatory again I understood something. I understood that the mist is not punishment, but rather a mercy, because the mist in purgatory ensures privacy. Souls would not like their sins to be exposed for others to see, and the work that needs to be done in the misty part of purgatory is a private thing. For Jesus to allow souls to complete this work in the mist is another act of mercy for souls. 

I understand that it is said that all will be exposed. This is true. But it is not a "stand around in a circle and condemn the sinner" kind of exposure, from what I can see. It is a compelling light of understanding that lays bare our individual souls and motives. I assure each reader that everyone will be too concerned with their own flaws to spend any time pointing at the flaws of another. 

This is so important that I want to do it justice. God allows us the grace of examining our soul in privacy so that our grief and remorse will be visible only to Him and to the saints who wish to help us. The work done in our souls is very deeply personal. As I understand it, purgatory is a process of forgiving ourselves and coming to terms with our decisions against our good God. Depending on the sins and the level of malice, it takes more or less time. 

For example, if I punch my sister in the face when I am six years old, I have to repent and consider the impact of the mistake on my sister. This takes a little time and most children apologize and become peaceful in a short time. But the apology and the realization that the act was wrong is crucial if the child is to proceed in goodness and self acceptance. 

If I take a gun and shoot my sister in the head when I am thirty, how much more will I have to repent and consider the impact of the mistake on my sister and on the world? The act is more serious, more impacting on both the world and the Kingdom of God, and on my sister. I will need to take a great deal of time, I would think, coming to terms with my mistake and proceeding in self-acceptance. 

Souls should understand that the important work is done in the soul or heart of the sinner. Getting caught doing something wrong can be good in that it can force one to come to terms with a mistake. Being held accountable can prompt the sinner to do the work in the soul. This work, this coming to terms with our own failures, is done in silence, in contemplation. 

I am struck powerfully again with the fact that we will have to do the work before or after death. Nobody will enter heaven without a good long think on their behaviors and actions. This deepens my understanding of the Lord's constant urging that souls spend time in silence. If we are always distracted by noise and entertainment we will not be inclined or able to scrutinize ourselves. This self scrutiny must be done. 

I thought immediately of souls in cloisters or monasteries where a good deal of time is spent in silence and prayer. These souls have an excellent chance of going right to heaven, I would think, because they are willingly remaining in silence, which encourages self scrutiny and heavenly light. They are submitting to silence and time with Christ before their death. 

I also thought of prisoners. Prison would be an excellent place to become a saint. I would tell all prisoners that if they walk with Christ and examine their consciences in silence, they will be much further along than most souls not in prison. 

I asked Jesus about all of our past sins. I know many souls who grieve deeply about the sins in their past. Jesus said that these souls will not suffer from their past sins if they confess them and are sorry for them. Grief over sins is an indication that a soul is doing the work here on earth, which will free the soul from doing the work after death. 

Penance, in the spirit of holding one's self accountable, is not a bad thing. By this I refer to little sacrifices in the day, small fasts, completing an action for another, and generally offering extra service or love in the spirit of reparation. Holy souls often offer sacrifices and penances in reparation for the sins of others, which is good also. 

I pictured souls climbing the mountain of holiness and imagined holy souls. Holy souls enter the mist on earth by denying themselves and taking up their crosses. On any given day a soul climbs the mountain of holiness with a cross strapped to his back. When I pictured this I saw souls climbing with cross-shaped backpacks. Some were very heavy, I could see. As a soul gets holier, that burden, that cross becomes less penitential in terms of necessity and more to do with the salvation of others. 

A holy soul moving toward Christ on the mountain who is suffering from cancer, for example, could have thousands of souls strapped to his tired back. The need for penance, perhaps, has passed as possibly this soul has aligned his will to Christ's and made amends for any sins committed before his soul was aligned with heaven's will. Any of the more minor sins committed while the soul was serving God are also being answered for as the soul climbs. At this time, the act of carrying a cross in union with Christ obtains great benefits for many souls in need of conversion. Perhaps, and this is usually quite true, this soul is marching up the mountain because of the sacrifice of another who has gone before him. He owes the Kingdom, yes, and he not only repays, but gives God much more than he owes so that others may benefit. This type of soul will not require time in purgatory because he has willingly walked in the mist of silence and suffering on earth. 

