Next in our evaluation of the Four Last Things, we will be looking at the third: Heaven. The past two weeks we evaluated Death and Judgement, next week will be our last and final; that of Hell. But this week, the much happier reality of Heaven, where all of us want to be!
After we die and we are judged and we will be sent to one of two places: Heaven or Hell. If we are sent to Heaven, that will be a day of great rejoicing! Only those who are perfect are able to be in heaven which is why it is so important that we strive to the best of our ability to love others as Jesus would love them. Everytime we sin, we are choosing against something that Jesus is asking of us to do. When we go to confession, all of our sins are taken away, but just like any wound we receive, there is a remnant or scar that remains behind. This is the reason that the priest gives you a penance in the confessional, to help remove that remnant or scar that remains from sin.
In order for us to have our scars completely removed, we go to Purgatory first. Yes we do still believe in Purgatory and it is nothing to be afraid of…it is actually a good thing that we have Purgatory! I remember a couple of years ago when I was visiting my Grandmother shortly after my Grandfather passed away, she asked me: “Your Grandfather was a very good man, but he was not perfect. How can someone who is not perfect be in Heaven?” Purgatory is the perfecting of our souls in all the ways that we need to be healed from the remnant of sin that still remains.
It is said that in November we remember. We remember all those that we have loved that have died in the past year and we continue to pray for them. Our prayers do so much good for someone who is in Purgatory, especially when we offer the Mass for them! Our prayers help the soul to be purified and to get to Heaven faster!
If you have any mortal sin on your soul at all, GO TO CONFESSION!!! Those sins can affect your salvation and your ability to go to heaven. Also remember to pray for those souls in Purgatory, that they may see our Lord face to face in His Heavenly Kingdom.
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
- Fr. Andrew