If a soul is marching up the mountain of holiness and the soul is suffering, that soul is allowed to become tired and discouraged. Again, God is not unreasonable and our humanity delights Him. Another marching soul might enter the soul's little climbing area on the mountain and throw down her cross for a moment, sitting alongside this soul. The two can sit in silence, enjoying the companionship, or they can compare the struggles, encouraging and affirming one another. This fellowship is beautiful. This is an advance glimpse of the latter area of purgatory because souls help each other to come to terms with mistakes and struggles in God's light. 

It is good to offer up our suffering, but remember that it is acceptable to rely on the support of other souls. In helping us, others can advance themselves. 

In applying this to life, I see that the act of removing an errant child from the company of the family is a good thing. It may feel like a punishment to the child, but in reality it is merciful to give the child the opportunity to consider his behavior and amend his countenance in privacy. To let a child behave badly and remain in the companionship of others is counterproductive as the child has no opportunity to think it all over. This certainly will assure many parents who choose time-outs for discipline. Also worthy of consideration is the need to turn off the televisions for at least some period of time each day or week. We must reduce the noise in our lives. The constant din is seriously affecting our souls. 

May 14, 2006 

I saw a very large Consecrated Host elevated high up on a pedestal that was stone. It was the biggest, most solid pillar I have ever seen. There were people all around it, throngs, millions of souls. I saw some gazing up at Jesus in the Eucharist and they were enrapt with His purity and goodness and love. I saw a Sister and a priest whom I recognized and both looked steadily at Christ on this pedestal. They faced Him. 

I saw others standing up close to the pedestal. Some were religious and some were lay. Some did not look up at Christ, but looked out at the throngs of people and drew attention to themselves and their proximity to the pedestal or the base that holds Christ. When souls approached the ones who were facing Christ, they also turned their gaze upward and began to adore Him. When souls approached the ones at the base who were not gazing up at Christ but out into the world, they sometimes turned and found the Eucharist on the pedestal and moved away from the ones who wanted to divert attention from Christ on to themselves. 

Other times, people encountering those who drew attention to themselves became angry and bitter, disillusioned and wounded because of the falseness of the ones who stood by Christ claiming a holiness they did not possess or desire. The disappointed ones sometimes wandered back into the throngs, away from Christ and holy souls. These souls were repelled by the ugliness of falseness. They sometimes began to work against Christ, using as justification the ones who stood close to the pedestal but did not give glory to God. This was painful to see and those souls who behave falsely will have to answer for some of the damage done by the ones who are led astray by their falseness. 

I asked Jesus what we should do about this situation, when we encounter souls such as this. It is extremely difficult as it is clear that they use their proximity to the Eucharist, to God, to advance their personal causes, be those causes financial, psychological, efforts to obtain control or superiority over others, or power. 

Jesus said, "Lead by example. Do not become distracted. Keep your eyes fixed on Me at all times and you will not be as personally disturbed." 

As upsetting as it is to view situations such as this, we must understand that it is far more upsetting to Christ because He is losing souls over this. I understand that it has always been this way and that helps a little. I am thinking of the Pharisees who pretended to be holy but had no love. 

Jesus mitigates in every possible way, of course, and uses the proximity of the soul to draw people to Him. By this I mean that a soul seeking Christ will find Him because Christ will not hide. Souls drawn to a false one because of their apparent proximity to God will look upward and find God. They will gradually move deeper into the divine and away from the false one. There is no denying the fact, however, that souls wounded by this falseness sometimes do not recover. Sometimes they reject God. 

I assure each reader that every consideration is made for one who is tricked or victimized by falseness. And it is true that God flows great good through these souls because as we have said, a soul seeking Christ will never be disappointed in his search. There will be perfect justice. Souls injured by those who claim to serve God and do not, are compensated. God will never be unjust. It is not even possible for God to be unjust. 

We must all remember to keep our eyes on Christ at all times.